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OG10-Pronoun ambiguity question

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OG10-Pronoun ambiguity question

by vikskukreja » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:31 am
Any medical test will sometimes fail to detect a condition when it is present and indicate that there is one
when it is not.
(A) a condition when it is present and indicate that there is one
(B) when a condition is present and indicate that there is one
(C) a condition when it is present and indicate that it is present
(D) when a condition is present and indicate its presence
(E) the presence of a condition when it is there and indicate its presence

"It" is referring to what in this sentence. Please clarify. Also tell the best answer for this question.
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by avik.ch » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:42 pm
Please underline the relevant parts under study. Its very difficult for us to study this.

C is the best here.

"it" refers to "condition".

Dont look for pronoun ambiguity issue as the basis of elimination - look for some more concrete error.

Refer this OG problem :

While depressed property values can hurt some large investors, they are potentially devastating for homeowners, whose equity - in many cases representing a life's savings - can plunge or even disappear.

(A) they are potentially devastating for homeowners, whose
(B) they can potentially devastate homeowners in that their
(C) for homeowners they are potentially devastating, because their
(D) for homeowners, it is potentially devastating in that their
(E) it can potentially devastate homeowners, whose

In the correct answer - A , "they" can no way refer to property values by technical rules - but it does so , from meaning point and logical context.

Hope this helps !!
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by GmatKiss » Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:34 am
Please underline the part of the question under study.

Any medical test will sometimes fail to detect a condition when it is present and indicate that there is one when it is not.

(A) a condition when it is present and indicate that there is one
(B) when a condition is present and indicate that there is one
(C) a condition when it is present and indicate that it is present - Parallel :)
(D) when a condition is present and indicate its presence
(E) the presence of a condition when it is there and indicate its presence - redundant

IMO: C
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i'd be thrilled if an expert would assist on this one!

by pinchharmonic » Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:55 pm
does anyone else see something strange about the meaning of this problem? even in the OA?


"any medical test" is singular, then breaking down the sentence:

any medical test "will sometimes fail
to detect a condition
(to) indicate that there is one

the second part MUST BE "will sometimes fail to indicate" Why? Because "indicate" is part of "to indicate", which itself is part of "will sometimes fail to indicate" because of parallelism. So why does it have to connect with the prior construction? Because if it's not part of the infinitive construction: " fail to detect, fail to indicate", then it has to be indicates. Any medical test indicates, not any medical test indicate.



OK so, with that meaning, you are saying "you failed to indicate that it is present when it is not"

how would that be failure? you actually succeeded in that case.

The meaning this sentence is alluding to is "a medical test will fail to indicate a condition when they are present and moreover indicates a condition when it is not present". to me the OA, as well as every other choice, is nonsense,
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