Sentence Correction

When I first read the sentence I selected option A but I am not able to Mark out option B , experts please comment.......

aspirant2011 wrote:When I first read the sentence I selected option A but I am not able to Mark out option B , experts please comment.......

Did PM an Expert ?

mundasingh123 wrote:

aspirant2011 wrote:When I first read the sentence I selected option A but I am not able to Mark out option B , experts please comment.......

Did PM an Expert ?

Yup have done a PM........

dadu wrote:Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar, a theoretical physicist of International repute, has researched whether complete and consistent theory of quantum gravity has a stringy set of additional excitations, and has concluded that the prospects for pure 3d gravity to be consistent and complete appear dim.
(A) has a stringy set of additional excitations, and has concluded
(B) has a stringy set of additional excitations, concluding
(C) has a stringy set of additional excitations, and have concluded
(D) have a stringy set of additional excitations, and concluding
(E) have a stringy set of additional excitations, concluding

Please discuss.

Generally, a present participle (VERBing) preceded by a comma:

-- refers to the subject of the previous clause
-- expresses an action happening at the same time as the verb of the preceding clause

In B, it is not crystal clear whether concluding refers to Dr. Gopakumar or to theory, both of which are subjects, and both of which precede concluding.

Even if we construe that concluding refers to Dr. Gopakumar, concluding is not really an action happening at the same time as has researched. One has to research BEFORE one can conclude.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

dadu wrote:Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar, a theoretical physicist of International repute, has researched whether complete and consistent theory of quantum gravity has a stringy set of additional excitations, and has concluded that the prospects for pure 3d gravity to be consistent and complete appear dim.
(A) has a stringy set of additional excitations, and has concluded
(B) has a stringy set of additional excitations, concluding
(C) has a stringy set of additional excitations, and have concluded
(D) have a stringy set of additional excitations, and concluding
(E) have a stringy set of additional excitations, concluding

Please discuss.

Generally, a present participle (VERBing) preceded by a comma:

-- refers to the subject of the previous clause
-- expresses an action happening at the same time as the verb of the preceding clause

In B, it is not crystal clear whether concluding refers to Dr. Gopakumar or to theory, both of which are subjects, and both of which precede concluding.

Even if we construe that concluding refers to Dr. Gopakumar, concluding is not really an action happening at the same time as has researched. One has to research BEFORE one can conclude.

Thanks a lot Mitch for your wonderful explanation

Mitch has already provided the explanation.

Also have the OE with me. An elaborate explanation is provided for why B is wrong:

From the context of the sentence, it is pretty clear that Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar has concluded that the prospects for pure 3d gravity to be consistent and complete appear dim. However, option B uses a "Present Participial" phrase "concluding that the prospects for pure 3d gravity to be consistent and complete appear dim". Present participial phrases, when they do not appear at the beginning of the sentence, have a tendency to modify the subject of the preceding clause. Here, the preceding clause is "complete and consistent theory of quantum gravity has a stringy set of additional excitations" and the subject of this clause is "complete and consistent theory of quantum gravity". However,logically this Participial phrase is intended to modify "Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar".

There are a couple of simpler examples also provided for sake of understanding:

Scientists have researched whether the drug is effective, curing cancer.

In this, "curing cancer", the participial phrase correctly modifies "drug", the subject of the previous clause "drug is effective".

Some other examples are also provided.

Hi Mitch,
Is the comma before 'and' in A fine? Please confirm.
@dadu - Did you check for the comma after excitations. Could you confirm it, along with your source.

Frankenstein wrote:Hi Mitch,
Is the comma before 'and' in A fine? Please confirm.
@dadu - Did you check for the comma after excitations. Could you confirm it, along with your source.

Generally, a comma should not be inserted before a coordinating conjunction such as and or but when both verbs are attributed to the same subject:

John enjoyed the book but preferred the movie.

This rule -- especially in the real world -- is not absolute. When a sentence is especially long or convoluted, a comma might be inserted for reasons of clarity. In the SC above, the author might have inserted a comma before has concluded because of the repetition of has:

Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar...has researched whether [the] theory has a stringy set, and has...

The purpose of the comma before and might be to make it crystal clear that the third has refers not to the theory but to Dr. Gopakumar. I personally do not think the comma is necessary.

Responding to PM and adding to what Mitch has already explained above:


1: Do not eliminate a choice just based on punctuation error. Keep punctuation error such as this one in your back pocket and first do the eliminations based on other more deterministic errors. Why - because we have seen a couple of official questions in which two verbs have been connected using comma + and.

For example, check question 11 of OG12.
The sentence structure is as follows:
There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay
2. BUT the most extensively used method has been to form the mud or clay
3. AND to lay them in the wall in mud mortar
In the correct choice, there is a comma prior to AND.

Now I will not go to the extent of saying that GMAT does not test punctuation rules. After all run-on sentences and fragments are formed because of lack of appropriate punctuation.

