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Participle Modifiers - Comma + Ing

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Participle Modifiers - Comma + Ing

by sadhya » Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:03 am
Hi Experts,

I am unable to understand the way participle modifiers work as I find a different explanation for using the Comma + ing modifier for every question

As Stacey has mentioned in her post below,the ing modifier modifies the previous clause - noun & verbs
https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/mod ... t2083.html

So, for this particular question, does'nt the "sporadically erupting" modify how geologists think?

Geologists once thought that the molten rock known as lava was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days, sporadically erupting through volcanoes, but they now know that it is continuously created by the heat of the radioactivity deep inside the planet.

A. was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days, sporadically erupting
B. had been an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days and sporadically erupted
C. was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days, which sporadically erupted
D. would be an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days that sporadically erupted
E. was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days, having sporadically erupted

This question is from the MGMAT CAT
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by e-GMAT » Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:03 am
Hi @sadhya, you are correct that comma + verb-ing modifies the preceding clause. Now in this sentence, this is exactly what it does. Lets simplify the sentence into clauses:

Clause 1 - Geologists once thought
Clause 2 - that the molten rock known as lava was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days, sporadically erupting through volcanoes,
Clause 3 - but they now know that it is continuously created by the heat of the radioactivity deep inside the planet.

Notice how this verb-ing modifier modifies the clause 2. This clause essentially explains the molten rock lava.
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by sadhya » Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:55 am
Thanks e-GMAT. It makes sense now.
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by mundasingh123 » Fri Jul 29, 2011 4:51 am
e-GMAT wrote:Hi @sadhya, you are correct that comma + verb-ing modifies the preceding clause. Now in this sentence, this is exactly what it does. Lets simplify the sentence into clauses:

Clause 1 - Geologists once thought
Clause 2 - that the molten rock known as lava was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days, sporadically erupting through volcanoes,
Clause 3 - but they now know that it is continuously created by the heat of the radioactivity deep inside the planet.

Notice how this verb-ing modifier modifies the clause 2. This clause essentially explains the molten rock lava.
Why not E ?
Option A differs in the use of the participle modifier from E .
the second clause doesnt say that the lava still spews from volcanoes. Do we rely on General Knowledge to tackle such SCs .
I Seek Explanations Not Answers
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