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Dangling modifier

by satishchandra » Sun Dec 04, 2011 2:11 am
Please explain why my sentences are correct/incorrect. Even though these sentences may look out of the box for Gmat, the concept is frequently tested.

1) This Problem can be solved with the the help of calculator (Correct/Incorrect) (Pl Ignore'this' has no antecedent)
2) With the help of calculator, this problem can be solved (Correct/Incorrect) (Pl Ignore'this' has no antecedent)

3) With the help of calculator, Martin can solve this problem (IMO, it is correct)(Pl Ignore'this' has no antecedent)


After discussion, I will post a Gmat like SC on this concept.
Thanks.
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by avik.ch » Sun Dec 04, 2011 9:50 am
satishchandra wrote:Please explain why my sentences are correct/incorrect. Even though these sentences may look out of the box for Gmat, the concept is frequently tested.

1) This Problem can be solved with the the help of calculator (Correct/Incorrect) (Pl Ignore'this' has no antecedent)
Correct
satishchandra wrote: 2) With the help of calculator, this problem can be solved (Correct/Incorrect) (Pl Ignore'this' has no antecedent)
Correct, here the "with..." is modifying the whole clause - "this problem can be solved"
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by satishchandra » Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:57 am
I will post a Gmat like SC on this concept.
Thanks.
With the assistance of informats, cases can often be made against otherwise elusive criminals.

A)With the assistance of informats, cases can often be made against otherwise elusive criminals
B)cases can often be made against otherwise elusive criminals with the aid of informats
C)With the assistance of informats, we can often make cases against otherwise elusive criminals
D)Otherwise elusive criminals can often have cases made against them with the assistance of informats
E)With the assistance of informats, litigators can often make cases against otherwise elusive criminals

OA later after discussion.
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by viv_gmat » Mon Dec 05, 2011 3:30 am
With the assistance of informats, cases can often be made against otherwise elusive criminals.

A)With the assistance of informats, cases can often be made against otherwise elusive criminals

With the assistance of informats --> we should be looking at "Who" is taking the assistance here. It is not the "cases", it should be someone.

B)cases can often be made against otherwise elusive criminals with the aid of informats

Awkward sentence..

C)With the assistance of informats, we can often make cases against otherwise elusive criminals

"We" is not clear, who is "we"?

D)Otherwise elusive criminals can often have cases made against them with the assistance of informats

"them" is not clear.

E)With the assistance of informats, litigators can often make cases against otherwise elusive criminals

With the assistance of informats modifies litigators. Clear and Concise.

I think "E" is the answer.
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by tuanquang269 » Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:23 am
I will choose E. However, between C and E, I presuppose that "we" is correct. So, what is the source of this sentence?
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by GmatVerbal » Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:27 pm
This is what I think:
The problem is these structures are quite common in spoken English, but I would be careful about choosing (1) and (2) as correct choices in GMAT. Third sentence is considered better as per GMAT.

Particularly second sentence, lets add the actor -

With the help of calculator, this problem can be solved (by Martin); --> This sentence looks definitely awkword and most likely incorrect in the eyes of GMAT guys;

GMAT tests the logical prediction skills in SC problems : Most of them are Modifier problems, choose the best. They all may be gramatically correct; GMAC calls the wrong answer choices as awkword (means not incorrect but not the best available).

GMAT SC is more of elimination than selection. Select the best; Given (1),(2) & (3) --> (3) is the best.
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by lunarpower » Tue Dec 27, 2011 2:27 pm
i received a private message regarding this thread.

to the original poster --
on the actual test, things like this are almost always relative decisions. in other words, they are not concrete issues of correct vs. incorrect; rather, they are decisions in which you should choose the best option from the choices that are available.
for instance, if you see choice #1 vs. choice #3, then obviously choice #3 is better (because it explicitly says who is getting the help of a calculator). on the other hand, if you see a problem in which the non-underlined part, and/or all five of the answer choices, is/are written like #1 (e.g., "There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay," OG12 #11), then it's not worth worrying about.

remember -- you don't have to learn how to fix things; you only have to learn how to choose which of the things is better than which of the others. that's a big difference.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

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