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Although he patented over 1,000 inventions

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Although he patented over 1,000 inventions

by patanjali.purpose » Sat Oct 27, 2012 1:27 pm
Although he patented over 1,000 inventions, many of which revolutionized the modern world, Thomas Edison attained worldwide fame based upon his invention of the incandescent light bulb.

A) Thomas Edison attained worldwide fame based upon his invention of the incandescent light bulb
B) it was his invention of the incandescent light bulb that brought Thomas Edison worldwide fame
C) it was the incandescent light bulb and his invention of it that brought Thomas Edison worldwide fame
D) Thomas Edison's invention of the incandescent light bulb brought him worldwide fame
E) Thomas Edison earned worldwide fame for his invention of the incandescent light bulb

Kaplan; OA[spoiler]-E;[/spoiler]

Is it necessary for THOMAS EDISON to follow immediately after comma (as HE is in the subordinate clause)?
What's wrong with A, B (apart of wordiness)
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by anuprajan5 » Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:10 pm
Hi,

I will take the issues with A and B

A) Thomas Edison attained worldwide fame based upon his invention of the incandescent light bulb - Meaning Error. You can earn worldwide fame, not attain it. You attain a status etc.. Plus his invention of the light bulb seems a bit off here.

B) it was his invention of the incandescent light bulb that brought Thomas Edison worldwide fame - Modifier error because Thomas Edison is placed far away. In terms of the meaning this can be ambiguous. SOmebody else invented the light bulb that brought Thomas Edison fame.
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by patanjali.purpose » Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:33 am
anuprajan5 wrote:Hi,

B) it was his invention of the incandescent light bulb that brought Thomas Edison worldwide fame - Modifier error because Thomas Edison is placed far away. In terms of the meaning this can be ambiguous. SOmebody else invented the light bulb that brought Thomas Edison fame.
Does it mean that we need to place the ACTUAL DOER immediately after a clause also. We know such need in opening modifiers, eg:

In addition to her work on the Miocene hominid fossil record, Mary Leakey contributed to archaeology through her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and through her painstaking documentation of East African cave paintings CORRECT (LEAKEY coming immediately after comma and opening part is a modifier).

a) But in the original question, opening part is a clause (subordinate clause). Do we still need "Thomas Edison" immediately after comma? Can we drop B/C just on that basis?

b) Can the following be correct?
Although he patented over 1,000 inventions, many of which revolutionized the modern world, it was his invention of the incandescent light bulb that EARNED Thomas Edison worldwide fame.
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by GMATGuruNY » Sun Oct 28, 2012 4:05 am
patanjali.purpose wrote:
anuprajan5 wrote:Hi,

B) it was his invention of the incandescent light bulb that brought Thomas Edison worldwide fame - Modifier error because Thomas Edison is placed far away. In terms of the meaning this can be ambiguous. SOmebody else invented the light bulb that brought Thomas Edison fame.
Does it mean that we need to place the ACTUAL DOER immediately after a clause also. We know such need in opening modifiers, eg:

In addition to her work on the Miocene hominid fossil record, Mary Leakey contributed to archaeology through her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and through her painstaking documentation of East African cave paintings CORRECT (LEAKEY coming immediately after comma and opening part is a modifier).

a) But in the original question, opening part is a clause (subordinate clause). Do we still need "Thomas Edison" immediately after comma? Can we drop B/C just on that basis?

b) Can the following be correct?
Although he patented over 1,000 inventions, many of which revolutionized the modern world, it was his invention of the incandescent light bulb that EARNED Thomas Edison worldwide fame.
When an introductory modifier includes a pronoun without an antecedent, the referent should be the FIRST WORD OF THE FOLLOWING CLAUSE.
Consider the following examples from the OG12:

Q7: As ITS sales of computer products have surpassed those of measuring instruments, THE COMPANY...
Q28: Building on civilizations that preceded THEM in coastal Peru, THE MOHICA...
Q31: Even though many of HER colleagues were convinced that genes were relatively simple and static, BARBARA MCCLINTOCK...

In each case, the introductory modifier includes a pronoun without an antecedent.
In each case, the referent is the FIRST WORD of the following clause.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by ihatemaths » Mon Oct 29, 2012 2:09 am
that's an awesome reply.
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by patanjali.purpose » Sat Nov 10, 2012 4:33 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
patanjali.purpose wrote:
anuprajan5 wrote:Hi,

B) it was his invention of the incandescent light bulb that brought Thomas Edison worldwide fame - Modifier error because Thomas Edison is placed far away. In terms of the meaning this can be ambiguous. SOmebody else invented the light bulb that brought Thomas Edison fame.
Does it mean that we need to place the ACTUAL DOER immediately after a clause also. We know such need in opening modifiers, eg:

In addition to her work on the Miocene hominid fossil record, Mary Leakey contributed to archaeology through her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and through her painstaking documentation of East African cave paintings CORRECT (LEAKEY coming immediately after comma and opening part is a modifier).

a) But in the original question, opening part is a clause (subordinate clause). Do we still need "Thomas Edison" immediately after comma? Can we drop B/C just on that basis?

b) Can the following be correct?
Although he patented over 1,000 inventions, many of which revolutionized the modern world, it was his invention of the incandescent light bulb that EARNED Thomas Edison worldwide fame.

