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

Redeem

Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

★★★★★5.0559 reviews
Vote for Target Test Prep, Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards 2026
NEWSWEEK READERS’ CHOICE 2026

BIG NEWS! Target Test Prep has been nominated, and they’d love your vote!

TTP has worked incredibly hard to build the best test prep experience possible, and winning Newsweek’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Test Prep would mean a lot to them. If TTP has helped you, they’d be incredibly grateful for your vote. You can vote once each day through September 9.

Vote for TTP
GMATLiveTeach 7 seats left
Chris Peckover
NEXT LIVE COHORT

Oct 13 to Jan 7, 2027

with Chris Peckover

Schedule
Tue, Thu · 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET
Included
40 live hours + 6 months of GMAT OnDemand
  • Live instruction and real-time questions
  • Class recordings and assigned practice
View class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeach 5 seats left
Logan Thompson
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Sep 6 to Dec 6, 2026

with Logan Thompson

Schedule
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes plus six months of access to the complete TTP EA OnDemand course.
  • 165+ EA Score Guarantee
  • 4,100+ Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions
  • 400+ hours of in-depth video lessons
  • 3,000+ step-by-step video solutions
View EA class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemand Start anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

715+ score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions

Compare the format, schedule, and included access before enrolling. Prices and seat counts shown reflect the supplied offer details.

Astronomers have

Expert replies
by atulmangal » Fri Jun 03, 2011 10:33 am
Princeton - CAT

Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.


A. persisting

B. persists

C. persisted

D. they persist

E. are persisting
Join the discussion
Source: — Sentence Correction |

by Frankenstein » Fri Jun 03, 2011 10:42 am
Hi,
IMO A . OA plz?
Cheers!

Things are not what they appear to be... nor are they otherwise
Join the discussion

by Frankenstein » Fri Jun 03, 2011 11:00 am
Hi,
It is all about parallelism between past participle and present participle. We need a present participle to modify 'atoms and molecules'. So it should be molecules created... and persisting.... as particles still exist.

Hence, A
Last edited by Frankenstein on Fri Jun 03, 2011 7:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cheers!

Things are not what they appear to be... nor are they otherwise
Join the discussion

by Ozlemg » Fri Jun 03, 2011 12:48 pm
IMO C

Parallism should be btw created and persisted.
The more you suffer before the test, the less you will do so in the test! :)
Join the discussion

by anspeed » Fri Jun 03, 2011 1:27 pm
IMO A
Join the discussion

by sameerballani » Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:23 pm
Tough choice between A and C.

I will go with A
Join the discussion

by galaxian » Fri Jun 03, 2011 4:29 pm
I would go for OA as A.

However, I think it is more of the action continuing in the present after the past event has happened than Parallelism for the explanation.
Join the discussion

by cans » Fri Jun 03, 2011 5:01 pm
How to eliminate one of A and c??
If my post helped you- let me know by pushing the thanks button ;)

Contact me about long distance tutoring!
[email protected]

Cans!!
Join the discussion

by smackmartine » Fri Jun 03, 2011 6:27 pm
IMO A

Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

We have to use parallel participles.

@cans, we cannot use "persisted" because particles still exist in the emptiest regions. There is no point in changing the verb tense in this case.
Last edited by smackmartine on Fri Jun 03, 2011 8:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Join the discussion

by atulmangal » Fri Jun 03, 2011 6:39 pm
smackmartine wrote:IMO A

Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

We have to use parallel verbs.

@cans, we cannot use "persisted" because particles still exist in the emptiest regions. There is no point in changing the verb tense in this case.
Hi, one quick question:

You are setting a parallelism between VERBS, but "persisting" is not a VERB, an -ing form without any helping verb cannot be a verb. I am aware of such parallelism but in that case we set parallelism b/w adjectives for ex, this case:

Football team, tired from 4 hours of play and wanting to reach home quickly, took the shortcut.

In the given question, COMPROMISE is a pure verb not a participle so how can u make a verb parallel to a present participle "persisting"????

Moreover, subject of the "persisting" should be atoms and molecules not participles...why check my next post. If u don't agree please post.
Last edited by atulmangal on Fri Jun 03, 2011 6:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Join the discussion

by atulmangal » Fri Jun 03, 2011 6:48 pm
Frankenstein wrote:Hi,
It is all about parallelism between verb forms. We need a present participle to modify 'atoms and molecules'. So it should be molecules created... and persisting.... as particles still exist.

Hence, A
Hi, OA is A but i have some confusion please clear.

First i was confused with the structure, how do we read the sentence, 2 ways i show u, but i finally dropped one out of them...

Original:

Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

Way 1:

Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and [that] persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

Here, by inducing THAT / THAT parallelism, here the subject of the present participle "persisting" is particles not atoms and molecules.

