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-ing modifier

by er_priyankajolly » Wed Jul 21, 2010 5:05 am
For decades Surgeon Generals have warned that smoking increases the risk of lung diseases, including lung cancer and emphysema, and can complicate pregnancy, and increases the risk of low birth weight.
(A) can complicate pregnancy, and increases the risk of low birth weight
(B) can complicate pregnancy, and increases low birth weight risks
(C) can complicate pregnancy, increasing the risks of low birth weight
(D) can complicate pregnancy by increasing the risks of low birth weight
(E) complicating pregnancy by increasing the risks of low birth weight


[spoiler]OA D .Can anyone explain why C is incorrect? I think its correctly modifying the clause "can complicate pregnency"[/spoiler]
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by kvcpk » Wed Jul 21, 2010 5:35 am
er_priyankajolly wrote:For decades Surgeon Generals have warned that smoking increases the risk of lung diseases, including lung cancer and emphysema, and can complicate pregnancy, and increases the risk of low birth weight.
(A) can complicate pregnancy, and increases the risk of low birth weight
(B) can complicate pregnancy, and increases low birth weight risks
(C) can complicate pregnancy, increasing the risks of low birth weight
(D) can complicate pregnancy by increasing the risks of low birth weight
(E) complicating pregnancy by increasing the risks of low birth weight


[spoiler]OA D .Can anyone explain why C is incorrect? I think its correctly modifying the clause "can complicate pregnency"[/spoiler]
Let us see how C will look like:
For decades Surgeon Generals have warned that smoking increases the risk of lung diseases, including lung cancer and emphysema, and can complicate pregnancy, increasing the risks of low birth weight

In this sentence - including lung cancer and emphysema is non-essential. Let us remove it.

For decades Surgeon Generals have warned that smoking increases the risk of lung diseases and can complicate pregnancy, increasing the risks of low birth weight

What is increasing the risks of low birth weight modifying now?
It gives a meaning that complicating the pregnency is the reason for increasing the risks of low birth weight.
But as per the intended meaning its the other way round.

Hence we need a conjunction that relates both correctly.
D uses "by" to establish this connection

Hope this helps!!
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by er_priyankajolly » Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:39 am
kvcpk wrote:
er_priyankajolly wrote:For decades Surgeon Generals have warned that smoking increases the risk of lung diseases, including lung cancer and emphysema, and can complicate pregnancy, and increases the risk of low birth weight.
(A) can complicate pregnancy, and increases the risk of low birth weight
(B) can complicate pregnancy, and increases low birth weight risks
(C) can complicate pregnancy, increasing the risks of low birth weight
(D) can complicate pregnancy by increasing the risks of low birth weight
(E) complicating pregnancy by increasing the risks of low birth weight


[spoiler]OA D .Can anyone explain why C is incorrect? I think its correctly modifying the clause "can complicate pregnency"[/spoiler]
Let us see how C will look like:
For decades Surgeon Generals have warned that smoking increases the risk of lung diseases, including lung cancer and emphysema, and can complicate pregnancy, increasing the risks of low birth weight

In this sentence - including lung cancer and emphysema is non-essential. Let us remove it.

For decades Surgeon Generals have warned that smoking increases the risk of lung diseases and can complicate pregnancy, increasing the risks of low birth weight

What is increasing the risks of low birth weight modifying now?
It gives a meaning that complicating the pregnency is the reason for increasing the risks of low birth weight.
But as per the intended meaning its the other way round.

Hence we need a conjunction that relates both correctly.
D uses "by" to establish this connection

Hope this helps!!

Perfect

Thanks for wonderful explaination
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by kvcpk » Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:54 am
er_priyankajolly wrote:
Perfect

Thanks for wonderful explaination
Glad it helped!!
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by sumanr84 » Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:32 am
er_priyankajolly wrote:For decades Surgeon Generals have warned that smoking increases the risk of lung diseases, including lung cancer and emphysema, and can complicate pregnancy, and increases the risk of low birth weight.
(A) can complicate pregnancy, and increases the risk of low birth weight
(B) can complicate pregnancy, and increases low birth weight risks
(C) can complicate pregnancy, increasing the risks of low birth weight
(D) can complicate pregnancy by increasing the risks of low birth weight
(E) complicating pregnancy by increasing the risks of low birth weight


[spoiler]OA D .Can anyone explain why C is incorrect? I think its correctly modifying the clause "can complicate pregnency"[/spoiler]
This is very good for TRAP. I wonder, what could be the source of this question ?

Selection b/w C and D has to do with the meaning of the sentence. Here, BY is suitable since we are explaining how smoking complicates pregnancy.

"-ING" modifier is a modifier that has something to do with or is a consequence of the main clause.

"risks of low birth weight" is NOT a consequence rather its an intermediate CAUSE.
Smoking --> increases the risks of low birth weight --> thereby, Complicates Pregnancy

So, BY is correct usage. Hence - D
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by paes » Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:21 am
Guys,

Here you will get a better explanation :

https://gmatclub.com/forum/surgeon-generals-94624.html

between C and D :

The last subordinate clause - 'increasing the risk of low birth rate' should be an subordinate clause of the previous because both the problems are related,.
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by er_priyankajolly » Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:16 am
sumanr84 wrote: This is very good for TRAP. I wonder, what could be the source of this question ?
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by uwhusky » Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:49 am
Answer C rephrased with just the main clause:
For decades Surgeon Generals have warned that smoking increases the risk of lung diseases and can complicate pregnancy, increasing the risks of low birth weight.

"increasing the risk of low birth weight" is technically using "Surgeon Generals" as the subject and they are increasing the risk of low birth weight.

"that smoking increases the risk of lung diseases and can complicate pregnancy" is a noun clause, and isn't modified by the adverbial modifier "increasing the risk of low birth weight".

A similar example from the SC book:

John lifted the weight, whistling a random song.

The weight has nothing to do with whistling a song, it's John who was whistling the song while he was lifting the weight.

This is a good practice on the usage of such adverbial phrase.
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