BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Relative Pronoun

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 95
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:26 am
Thanked: 1 times
Followed by:1 members

Relative Pronoun

by RACHVIK » Thu Nov 25, 2010 7:46 am
Experts say that the distribution of counterfeit goods is growing rapidly world-wide, significantly compounding its impact on economic development and copyright infringement, which already cost businesses several million dollars per year.

Is it correct for modifier 'which' to modify 'The distribution of counterfeit goods'??

Is it possible for Relative Pronoun to modify subject of clause when placed at the end of clause separated by comma.

Thanks
Rachvik
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 645
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 12:42 pm
Location: US
Thanked: 527 times
Followed by:227 members

by e-GMAT » Thu Nov 25, 2010 8:01 am
In this sentence there are two modifiers:

1: "compounding its impact..." is the verb-ing modifier that modifies the preceding clause - the distribution of counterfeit goods is growing....
2: "which already cost..." is the relative pronoun modifier that modifies copyright infringement.

Relative pronoun modifiers typically modify the preceding noun only. It does not matter whether they are separated by comma or not.

Thanks,

Payal
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 774
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:32 am
Thanked: 46 times
Followed by:14 members

by aditya8062 » Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:28 am
i have the following doubt abt your explaination
"cost" is plural and as per ur explaination "which " is refering to "copyright infringement " ,which is singular.kindly explain .
e-GMAT wrote:In this sentence there are two modifiers:

1: "compounding its impact..." is the verb-ing modifier that modifies the preceding clause - the distribution of counterfeit goods is growing....
2: "which already cost..." is the relative pronoun modifier that modifies copyright infringement.

Relative pronoun modifiers typically modify the preceding noun only. It does not matter whether they are separated by comma or not.

Thanks,

Payal
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 645
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 12:42 pm
Location: US
Thanked: 527 times
Followed by:227 members

by e-GMAT » Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:13 pm
relative pronouns such as which and that are neither singular nor plural. They can stand for noun of any number. I am not sure how you got this impression about which modifier.

Tom owns a car, which is about an year old.
Tom owns cars, which are due for the maintenance.

Both sentences are correct as is. Notice the underlined portion - which in sentence 1 refers to singular car and in 2nd it refers to plural cars.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Payal
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 462
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:08 pm
Thanked: 10 times
Followed by:4 members

by confuse mind » Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:07 pm
aditya8062 wrote:i have the following doubt abt your explaination
"cost" is plural and as per ur explaination "which " is refering to "copyright infringement " ,which is singular.kindly explain .
e-GMAT wrote:In this sentence there are two modifiers:

1: "compounding its impact..." is the verb-ing modifier that modifies the preceding clause - the distribution of counterfeit goods is growing....
2: "which already cost..." is the relative pronoun modifier that modifies copyright infringement.

Relative pronoun modifiers typically modify the preceding noun only. It does not matter whether they are separated by comma or not.

Thanks,

Payal
cost is plural because it refers to 'economic development' and 'copyright infringement', not just copyright infringement.

X and Y, which -> which refers to both X and Y together and thus the verb which will be plural
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 774
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:32 am
Thanked: 46 times
Followed by:14 members

by aditya8062 » Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:26 pm
aditya8062 wrote:i have the following doubt abt your explaination
"cost" is plural and as per ur explaination "which " is refering to "copyright infringement " ,which is singular.kindly explain .
e-GMAT wrote:In this sentence there are two modifiers:

1: "compounding its impact..." is the verb-ing modifier that modifies the preceding clause - the distribution of counterfeit goods is growing....
2: "which already cost..." is the relative pronoun modifier that modifies copyright infringement.

Relative pronoun modifiers typically modify the preceding noun only. It does not matter whether they are separated by comma or not.
i think u didnt get my question correct (i know that pronoun " which " and "that " can be singular or plural .what i had asken was here "which" is not just referring to "copy right infringement " coz "copyright infringement" is singular .infact "which cost " is referring to both "copyright infringement " and "economic development "
plz read ur above explaination : in that u have explained that "which"is referring to just "copyright infringement "


Thanks,

Payal
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 774
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:32 am
Thanked: 46 times
Followed by:14 members

by aditya8062 » Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:33 pm
TO EGMAT i think u didnt get my question correctly (i know that pronoun " which " and "that " can be singular or plural .what i had asked was here "which" is not just referring to "copy right infringement " coz "copyright infringement" is singular .infact "which cost " is referring to both "copyright infringement " and "economic development "
plz read ur above explaination : in that u have explained that "which"is referring to just "copyright infringement
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 434
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:42 pm
Location: Bangalore, India
Thanked: 91 times
Followed by:46 members

by EducationAisle » Sun Jan 27, 2013 7:05 am
When intent is to modify a list, that seems to be the preferred choice of a relative pronoun in GMAT.
Ashish
MBA - ISB, GMAT - 99th Percentile
GMAT Faculty @ EducationAisle
www.EducationAisle.com

Sentence Correction Nirvana available at:

a) Amazon: Sentence Correction Nirvana

b) Flipkart: Sentence Correction Nirvana

Now! Preview the entire Grammar Section of Sentence Correction Nirvana at pothi
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1