long-term consequences of the “greenhouse effect�

This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:55 am
Thanked: 1 times
Possible long-term consequences of the "greenhouse effect", the gradual warming of the Earth's climate, may include melting the polar ice caps and a rising sea level.

A. may include melting the polar ice caps and a rising sea level

B. may include the melting of polar ice caps and the rising sea level

C. may include polar ice caps that are melting and sea levels that are rising

D. include melting the polar ice caps and sea levels that are rising

E. include melting of the polar ice caps and a rise in sea level

[spoiler]OA is E and I fully agree with it. My question is whether we should use article ("a" or "the") before "melting" in E (like in B)? As I understand in E "melting" is a noun rather than a gerund, since it uses preposition OF. Please correct my reasoning.[/spoiler]
Source: — Sentence Correction |

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 965
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:52 am
Thanked: 156 times
Followed by:34 members
GMAT Score:720

by vineeshp » Wed May 25, 2011 7:18 pm
Yes it is.

The use of the in the polar ice caps is fine.

Polar ice caps are not a common thing like A flower or A book. It is more specific like The Sun, the Polar ice caps etc. Polar ice caps refers to the ice specifically at the poles, not just ice in general. That is why The polar ice caps is a specific entity.
Vineesh,
Just telling you what I know and think. I am not the expert. :)

Legendary Member
Posts: 1112
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:16 am
Thanked: 77 times
Followed by:49 members

by atulmangal » Wed May 25, 2011 9:22 pm
Elaborating the same thing which @vineeshp said:

Both "a" and "the" are articles....

"THE"----> Definite Article -----> When u targeting a specific thing...THE HOUSE, a particular house u are referring to

"a" ----> Indefinite article ----> not specific, for ex:-- A HOUSE, general, some house, not a specific one

same thing here, u are specifically referring to the melting of the polar ice caps, not just some general melting, thats why THE is correct

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 4:53 am
Location: Bangalore
Thanked: 6 times
Followed by:1 members

by GMATToppers » Wed May 25, 2011 10:07 pm
kvitkod wrote:Possible long-term consequences of the "greenhouse effect", the gradual warming of the Earth's climate, may include melting the polar ice caps and a rising sea level.

A. may include melting the polar ice caps and a rising sea level

B. may include the melting of polar ice caps and the rising sea level

C. may include polar ice caps that are melting and sea levels that are rising

D. include melting the polar ice caps and sea levels that are rising

E. include melting of the polar ice caps and a rise in sea level

[spoiler]OA is E and I fully agree with it. My question is whether we should use article ("a" or "the") before "melting" in E (like in B)? As I understand in E "melting" is a noun rather than a gerund, since it uses preposition OF. Please correct my reasoning.[/spoiler]
Gerunds are the words which end in "ing" and act as nouns i.e; you can call a word gerund only when it is a present participle acting as noun.

Hence "melting" in the above sentence is a gerund since it is present participle functioning as noun.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:55 am
Thanked: 1 times

by kvitkod » Thu May 26, 2011 4:50 am
Many thanks to all!

Gerunds are the words which end in "ing" and act as nouns i.e; you can call a word gerund only when it is a present participle acting as noun.

Hence "melting" in the above sentence is a gerund since it is present participle functioning as noun.

GMATToppers,
two questions

1. Since "melting" is gerund - whether we may use OF after it. As I remember we cannot use the preposition after the gerund.
Eg
- Development OF financial structure (noun + PREPOSITION)
- Drafting contracts from legal points (gerund + NO Preposition)

2. How gerund may be parallel to the noun in our case

Possible long-term consequences of the "greenhouse effect", the gradual warming of the Earth's climate, include (1 gerund) melting of the polar ice caps and (2 noun) a rise in sea level

Please correct me.

Thank you in advance,

Legendary Member
Posts: 1112
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:16 am
Thanked: 77 times
Followed by:49 members

by atulmangal » Thu May 26, 2011 5:00 am
snip
Last edited by atulmangal on Thu May 26, 2011 5:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1101
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 7:26 am
Thanked: 47 times
Followed by:13 members
GMAT Score:640

by HSPA » Thu May 26, 2011 5:04 am
How are melting and rise in parallel and why shall we not use 'may'
First take: 640 (50M, 27V) - RC needs 300% improvement
Second take: coming soon..
Regards,
HSPA.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:55 am
Thanked: 1 times

by kvitkod » Thu May 26, 2011 5:08 am
atulmangal, many thanks for your prompt reply!

As I understnad you mean the following as an example


Distribution || The Distributing of or Distributing of

rather than
Distribution || The Distribution of or Distribution of

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:55 am
Thanked: 1 times

by kvitkod » Thu May 26, 2011 5:11 am
May is redundant since we have possible in the first part

How are melting and rise in parallel and why shall we not use 'may'

Legendary Member
Posts: 1112
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:16 am
Thanked: 77 times
Followed by:49 members

by atulmangal » Thu May 26, 2011 5:18 am
kvitkod wrote:atulmangal, many thanks for your prompt reply!

As I understnad you mean the following as an example



Distribution || The Distributing of or Distributing of

rather than
Distribution || The Distribution of or Distribution of

Here is one example to get a more clarity on this issue:

The rebels demanded the withdrawal of of government forces from disputed regions AND the releasing of certain political prisoners.

Though the sentence is best written if we use THE RELEASE OF rather than THE RELEASING OF, but still there is no parallelism error in the above example.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:55 am
Thanked: 1 times

by kvitkod » Thu May 26, 2011 9:26 am
atulmangal, and we can use RELEASING OF in the same way (without THE), correct?

The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions AND releasing of certain political prisoners.

To be honest, I have never seen such rule. Do you have a good reference on this grammar issue?


Here is one example to get a more clarity on this issue:

The rebels demanded the withdrawal of of government forces from disputed regions AND the releasing of certain political prisoners.

Though the sentence is best written if we use THE RELEASE OF rather than THE RELEASING OF, but still there is no parallelism error in the above example.

Legendary Member
Posts: 1112
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:16 am
Thanked: 77 times
Followed by:49 members

by atulmangal » Thu May 26, 2011 9:44 am
kvitkod wrote:atulmangal, and we can use RELEASING OF in the same way (without THE), correct?

The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions AND releasing of certain political prisoners.

To be honest, I have never seen such rule. Do you have a good reference on this grammar issue?


Here is one example to get a more clarity on this issue:

The rebels demanded the withdrawal of of government forces from disputed regions AND the releasing of certain political prisoners.

Though the sentence is best written if we use THE RELEASE OF rather than THE RELEASING OF, but still there is no parallelism error in the above example.
I got this from a tutor's notes...so can not provide you any further information...

• Page 1 of 1