Declining values- what is modifying what?

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rajatvmittal: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 110; Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:01 am; Thanked: 2 times

by rajatvmittal » Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:09 am

Declining values for farm equipment and land, the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through
the harvest season, is going to force many lenders to tighten or deny credit this spring.
(A) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is
(B) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, is
(C) the collateral which is borrowed against by farmers to get through the harvest season, is
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, are
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are

OG 10 seems to suggest that choice E, a correct one, clearly identifies declining values as the collateral. This sounds to me a bit confusing. Please help why OG says so?

thanks
Rajat

Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:09 am

EducationAisle: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 434; Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:42 pmFollowed by: 46 members; Location: Bangalore, India; Thanked: 91 times

by EducationAisle » Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:49 am

This indeed is surprising. Unfortunately I do not have OG10 at the moment. If it is not too much of an inconvenience to you, can you please type the entire explanation. Perhaps there is some context to this explanation.

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by Jim@StratusPrep » Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:52 am

First, declining values is plural, meaning only D and E can be correct.

Then, in D it is not the declining values that are used as collateral

Answer is E.

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rajatvmittal: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 110; Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:01 am; Thanked: 2 times

by rajatvmittal » Tue Sep 25, 2012 8:00 pm

explanation provided in og

In choices A, B, and C, the singular verb is does not agree with values, the subject of the sentence. Choices B, C, and D use awkward and wordy expressions. In B and D, the expression use as collateral to borrow against to get through... awkwardly juxtaposes two infinitives and is unnecessarily redundant, since use as collateral and borrow against have the same meaning. Choice C presents the wordy expression the collateral which is borrowed against by farmers to get through..., in which the passive verb creates an awkward and confusing construction. Choice E, the best answer, succinctly and clearly identifies the Declining values as the collateral against which farmers borrow and correctly uses the plural verb are

see the last line!

EducationAisle: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 434; Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:42 pmFollowed by: 46 members; Location: Bangalore, India; Thanked: 91 times

by EducationAisle » Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:21 pm

Thanks Rajat for typing all the text. Yeah, this does seem strange. In some instances, it has been found that OEs are not exactly sterling. This seems to be one of those instances.

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