But I can say this:
If you do not see comma + FANBOYS followed by an independent clause, just make a note of it and DO NOT ELIMINATE this answer choice till you have exhausted all other error categories. So in a nutshell, definitely be cognizant of ALL the covered punctuation rules. But if in an answer choice you see the following construction
, fanboys abc - where abc is not an independent clause.
DO NOT eliminate this choice before you have looked at all other more obvious error categories.

Another sentence in which similar construction has been observed:

After several years of rapid growth, the health care company became one of the largest health care providers in the metropolitan area, while it then proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind in its payment to doctors and hospitals.
A. while it then proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months
behind in its payment to
B. while it then proved unable to handle the increase in business and fell months
behind in its payment to
C. but then it proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind
in its paying
D. but then proving unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind
in paying
E. but then proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind
in paying

Notice how in choice [spoiler]E (the correct one)[/spoiler], what follows "but" is not an independent clause.

2: Between choices A and B, I would select choice A. It lays equal emphasis on the two actions - researched and concluded. Choice B on the other hand lays more emphasis on the action of "researched" and provides "concluding.." as an outcome of the action of research. I do not however completely agree with the OE for why choice B is incorrect. Yes, comma + verb-ing modifiers modify the preceding clause, but when there are more than 1 preceding clauses, it depends on the context whether the modifier modifies immediately preceding clause or the entire main clause. In this sentence, it does not make sense for "concluding" to modify "complete and consistent theory of quantum gravity has stringy set...". But it is very logical for it to modify the complete main clause - Dr. Rajesh has researched whether..."

e-GMAT wrote:Responding to PM and adding to what Mitch has already explained above:


1: Do not eliminate a choice just based on punctuation error. Keep punctuation error such as this one in your back pocket and first do the eliminations based on other more deterministic errors. Why - because we have seen a couple of official questions in which two verbs have been connected using comma + and.

For example, check question 11 of OG12.
The sentence structure is as follows:
There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay
2. BUT the most extensively used method has been to form the mud or clay
3. AND to lay them in the wall in mud mortar
In the correct choice, there is a comma prior to AND.

Now I will not go to the extent of saying that GMAT does not test punctuation rules. After all run-on sentences and fragments are formed because of lack of appropriate punctuation.

But I can say this:
If you do not see comma + FANBOYS followed by an independent clause, just make a note of it and DO NOT ELIMINATE this answer choice till you have exhausted all other error categories. So in a nutshell, definitely be cognizant of ALL the covered punctuation rules. But if in an answer choice you see the following construction
, fanboys abc - where abc is not an independent clause.
DO NOT eliminate this choice before you have looked at all other more obvious error categories.

Another sentence in which similar construction has been observed:

After several years of rapid growth, the health care company became one of the largest health care providers in the metropolitan area, while it then proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind in its payment to doctors and hospitals.
A. while it then proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months
behind in its payment to
B. while it then proved unable to handle the increase in business and fell months
behind in its payment to
C. but then it proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind
in its paying
D. but then proving unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind
in paying
E. but then proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind
in paying

Notice how in choice [spoiler]E (the correct one)[/spoiler], what follows "but" is not an independent clause.

2: Between choices A and B, I would select choice A. It lays equal emphasis on the two actions - researched and concluded. Choice B on the other hand lays more emphasis on the action of "researched" and provides "concluding.." as an outcome of the action of research. I do not however completely agree with the OE for why choice B is incorrect. Yes, comma + verb-ing modifiers modify the preceding clause, but when there are more than 1 preceding clauses, it depends on the context whether the modifier modifies immediately preceding clause or the entire main clause. In this sentence, it does not make sense for "concluding" to modify "complete and consistent theory of quantum gravity has stringy set...". But it is very logical for it to modify the complete main clause - Dr. Rajesh has researched whether..."

The reason why choice E is correct is because the comma before but is not the comma used in front of fanboys words ,but this comma is used for closing the modifier.

What is the source of this question?

Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar, a theoretical physicist of International repute, has researched whether complete and consistent theory of quantum gravity has a stringy set of additional excitations, and has concluded that the prospects for pure 3d gravity to be consistent and complete appear dim.
(A) has a stringy set of additional excitations, and has concluded
(B) has a stringy set of additional excitations, concluding
(C) has a stringy set of additional excitations, and have concluded
(D) have a stringy set of additional excitations, and concluding
(E) have a stringy set of additional excitations, concluding

Could you please confirm that there is a comma in front of and in option A.

Becase as much as I'm aware of when we explain two things about some1 we just say x and y instead of x, and Y.

The case could have been different if it were X, Y, and Z.

I suppose he copied it from greschool.com

Yes Concluding seems to be to far from Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar in choice B.

I guess choice A would have been perfect with the either of the following modifications :
(A) has a stringy set of additional excitations, and he has concluded

(A) has a stringy set of additional excitations, and Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar
has concluded

(A) has a stringy set of additional excitations and has concluded
comma before and removed