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

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
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
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

Amounting and amount to

Expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 193
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:53 amFollowed by: 5 members
Thanked: 4 times
by amysky_0205 » Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:58 pm
For the first time in the modern era, non-Hispanic Whites are officially a minority in California, which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly there-quarters only a decade ago.

A. which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters only a decade ago
B. which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when it was nearly three-quarters
C. and that amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when they were nearly three-quarters
D. amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters a decade ago
E. amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from what it was a decade ago by nearly three-quarters

OA: D

Can someone explain this one?
Also, I would like to know the difference between amounting and amount to

thank u!
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Sentence Correction |
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:57 am
amysky_0205 wrote:For the first time in the modern era, non-Hispanic Whites are officially a minority in California, which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly there-quarters only a decade ago.

A. which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters only a decade ago
B. which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when it was nearly three-quarters
C. and that amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when they were nearly three-quarters
D. amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters a decade ago
E. amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from what it was a decade ago by nearly three-quarters

OA: D

Can someone explain this one?
Also, I would like to know the difference between amounting and amount to

thank u!
In A and B, which seems to refer to California, implying that CALIFORNIA amounts to a little less than half the population -- a nonsensical meaning.
Eliminate A and B.

In C, that lacks a clear antecedent.
Eliminate C.

In E, it lacks a clear antecedent.
Eliminate E.

The correct answer is D.

Here, amounts and amounting serve different grammatical functions.
The subject of amounts in A, B and C is the preceding pronoun (which/that).
The result is a nonsensical/unclear meaning.
But COMMA + VERBing refers to the SUBJECT OF THE PRECEDING CLAUSE.
Thus, in the OA, amounting refers to non-Hispanic Whites, conveying the intended meaning: that NON-HISPANIC WHITES are AMOUNTING to a little less than half the population.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2095
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:22 pmFollowed by: 247 members
Thanked: 1443 times

by ceilidh.erickson » Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:20 am
The issue here is not really the distinction between "amounts to" and "amounting," but the distinction between modifiers that begin with "which" and those that begin with a present participle (anything ending in -ing).

Any modifier that begins with "... , which..." is a noun modifier - it's giving you information about a person or thing - and it must modify the noun that directly precedes it. As Mitch said, the "which" clause in A and B is modifying "California," implying that California amounts to half the population....

A modifier following a comma that begins with a present participle, however, is an adverbial modifier - it's modifying the verb or the entire clause. Because it can modify the verb or the clause, it doesn't have to be next to anything in particular. Here, "amounting to half the population" is giving us more information about the entire idea that "non-Hispanic Whites are officially a minority." We need the adverbial modifier here.

Whenever you a split like this:
... , which...
... , ____ing...

Ask yourself - is this modifier giving me more information about a noun or about a verb/clause?
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 1404
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 6:55 pmFollowed by: 2 members
Thanked: 18 times

by tanviet » Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:17 pm
ceilidh.erickson wrote:The issue here is not really the distinction between "amounts to" and "amounting," but the distinction between modifiers that begin with "which" and those that begin with a present participle (anything ending in -ing).

Any modifier that begins with "... , which..." is a noun modifier - it's giving you information about a person or thing - and it must modify the noun that directly precedes it. As Mitch said, the "which" clause in A and B is modifying "California," implying that California amounts to half the population....

A modifier following a comma that begins with a present participle, however, is an adverbial modifier - it's modifying the verb or the entire clause. Because it can modify the verb or the clause, it doesn't have to be next to anything in particular. Here, "amounting to half the population" is giving us more information about the entire idea that "non-Hispanic Whites are officially a minority." We need the adverbial modifier here.

Whenever you a split like this:
... , which...
... , ____ing...

Ask yourself - is this modifier giving me more information about a noun or about a verb/clause?
GREAT.

I want to follow use but when I click the relevant box, is dose not work, pls, help
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1