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by richachampion » Sun Jan 15, 2017 8:26 pm
In today's Business Standard front page the below mentioned sentence appeared as the very first statement - is this grammatically correct, as per the GMAT rules?

"With N Chandra appointed chairman of Tata Sons on Thursday, the Cyrus Mistry camp is contemplating a second contempt petition against Tata Sons, the Tata Trusts trustees and its directors for not adhering to a consent order given by NCLT."

I have copied it with all the punctuation marks and with text-as-is.

Please comment.
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by Ali Tariq » Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:11 am
Most evident i spotted on the fly.

against Tata Sons, the Tata Trusts trustees and its directors

, before and is required ( oxford comma ).
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by Ali Tariq » Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:20 am
With N Chandra appointed chairman of Tata Sons on Thursday

Happy to see no as or to be after appointed
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by Ali Tariq » Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:24 am
With Chandra appointed chairman of Tata Sons on Thursday

on thursday is modifying appointed correctly
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by Ali Tariq » Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:31 am
the Cyrus Mistry camp is contemplating
seems problematic logically ( we can ignore it since you are interested in grammar part)****
but is correct grammatically ( no SVA issue)

With N Chandra appointed chairman of Tata Sons on Thursday, the Cyrus Mistry camp is contemplating a second contempt petition against Tata Sons
With as an initial modifier seems problematic ****


****
bad way to prepare and approach SC btw ( answer choices in SC should be analyzed relatively and never absolutely or in isolation. We have a name for it, vertical scanning)
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by Ali Tariq » Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:44 am
With N Chandra appointed chairman of Tata Sons on Thursday, the Cyrus Mistry camp is contemplating a second contempt petition against Tata Sons, the Tata Trusts trustees and its directors for not adhering to a consent order given by NCLT.

More background information is required to ascertain whether the relationship between initial modifier and main clause is of simultaneouity or of causation.

It seems to be cause and effect situation though. ***
tool of causation should have been used here.

P.S: ***
but again relativity is the key. Analyzing one liners will leave much to be desired in any explanation.
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by Sun Light » Mon Jan 16, 2017 8:11 pm
richachampion wrote:In today's Business Standard front page the below mentioned sentence appeared as the very first statement - is this grammatically correct, as per the GMAT rules?

"With N Chandra appointed chairman of Tata Sons on Thursday, the Cyrus Mistry camp is contemplating a second contempt petition against Tata Sons, the Tata Trusts trustees and its directors for not adhering to a consent order given by NCLT."

I have copied it with all the punctuation marks and with text-as-is.

Please comment.
My observations below:

1
" the Tata Trusts trustees and its directors for not adhering to a consent order given by NCLT." 

This is an appositive modifier modifying "Contempt pettition".

2

I think opening modifier starting with "with" is not ok. If a sentence starts with "with" it should modify a noun or subject of the main clause.

Eg. With great care, the RBI executed the demonetisation process.

Here .. the entire with modifier mentioning the appointment of Chandra is modifying the Mistry camp, hence illogical. It can't appoint and complaint at the same time.

3

Another issue is the use of pronoun "its" .. I think "Tata trusts trustees" is plural.
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by richachampion » Mon Jan 16, 2017 8:16 pm
Sun Light wrote:I think opening modifier starting with "with" is not ok. If a sentence starts with "with" it should modify a noun or subject of the main clause.
A opening prepositional phrase modifies the action of the coming clause.
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by Sun Light » Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:27 pm
richachampion wrote:
Sun Light wrote:I think opening modifier starting with "with" is not ok. If a sentence starts with "with" it should modify a noun or subject of the main clause.
A opening prepositional phrase modifies the action of the coming clause.
Agreed, but "with" as the starter of the modifier has this peculiarity, as far as I remember.

The modifier is explaining the reason why did Mistry took a certain action, but I don't think with is the appropriate modifier.

Will share questions dealing with this issue.
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by Ali Tariq » Tue Jan 17, 2017 6:14 am
prepositional phrase as an initial modifier is adverbial.
It modifies the clause with which it is attached.

with is a special case, however.
With as an initial modifier is adjectivial.

Adjecivial modifiers, as initial modifiers, do not exist in void.

They should also have close relationship with the independent clause with which they are attached.

With pistol under his pillow, James sleeps tight.

with pistol under his pillow.
Who is with pistol under his pillow
James.
Correct

Close relationship exists between with as an initial modifier and the information in the independent clause.
So correct on this front as well.


with pistol under his pillow, James graduated with CGPA of 4.0
with pistol under his pillow.
Who is with pistol under his pillow
James.
Correct

Close relationship does not exist between with as an initial modifier and the information in the independent clause.
So incorrect on this front eventhough with as an initial modifier is followed by a subject.
Usage of with in first example is correct while it is incorrect in second example.
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by Ali Tariq » Tue Jan 17, 2017 6:28 am
Few words on prepositional phrase as an initial modifier.

On weekends, Ali plays guitar.
On weekends is modifying the clause ( adverbial )

On weekends is adverbial.

When he plays guitar?
on weekends.
correct.

Takeaway.
prep phrase as an initial modifier is adverbial.
with, however, is a special case.
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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Jan 17, 2017 8:14 am
Whereas a sentence in a news source benefits from context -- other sentences before and/or after, current events, etc. -- a GMAT SC is required ALL ITS OWN to tell a complete story.
Since the two types of sentences must satisfy different constraints, it is inappropriate to ask whether a random sentence taken from a news source would be correct on the GMAT.
Such a discussion is more likely to confuse than to illuminate.
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