Sentence Correction

By merging its two publishing divisions, the company will increase their share of the country's $21 billion book market from 6 percent to 10 percent, a market ranging from obscure textbooks to mass-market paperbacks.
A. their share of the country's $21 billion book market from 6 percent to 10 percent, a market ranging
B. from 6 percent to 10 percent its share of the $21 billion book market in the country, which ranges
C. to 10 percent from 6 percent in their share of the $21 billion book market in the country, a market ranging
D. in its share, from 6 percent to 10 percent, of the $21 billion book market in the country, which ranges
E. to 10 percent from 6 percent its share of the country's $21 billion book market, which ranges


[spoiler]B VS E.

I understand that in B, which can refer to book market and country. But here, the only logical referent of 'which' can be book market since 'from obscure textbooks to mass market paperbacks' cannot refer to a country. This is similar to the example - A box of nails, which is lying on the table...where which can only refer to box.

Then why is B wrong?

Is it only because E is a better choice in terms of clarity (since country's is possessive, 'which' can only refer to book market)?

Experts pls clear this[/spoiler]

zaarathelab wrote:By merging its two publishing divisions, the company will increase their share of the country's $21 billion book market from 6 percent to 10 percent, a market ranging from obscure textbooks to mass-market paperbacks.
A. their share of the country's $21 billion book market from 6 percent to 10 percent, a market ranging
B. from 6 percent to 10 percent its share of the $21 billion book market in the country, which ranges
C. to 10 percent from 6 percent in their share of the $21 billion book market in the country, a market ranging
D. in its share, from 6 percent to 10 percent, of the $21 billion book market in the country, which ranges
E. to 10 percent from 6 percent its share of the country's $21 billion book market, which ranges


[spoiler]B VS E.

I understand that in B, which can refer to book market and country. But here, the only logical referent of 'which' can be book market since 'from obscure textbooks to mass market paperbacks' cannot refer to a country. This is similar to the example - A box of nails, which is lying on the table...where which can only refer to box.

Then why is B wrong?

Is it only because E is a better choice in terms of clarity (since country's is possessive, 'which' can only refer to book market)?

Experts pls clear this[/spoiler]

In A and C, their (plural) does not agree with company (singular). Eliminate A and C.

In D, the company will increase IN its share implies that the COMPANY will increase. The intended meaning is that the SHARE will increase. Eliminate D.

In B, since the verb attributed to which is singular, the implied antecedent is the nearest preceding singular noun (country). Since E places which next to its intended antecedent (market), E is the clear winner. Eliminate B.

The correct answer is E.

On the GMAT, when which does not refer to the nearest preceding noun, the verb generally will make the situation clear:

Many tourists gasp when they see the BUILDINGS of New York, which ARE among the world's tallest.

The plural verb are makes it clear that which refers to the plural antecedent buildings.

Mitch, that means whenever we have a 'which' after a comma we need to see 2 things -

1. Verb after which (singular/plural)
2. Preceding nouns (Logical - conveying the proper meaning)

Even after using the above, if the answer choice conveys ambiguity then eliminate that choice.

Hi Zaara,
If you are confused that which reffers to the noun just before the comma or if the noun before the perpostional phrase, then below are 2 examples to explain this.

1). If the noun is a person just before the comman and that noun is in a perpostional phrase, then which can reffer to a noun before the prepositional phrase.

Example:- The letters(1) to harry(2), which were written at night, are all written on white paper.
which must have reffered to (2) only when (2) was not a person.
in this case since the noun just before the comma is a person and this person is in a perpositional phrase - to harry, therefore which can correctly reffer to letters in this case.

2). If the noun just before the comma is not a name of a person then which would always reffer to the
noun before the comma.
Example: The dam build on nile river, which has a length of 1000 meters, is the biggest in the world.
This sentence is wrong since which is reffering to river whereas it should have reffered to dam instead.

Hi goal760

Can you cite the source of this rule?

