Because Halley’s comet changes orbit slightly

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simplyjat: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 423; Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:29 am; Location: Hyderabad, India; Thanked: 36 times; Followed by:2 members; GMAT Score:770

Because Halley’s comet changes orbit slightly

by simplyjat » Sun May 04, 2008 11:52 pm

Because Halley’s comet changes orbit slightly during the seventy-six-year interval between passing close to Earth, it may veer onto a collision course with a planet sometime in the distant future.

(A) between passing
(B) of passing
(C) between its passes
(D) of its passes
(E) as it passes

OA C
What is wrong with E?

simplyjat

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Sun May 04, 2008 11:52 pm

zacharyz: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 68; Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:11 pm; Thanked: 7 times

by zacharyz » Mon May 05, 2008 5:27 pm

The comet's orbit changes when it is AWAY from earth. It passes by earth every seventy-six years.

E) sounds like the comet changes orbit as it passes by the earth. It may also give the impression that the orbit changes as it passes by the earth for seventy-six years.

You need (C) to express the time away from earth

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sogmat: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 113; Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:43 pm; Location: Mumbai; Thanked: 1 times

explaination needed

by sogmat » Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:36 am

can someone please explain this using each option
thanks

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Domnu: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 385; Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 3:55 pm; Thanked: 11 times; GMAT Score:740

by Domnu » Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:42 pm

I agree with the OA. Here's why:

The answer can't be A since between passing doesn't make sense... between is used with a noun or two verbs.

The answer can't be B since the seventy-six-interval of passing doesn't make sense... we need a noun there, not a gerund.

The answer can't be D for the same reason... of its passes is a prepositional phrase.

The answer can't be E since we're still missing the noun.

Have you wondered how you could have found such a treasure? -T

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sarthak: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 75; Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:43 am

by sarthak » Tue Mar 02, 2010 10:34 am

what is wrong with the prepositional phrase of it passes ?

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Osirus@VeritasPrep: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 1578; Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 8:02 am; Thanked: 128 times; Followed by:34 members; GMAT Score:760

by Osirus@VeritasPrep » Tue Mar 02, 2010 11:01 am

Domnu wrote:I agree with the OA. Here's why:

The answer can't be A since between passing doesn't make sense... between is used with a noun or two verbs.

The answer can't be B since the seventy-six-interval of passing doesn't make sense... we need a noun there, not a gerund.

The answer can't be D for the same reason... of its passes is a prepositional phrase.

The answer can't be E since we're still missing the noun.

How is choice E missing a noun? You realize that "it" is a prounoun right?

Anyway, what is the source, this sentence seems awkward to me.

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