Sentence Correction

A. The computer company reported strong second-quarter earnings that surpassed Wall Street's estimates and announced the first in a series of price cuts intended to increase sales further.

earnings surpassed estimates
Numerical quantity compared with another numerical quantity
logical comparison

B. The report of the computer company showed strong second-quarter earnings, surpassing Wall Street's estimates, and they announced the first in a series of price cuts that they intend to increase sales further.

report( not a numerical quantity) surpassed estimates( numerical quantity )
illogical comparison
they has no antecedent

C. Surpassing Wall Street's estimates, the report of the computer company showed strong second-quarter earnings, and, for the purpose of increasing sales further, they announced the first in a series of price cuts.

same errors as were in B

D. The computer company reported strong second-quarter earnings, while announcing the first in a series of price cuts for the purpose of increasing sales further that surpass Wall Street's estimates.

Meaning change
A has the meaning that earnings surpassed estimates
D has the meaning that sales surpassed estimates
sales are not earnings.
earnings are because of sales.

Further,
A communicates the message that reporting and announcing are not related
D communicates the message that reporting and announcing are related ( both actions occured simultaneously )

D-->increasing sales further that surpass Wall Street's estimates.
That clause modifies sales.
further is an adverb modifying verbal increasing (gerund).
sales is an object of this verbal.
increasing what?
increasing sales.
further(an adverb) is not allowed between that clause, which is adjectivial, and noun (to which that clause modifies)****

E. The computer company, surpassing Wall Street's estimates, reported strong second-quarter earnings, while announcing that to increase sales further, there would be the first in a series of price cuts

company surpassed estimates
illogical comparison

Ans is A


**** other official SCs with same issue
His studies of ice-polished rocks in his Alpine homeland, far outside the range of present-day glaciers, led Louis Agassiz in 1837 to propose the concept of an age in which great ice sheets had existed in what are now temperate areas

(A) in which great ice sheets had existed in what are now temperate areas
(B) in which great ice sheets existed in what are now temperate areas
(C) when great ice sheets existed where there were areas now temperate
(D) when great ice sheets had existed in current temperate areas
(E) when great ice sheets existed in areas now that are temperate


Ans is B

The widely accepted big-bang theory holds that the universe began in an explosive instant 10 to 20 billion years ago and has been expanding ever since.
A. that the universe began in an explosive instant 10 to 20 billion years ago and has been expanding
B. that the universe had begun in an explosive instant 10 to 20 billion years ago and had been expanding
C. that the beginning of the universe was an explosive instant 10 to 20 billion years ago that has expanded
D. the beginning of the universe to have been an explosive instant 10 to 20 billion years ago that is expanding
E. the universe to have begun in an explosive instant 10 to 20 billion years ago and has been expanding
OA is A. C has other major issues that are much easier to spot though

noun + adverb + that clause = incorrect construction : )

WHY noun + adverb + that clause = incorrect construction ?

because that clause is adjectivial modifying noun.
ideally adectives/ adjectivials should touch nouns they modify .There are exceptions though but none of them contains adverb interupting noun and noun modifier( that clause in this case/ SC).

Note:
that clause can also act as noun, in which case it is called noun clause and thus can be a subject, object of a verb ,or object of a preposition( last one is rare in GMAT )

that clause can also be refferent of placeholder it

But in this SC( option D), that clause is adjectivial modifying noun (sales) and hence an adverb (further) interrupting noun and that clause is a problem.