More than 300 rivers drain into Siberia's Lake Baikal, which holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water, more than all the North American Great Lakes combined.
(A) More than 300 rivers drain into Siberia's Lake Baikal, which holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water, more than all the North American Great Lakes combined.
(B) With 20 percent of the world's fresh water, that is more than all the North American Great Lakes combined, Siberia's Lake Baikal has more than 300 rivers that drain into it.
(C) Siberia's Lake Baikal, with more than 300 rivers draining into it, it holds more of the world's fresh water than all that of the North American Great Lakes combined, 20 percent.
(D) While more than 300 rivers drain into it, Siberia's Lake Baikal holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water, which is more than all the North American Great Lakes combined.
(E) More than all the North American Great Lakes combined, Siberia's Lake Baikal, with more than 300 rivers draining into it, holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water.
My analysis:
1. Opening modifier:
The modifier that is a phrase and does not have a subject and a verb in it will modify the immediate following NOUN.
Example:
Going to new market, the shirt cost me $200. INCORRECT.
** it means that shirt is going to new market.
=> Going to new market, I bought a shirt that cost me $200.
E is wrong for this reason. In E. it seems that Baikal itself is "more than all the North American Great Lakes combined".
2. Which refers to the immediate preceding NOUN:
(D) While more than 300 rivers drain into it, Siberia's Lake Baikal holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water, which is more than all the North American Great Lakes combined.
Question:
=> We know in case of "X of Y", which can refer to the whole of "X of Y" or Y. In D, which refers to what?
3. Baikal it holds:
(C) Siberia's Lake Baikal, with more than 300 rivers draining into it, it holds more of the world's fresh water than all that of the North American Great Lakes combined, 20 percent.
Option C is awkward. OK.
4. That:
That is used in the following ways:
1. We don't use any comma before THAT.
2. That refers to the immediate preceding noun.
3. The verb after that follows the noun before that.
(B) With 20 percent of the world's fresh water, that is more than all the North American Great Lakes combined, Siberia's Lake Baikal has more than 300 rivers that drain into it.
B has the following errors:
1. Comma has been used before that.
2. That refers to water.
Experts, please explain the option D.
(A) More than 300 rivers drain into Siberia's Lake Baikal, which holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water, more than all the North American Great Lakes combined.
(B) With 20 percent of the world's fresh water, that is more than all the North American Great Lakes combined, Siberia's Lake Baikal has more than 300 rivers that drain into it.
(C) Siberia's Lake Baikal, with more than 300 rivers draining into it, it holds more of the world's fresh water than all that of the North American Great Lakes combined, 20 percent.
(D) While more than 300 rivers drain into it, Siberia's Lake Baikal holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water, which is more than all the North American Great Lakes combined.
(E) More than all the North American Great Lakes combined, Siberia's Lake Baikal, with more than 300 rivers draining into it, holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water.
My analysis:
1. Opening modifier:
The modifier that is a phrase and does not have a subject and a verb in it will modify the immediate following NOUN.
Example:
Going to new market, the shirt cost me $200. INCORRECT.
** it means that shirt is going to new market.
=> Going to new market, I bought a shirt that cost me $200.
E is wrong for this reason. In E. it seems that Baikal itself is "more than all the North American Great Lakes combined".
2. Which refers to the immediate preceding NOUN:
(D) While more than 300 rivers drain into it, Siberia's Lake Baikal holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water, which is more than all the North American Great Lakes combined.
Question:
=> We know in case of "X of Y", which can refer to the whole of "X of Y" or Y. In D, which refers to what?
3. Baikal it holds:
(C) Siberia's Lake Baikal, with more than 300 rivers draining into it, it holds more of the world's fresh water than all that of the North American Great Lakes combined, 20 percent.
Option C is awkward. OK.
4. That:
That is used in the following ways:
1. We don't use any comma before THAT.
2. That refers to the immediate preceding noun.
3. The verb after that follows the noun before that.
(B) With 20 percent of the world's fresh water, that is more than all the North American Great Lakes combined, Siberia's Lake Baikal has more than 300 rivers that drain into it.
B has the following errors:
1. Comma has been used before that.
2. That refers to water.
Experts, please explain the option D.
