-
thegmatbeater
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 114
- Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:21 am
BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course
Redeem
Featured Course
Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand
Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.
- 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
- 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
- 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
- 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
- 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
- TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
- 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
- OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
- Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
- MBA Admissions Consulting now available
- 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
- 200,000+ students served
- 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★
5.0
(559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start
then $127/mo
A Question That I Really Dont Understand!
Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction |
@gmatbeater,
IMO C....
just printing the question here agn for ease....
The Achaemenid empire of Persia reached the Indus valley in the fifth century B.C, bringing the Aramaic script with it, from which was derived both northern and southern Indian alphabets.
A) same as above
B) the Aramaic script with it, and from which deriving both the northern and the
C) with it the Aramaic script, from which derive both the northern and the
D) with it the Aramaic script, from which derives both northern and
E) with it the Aramaic script, and deriving from it both the northern and the
My explanation:
A) i firstly looked at 'was derived' which is a singular verb used incorrectly for the plural subject "northern and southern Indian alphabets".
also, "from which" seems to incorrectly refer to the empire (referenced by the pronoun "it") rather than to the script.
finally, "northern and southern Indian alphabets" is unclear. are there just one alphabet each in northern and southern alphabets or many in both of them?
B) "and" indicates that something new is to be written about. but in fact, we just need a continuation of the sentence. also,, "deriving" is an incorrect verb tense.
C) CORRECT. "From which" correctly refers to the script. Additionally, "derive," a plural verb, correctly agrees with the plural subject "the Northern and the Southern Indian alphabets."
D) "derives," a singular verb, does not agree with the plural subject "Northern and Southern Indian alphabets."
E) The second pronoun "it" is ambiguous: does it refer to the "empire" or to the "script"? also, did the empire derive the northern and southern alphabets??? certainly no:)
Hope that helps! wats the OA
IMO C....
just printing the question here agn for ease....
The Achaemenid empire of Persia reached the Indus valley in the fifth century B.C, bringing the Aramaic script with it, from which was derived both northern and southern Indian alphabets.
A) same as above
B) the Aramaic script with it, and from which deriving both the northern and the
C) with it the Aramaic script, from which derive both the northern and the
D) with it the Aramaic script, from which derives both northern and
E) with it the Aramaic script, and deriving from it both the northern and the
My explanation:
A) i firstly looked at 'was derived' which is a singular verb used incorrectly for the plural subject "northern and southern Indian alphabets".
also, "from which" seems to incorrectly refer to the empire (referenced by the pronoun "it") rather than to the script.
finally, "northern and southern Indian alphabets" is unclear. are there just one alphabet each in northern and southern alphabets or many in both of them?
B) "and" indicates that something new is to be written about. but in fact, we just need a continuation of the sentence. also,, "deriving" is an incorrect verb tense.
C) CORRECT. "From which" correctly refers to the script. Additionally, "derive," a plural verb, correctly agrees with the plural subject "the Northern and the Southern Indian alphabets."
D) "derives," a singular verb, does not agree with the plural subject "Northern and Southern Indian alphabets."
E) The second pronoun "it" is ambiguous: does it refer to the "empire" or to the "script"? also, did the empire derive the northern and southern alphabets??? certainly no:)
Hope that helps! wats the OA
Hi,
I understand that we arrived at the official answer mainly by the process of elimination, but why does the official answer too sound grammatically incorrect to me?
Isn't a "were" or an "are" supposed to precede the word "derive" in this case?
When you read the OA, doesn't it seem that the alphabets are deriving something and whatever it is that the alphabets are deriving is left unsaid?
Shilo
I understand that we arrived at the official answer mainly by the process of elimination, but why does the official answer too sound grammatically incorrect to me?
Isn't a "were" or an "are" supposed to precede the word "derive" in this case?
When you read the OA, doesn't it seem that the alphabets are deriving something and whatever it is that the alphabets are deriving is left unsaid?
Shilo
were or are not needed.
"derive from" is an idiomatic use of the verb derive used without an object.
https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/derive -> check bullet 5 in this link
It is idiomatically similar to the usage of "stem from"
"derive from" is an idiomatic use of the verb derive used without an object.
https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/derive -> check bullet 5 in this link
It is idiomatically similar to the usage of "stem from"
java_ka_jalwa wrote:were or are not needed.
"derive from" is an idiomatic use of the verb derive used without an object.
https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/derive -> check bullet 5 in this link
It is idiomatically similar to the usage of "stem from"
Thanks! I did not know that; I have never before seen a sentence in which the word "derive" has not been preceded by a "was" or an "is" or a "were" or a "has been". Good to know this.
Shilo