Am sorry, but at times i am skeptical about certain concepts explained on BTG.

I had the same doubt on which and asked the same question to a manhattan gmat instructor during my course, and this explanation was given by one of the manhattan instructor.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

zaarathelab wrote:By merging its two publishing divisions, the company will increase their share of the country's $21 billion book market from 6 percent to 10 percent, a market ranging from obscure textbooks to mass-market paperbacks.
A. their share of the country's $21 billion book market from 6 percent to 10 percent, a market ranging
B. from 6 percent to 10 percent its share of the $21 billion book market in the country, which ranges
C. to 10 percent from 6 percent in their share of the $21 billion book market in the country, a market ranging
D. in its share, from 6 percent to 10 percent, of the $21 billion book market in the country, which ranges
E. to 10 percent from 6 percent its share of the country's $21 billion book market, which ranges


[spoiler]B VS E.

I understand that in B, which can refer to book market and country. But here, the only logical referent of 'which' can be book market since 'from obscure textbooks to mass market paperbacks' cannot refer to a country. This is similar to the example - A box of nails, which is lying on the table...where which can only refer to box.

Then why is B wrong?

Is it only because E is a better choice in terms of clarity (since country's is possessive, 'which' can only refer to book market)?

Experts pls clear this[/spoiler]

In A and C, their (plural) does not agree with company (singular). Eliminate A and C.

In D, the company will increase IN its share implies that the COMPANY will increase. The intended meaning is that the SHARE will increase. Eliminate D.

In B, since the verb attributed to which is singular, the implied antecedent is the nearest preceding singular noun (country). Since E places which next to its intended antecedent (market), E is the clear winner. Eliminate B.

The correct answer is E.

On the GMAT, when which does not refer to the nearest preceding noun, the verb generally will make the situation clear:

Many tourists gasp when they see the BUILDINGS of New York, which ARE among the world's tallest.

The plural verb are makes it clear that which refers to the plural antecedent buildings.

Is there any meaning difference between
1. .. increase from 6 percent to 10

GMATGuruNY wrote:

zaarathelab wrote:By merging its two publishing divisions, the company will increase their share of the country's $21 billion book market from 6 percent to 10 percent, a market ranging from obscure textbooks to mass-market paperbacks.
A. their share of the country's $21 billion book market from 6 percent to 10 percent, a market ranging
B. from 6 percent to 10 percent its share of the $21 billion book market in the country, which ranges
C. to 10 percent from 6 percent in their share of the $21 billion book market in the country, a market ranging
D. in its share, from 6 percent to 10 percent, of the $21 billion book market in the country, which ranges
E. to 10 percent from 6 percent its share of the country's $21 billion book market, which ranges


[spoiler]B VS E.

I understand that in B, which can refer to book market and country. But here, the only logical referent of 'which' can be book market since 'from obscure textbooks to mass market paperbacks' cannot refer to a country. This is similar to the example - A box of nails, which is lying on the table...where which can only refer to box.

Then why is B wrong?

Is it only because E is a better choice in terms of clarity (since country's is possessive, 'which' can only refer to book market)?

Experts pls clear this[/spoiler]

In A and C, their (plural) does not agree with company (singular). Eliminate A and C.

In D, the company will increase IN its share implies that the COMPANY will increase. The intended meaning is that the SHARE will increase. Eliminate D.

In B, since the verb attributed to which is singular, the implied antecedent is the nearest preceding singular noun (country). Since E places which next to its intended antecedent (market), E is the clear winner. Eliminate B.

The correct answer is E.

On the GMAT, when which does not refer to the nearest preceding noun, the verb generally will make the situation clear:

Many tourists gasp when they see the BUILDINGS of New York, which ARE among the world's tallest.

The plural verb are makes it clear that which refers to the plural antecedent buildings.

Is it a valid split. What is the meaning difference between these two:
.. increase from 6 percent to 10 percent.. VS ..increase to 10 percent from 6 percent.