When an introductory modifier includes a pronoun without an antecedent, the referent should be the SUBJECT OF THE FOLLOWING CLAUSE.
Consider the following examples from the OG12:

Q7: As ITS sales of computer products have surpassed those of measuring instruments, THE COMPANY...
Q28: Building on civilizations that preceded THEM in coastal Peru, THE MOHICA...
Q31: Even though many of HER colleagues were convinced that genes were relatively simple and static, BARBARA MCCLINTOCK...

In each case, the introductory modifier includes a pronoun without an antecedent.
In each case, the referent is the subject of the following clause.
Mitch,

I have a follow-up question. Found another GMATPREP question: In the correct option (D below), SUBJECT OF THE FOLLOWING CLAUSE is not the referent of pronoun . I thought LEAKEY should follow immediately after comma as opening modifier has HER WORK, but I was wrong:
1. In addition to her work on the Miocene hominid fossil record, Mary Leakey contributed to archaeology with her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and painstakingly documenting East African cave paintings.
A. Leakey contributed to archaeology with her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and painstakingly documenting

B. Leakey contributed to archaeology by her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and by painstakingly documenting

C. Leakey was a contributor to archaeology with her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and with her painstaking documentation of

D. Leakey's contributions to archaeology include her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and her painstaking documentation of

E. Leakey's contributions to archaeology include her discovering the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and painstaking documentation of
Is there any exception to the rule you mentioned before? Does the rule does not apply when IN ADDITION TO is the opening modifier?

Pls help.
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by naveenchandra kv » Sat Nov 10, 2012 4:53 am
Hi,

Whenever a pronoun is used such as her-- there should be person name.It cannot be Mary's.. it should be Mary..

The options can be one of the A,B or C but not C and E.

Check again.

Request experts to come and solve this issue.
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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:58 am
patanjali.purpose wrote:]Mitch,

I have a follow-up question. Found another GMATPREP question: In the correct option (D below), SUBJECT OF THE FOLLOWING CLAUSE is not the referent of pronoun [/b]. I thought LEAKEY should follow immediately after comma as opening modifier has HER WORK, but I was wrong:
1. In addition to her work on the Miocene hominid fossil record, Mary Leakey contributed to archaeology with her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and painstakingly documenting East African cave paintings.
A. Leakey contributed to archaeology with her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and painstakingly documenting

B. Leakey contributed to archaeology by her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and by painstakingly documenting

C. Leakey was a contributor to archaeology with her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and with her painstaking documentation of

D. Leakey's contributions to archaeology include her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and her painstaking documentation of

E. Leakey's contributions to archaeology include her discovering the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and painstaking documentation of
Is there any exception to the rule you mentioned before? Does the rule does not apply when IN ADDITION TO is the opening modifier?

Pls help.
I've expanded the rule a bit:
When an introductory modifier includes a pronoun without an antecedent, the referent should be the FIRST WORD OF THE FOLLOWING CLAUSE.

In 99% of cases, the first word of the following clause will be the SUBJECT.
The SC above presents an exception.
In the OA here (D), the referent for her (possessive pronoun) is another possessive construction (Mary Leakey's).
It is perfectly fine for a possessive pronoun to serve to refer to another possessive construction.
Since each of these constructions serves as an ADJECTIVE, the first word of the following clause is not the subject but an adjective.

The introductory modifier here serves as an ADVERB describing how Mary Leakey's contributions INCLUDE.
Mary Leakey's contributions INCLUDE -- in addition to her work on the Miocene hominid fossil record -- her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and her painstaking documentation of East African cave paintings.
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by GMAT Kolaveri » Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:00 am
Although he patented over 1,000 inventions is an opening modifier. Hence the subject should follow after the comma.

ADE - Contenders
BC - incorrect. In both the cases, the pronoun it does not have a proper antecedent.

A - based upon is awkward. Edison was not based on his invention.
D - he cannot refer to the possessive form (Edison's)

Hence OA is E
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by patanjali.purpose » Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:17 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
I've expanded the rule a bit:
When an introductory modifier includes a pronoun without an antecedent, the referent should be the FIRST WORD OF THE FOLLOWING CLAUSE.

In 99% of cases, the first word of the following clause will be the SUBJECT.
The SC above presents an exception.
In the OA here (D), the referent for her (possessive pronoun) is another possessive construction (Mary Leakey's).
It is perfectly fine for a possessive pronoun to serve to refer to another possessive construction.
Since each of these constructions serves as an ADJECTIVE, the first word of the following clause is not the subject but an adjective.

The introductory modifier here serves as an ADVERB describing how Mary Leakey's contributions INCLUDE.
Mary Leakey's contributions INCLUDE -- in addition to her work on the Miocene hominid fossil record -- her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and her painstaking documentation of East African cave paintings.
Thanks a lot Mitch - even A million thanks are not sufficient to Thank You for the help and guidance that you provide to GMAT aspirants
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