BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

OG 123

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 53
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2014 10:50 am
Thanked: 6 times
Followed by:2 members

OG 123

by prabsahi » Sun May 31, 2015 6:33 am
New theories propose that catastrophic impacts of asteroids and comets may have caused reversals in the Earth's magnetic field, the onset of ice ages, splitting apart continents 80 million years ago, and great volcanic eruptions.

(A) splitting apart continents
(B) the splitting apart of continents
(C) split apart continents
(D) continents split apart
(E) continents that were split apart

I picked the correct answer
But,I have a confusion between option A and B.
If -ing is prefixed with is/are/am then it acts as a verb.
So,why in option A we treat SPLITTING APART CONTINENTS as VERB.
Please clarify.
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 363
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2010 3:24 pm
Thanked: 115 times
Followed by:3 members

by theCEO » Sun May 31, 2015 11:24 am
prabsahi wrote:New theories propose that catastrophic impacts of asteroids and comets may have caused reversals in the Earth's magnetic field, the onset of ice ages, splitting apart continents 80 million years ago, and great volcanic eruptions.

(A) splitting apart continents
(B) the splitting apart of continents
(C) split apart continents
(D) continents split apart
(E) continents that were split apart

I picked the correct answer
But,I have a confusion between option A and B.
If -ing is prefixed with is/are/am then it acts as a verb.
So,why in option A we treat SPLITTING APART CONTINENTS as VERB.
Please clarify.
Option A is wrong on 2 parts:
1. This is not following the rule of parallelism.
reversal in the .... (noun)
the onset of ice ages.... (noun)
great volcanic eruptions.... (noun)

the answer choice needs a noun/noun phrase. Without changing the meaning of the sentence [spoiler](B)[/spoiler] is the correct answer.

2. Your are right by saying "If -ing is prefixed with is/are/am then it acts as a verb"
Splitting apart continents is indicating a verb and it is missing the word "is".
However if the word "is" was included, this would still be breaking the rule of parallelism.
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 363
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2010 3:24 pm
Thanked: 115 times
Followed by:3 members

by theCEO » Sun May 31, 2015 11:35 am
An alternative approach is to strip the sentence of all the unnecessary words and see which choice sounds right, for example

condensed sentence: Impacts of asteroids caused....
1. reversals in the Earth's magnetic field,
2. the onset of ice ages,
3. great volcanic eruptions

(A) splitting apart continents
(B) the splitting apart of continents
(C) split apart continents
(D) continents split apart
(E) continents that were split apart

a) Impacts of asteroids caused splitting apart continents.
This option does not sound right and is also structured incorrectly.
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1