But i drop this since in that case part after AND doesn't contain any verb and thats wrong as a relative clause must contain a verb...right.

2 way:

As it is:

Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and [atoms and molecules] persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

This i believe is correct. Now, u said we are setting up a parallelism b/w VERBS but i think we are setting up a parallelism b/w participle (adjectives) Not verbs...what do u think on this???
Join the discussion

by Frankenstein » Fri Jun 03, 2011 7:41 pm
atulmangal wrote:
Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and [atoms and molecules] persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

This i believe is correct. Now, u said we are setting up a parallelism b/w VERBS but i think we are setting up a parallelism b/w participle (adjectives) Not verbs...what do u think on this???
Hi,
My wording was wrong there. I meant parallelism between participles only as my reasoning also states the same. I will edit that part of my post.

Off topic: What about the other thread of'Laws of Physics'. I expect something from you on that thread if you are not convinced.
Cheers!

Things are not what they appear to be... nor are they otherwise
Join the discussion

by atulmangal » Fri Jun 03, 2011 8:00 pm
Frankenstein wrote:
atulmangal wrote:
Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and [atoms and molecules] persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

This i believe is correct. Now, u said we are setting up a parallelism b/w VERBS but i think we are setting up a parallelism b/w participle (adjectives) Not verbs...what do u think on this???
Hi,
My wording was wrong there. I meant parallelism between participles only as my reasoning also states the same. I will edit that part of my post.

Off topic: What about the other thread of'Laws of Physics'. I expect something from you on that thread if you are not convinced.
Off topic: What about the other thread of'Laws of Physics'. I expect something from you on that thread if you are not convinced.
Hi i was thinking u gonna ask me about that...actually yesterday i typed my response, a long one...and then suddenly before posting my browser crashed...there are still some issues, finally i thought unless the source is not official i should leave that question, because my exam date is closing in so didn't find enough time to retype otherwise m not this kind off person who left the things unclear. Sorry brother, i hope u can understand my situation there, still if i find some free time, i will re-post my reply....sorry again..but i really appreciate u responded to that post.
Join the discussion

by Frankenstein » Fri Jun 03, 2011 8:09 pm
atulmangal wrote:
Frankenstein wrote:
atulmangal wrote:
Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and [atoms and molecules] persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

This i believe is correct. Now, u said we are setting up a parallelism b/w VERBS but i think we are setting up a parallelism b/w participle (adjectives) Not verbs...what do u think on this???
Hi,
My wording was wrong there. I meant parallelism between participles only as my reasoning also states the same. I will edit that part of my post.

Off topic: What about the other thread of'Laws of Physics'. I expect something from you on that thread if you are not convinced.
Off topic: What about the other thread of'Laws of Physics'. I expect something from you on that thread if you are not convinced.
Hi i was thinking u gonna ask me about that...actually yesterday i typed my response, a long one...and then suddenly before posting my browser crashed...there are still some issues, finally i thought unless the source is not official i should leave that question, because my exam date is closing in so didn't find enough time to retype otherwise m not this kind off person who left the things unclear. Sorry brother, i hope u can understand my situation there, still if i find some free time, i will re-post my reply....sorry again..but i really appreciate u respond to that post.
Hey,
Take it easy. Thanks to your browser, I do not need to look at that question for some time. Even I didn't feel that was a well-framed question(I could be wrong though). That's the reason I have mentioned that I would respond to only your quotes and not the OA. Anyway, you are good @SC. So, with the time constraints, I suggest you not to waste your time posting long ones on SC(that too for questions from unknown sources) and instead to concentrate on other areas. Good luck!
Cheers!

Things are not what they appear to be... nor are they otherwise
Join the discussion

by smackmartine » Fri Jun 03, 2011 8:11 pm
atulmangal wrote:
smackmartine wrote:IMO A

Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

We have to use parallel verbs.

@cans, we cannot use "persisted" because particles still exist in the emptiest regions. There is no point in changing the verb tense in this case.
Hi, one quick question:

You are setting a parallelism between VERBS, but "persisting" is not a VERB, an -ing form without any helping verb cannot be a verb. I am aware of such parallelism but in that case we set parallelism b/w adjectives for ex, this case:

Football team, tired from 4 hours of play and wanting to reach home quickly, took the shortcut.

In the given question, COMPROMISE is a pure verb not a participle so how can u make a verb parallel to a present participle "persisting"????

Moreover, subject of the "persisting" should be atoms and molecules not participles...why check my next post. If u don't agree please post.
Sorry bro , I must have have been in some different world while typing this because I highlighted the words first (wrongly) and then started explaining after a Tea break!!! . Definitely, parallel participles are required.
Join the discussion