PREPOSITION

This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 88
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:20 am
Thanked: 1 times

PREPOSITION

by Onell » Sun Nov 13, 2011 6:27 pm
OG says : This sentence 1 (oa c)explains how people void toll charges on their home phones and this purpose is best clarified by using preposition by to connect the phrase can avoid.... with the explanatory using their mobile phones..
However the sentence 2 (OA E) is with similar structure but without by. Thus can someone help me out when to exclude the preposition before ing phrase? .
Furthermore, Og says at a time which in sentence 1 is confusing because it seems to suggest a time other than at night or on weekend. Can someone elaborate what it means?

1.As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee
a) same as above
b) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which
c) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when
d) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when
e) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which.




2.Hundreds of species of fish generate and discharge electric currents, in bursts or as steady electric fields around their bodies, using their power either to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or also for communicating and navigating.

(A) either to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or also for communicating and navigating
(B) either for finding and attacking prey, defend themselves, or for communication and navigation
(C) to find and attack prey, for defense, or communication and navigation
(D) for finding and attacking prey, to defend themselves, or also for communication and navigation
(E) to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or to communicate and navigate
Source: — Sentence Correction |

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1239
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:25 am
Thanked: 233 times
Followed by:26 members
GMAT Score:680

by sam2304 » Sun Nov 13, 2011 11:22 pm
1st sentence - IMO C

I don't get the point explained in OG 'at a time which'. Usage of 'when' is right to refer to a time period.

2nd sentence - IMO E.

Hundreds of species of fish generate and discharge electric currents, in bursts or as steady electric fields around their bodies, to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or to communicate and navigate.

The structure is X do Y (modifying phrase for Y) to find prey, to defend themselves, to communicate. The meaning is clear now. Hope you get it.
Getting defeated is just a temporary notion, giving it up is what makes it permanent.
https://gmatandbeyond.blogspot.in/

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:18 pm
Location: Delhi, India
Thanked: 13 times
Followed by:9 members

by vaibhavgupta » Sun Nov 13, 2011 11:30 pm
Onell wrote:OG says : This sentence 1 (oa c)explains how people void toll charges on their home phones and this purpose is best clarified by using preposition by to connect the phrase can avoid.... with the explanatory using their mobile phones..
However the sentence 2 (OA E) is with similar structure but without by. Thus can someone help me out when to exclude the preposition before ing phrase? .
Furthermore, Og says at a time which in sentence 1 is confusing because it seems to suggest a time other than at night or on weekend. Can someone elaborate what it means?

1.As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee
a) same as above
b) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which
c) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when
d) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when
e) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which.




2.Hundreds of species of fish generate and discharge electric currents, in bursts or as steady electric fields around their bodies, using their power either to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or also for communicating and navigating.

(A) either to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or also for communicating and navigating
(B) either for finding and attacking prey, defend themselves, or for communication and navigation
(C) to find and attack prey, for defense, or communication and navigation
(D) for finding and attacking prey, to defend themselves, or also for communication and navigation
(E) to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or to communicate and navigate

For both of them POE was very effective.

C and E it is! :)
If OA is A, IMO B
If OA is B, IMO C
If OA is C, IMO D
If OA is D, IMO E
If OA is E, IMO A

FML!! :/

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:19 am
Onell wrote: 1.As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee
a) same as above
b) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which
c) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when
d) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when
e) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which.

This sentence 1 (oa c)explains how people void toll charges on their home phones and this purpose is best clarified by using preposition by to connect the phrase can avoid.... with the explanatory using their mobile phones..
However the sentence 2 (OA E) is with similar structure but without by. Thus can someone help me out when to exclude the preposition before ing phrase? .
Furthermore, Og says at a time which in sentence 1 is confusing because it seems to suggest a time other than at night or on weekend. Can someone elaborate what it means?
BY + VERBing = HOW:

John LOST weight BY EATING less.
Mary SOLVED the problem BY PLUGGING in her own numbers.
Henry SAVED time BY TAKING the highway.


In the SC above, HOW do many people avoid toll charges? BY USING their mobile phones.

In A and E, it makes no sense to use A TIME -- which suggests ONE particular moment in time -- to refer to at night or on weekends.
2.Hundreds of species of fish generate and discharge electric currents, in bursts or as steady electric fields around their bodies, using their power either to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or also for communicating and navigating.

(A) either to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or also for communicating and navigating
(B) either for finding and attacking prey, defend themselves, or for communication and navigation
(C) to find and attack prey, for defense, or communication and navigation
(D) for finding and attacking prey, to defend themselves, or also for communication and navigation
(E) to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or to communicate and navigate
BY + VERBing would not be appropriate here. Using their power to find and attack prey is not HOW the hundreds of species generate and discharge electric currents.
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

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 296
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 5:10 am
Location: Vietnam
Thanked: 10 times
Followed by:5 members

by tuanquang269 » Wed Nov 16, 2011 9:08 am
Hi GMATGuruNY, can you explain for me why B and D wrong. (although the last time I faced this sentence, I chose correct one)

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 88
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:20 am
Thanked: 1 times

by Onell » Wed Nov 16, 2011 10:39 pm
in A and E, it makes no sense to use A TIME -- which suggests ONE particular moment in time -- to refer to at night or on weekends.
Can you please elaborate more on this? Would it be correct if it were THE time --to refer to a specific period of time.

Thank you

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 258
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:39 am
Location: Bengaluru, India
Thanked: 6 times
Followed by:3 members
GMAT Score:640

by sachindia » Sun Nov 25, 2012 1:46 am
Mitch ,
In E above,
It seems that the following structure is used..

Either X, Y OR Z . . Aint this wrong??

Or is it that Y is modifying X?
Regards,
Sach

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Sun Nov 25, 2012 4:00 am
sachindia wrote:Mitch ,
In E above,
It seems that the following structure is used..

Either X, Y OR Z . . Aint this wrong??

Or is it that Y is modifying X?
Answer choice E:
...using their power to find and attack prey, to defend themselves, or to communicate and navigate.
Either is not used here.
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

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 11:37 pm

by Manuscriptedit » Thu Dec 27, 2012 11:39 pm
I like the way you explain everything without using complicated terms.

Legendary Member
Posts: 1404
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 6:55 pm
Thanked: 18 times
Followed by:2 members

by tanviet » Sun Dec 30, 2012 7:00 am
"by doing" shows how the previous action happens

"comma+doing" following the previous action shows what, pls, explain.

I know that "comma+doing" can show the result of the previous clause,but there are many meaning relations more which I do not know. pls exlain more the meaning relation between "comma+doing" and the previous clause.

• Page 1 of 1