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

Redeem

OG Verbal Question Awkward sentences

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Legendary Member
Posts: 2330
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:14 am
Thanked: 56 times
Followed by:26 members

OG Verbal Question Awkward sentences

by mundasingh123 » Sun Jul 17, 2011 3:55 am
Being a United States citizen since 1988 and born in Calcutta in 1940, author Bharati Mukherjee has lived in England and Canada, and first came to the United States in 1961 to study at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

(A) Being a United States citizen since 1988 and born in Calcutta in 1940, author Bharati Mukherjee has
(B) Having been a United States citizen since 1988, she was born in Calcutta in 1940; author Bharati Mukherjee
(C) Born in Calcutta in 1940, author Bharati Mukherjee became a United States citizen in 1988; she has
(D) Being born in Calcutta in 1940 and having been a United States citizen since 1988, author Bharati Mukherjee
(E) Having been born in Calcutta in 1940 and being a United States citizen since 1988, author Bharati Mukherjee
[spoiler]
OA : C [/spoiler]

I know being is suspect on the gmat but this shouldnt be a criteria for straight elimination .
So. could an expert please tell me whats wrong with A, D and E ?
Last edited by mundasingh123 on Sun Jul 17, 2011 5:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
I Seek Explanations Not Answers
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |
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 » Sun Jul 17, 2011 5:35 am
For me the contenders are only A and C.

Please tell me how to eliminate A.
First take: 640 (50M, 27V) - RC needs 300% improvement
Second take: coming soon..
Regards,
HSPA.
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 2330
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:14 am
Thanked: 56 times
Followed by:26 members

by mundasingh123 » Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:00 am
Alright 1 excuse for eliminating A and E is that the actions do not follow in proper time sequence. The living action seems to be taking placing before the born action .
This implies that She lived before she was born .
I Seek Explanations Not Answers
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 171
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:59 am
Thanked: 13 times
Followed by:3 members

by nileshdalvi » Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:13 am
Being a United States citizen since 1988 and born in Calcutta in 1940, author Bharati Mukherjee has lived in England and Canada, and first came to the United States in 1961 to study at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

(A) Being a United States citizen since 1988 and born in Calcutta in 1940, author Bharati Mukherjee has
(B) Having been a United States citizen since 1988, she was born in Calcutta in 1940; author Bharati Mukherjee
(C) Born in Calcutta in 1940, author Bharati Mukherjee became a United States citizen in 1988; she has
(D) Being born in Calcutta in 1940 and having been a United States citizen since 1988, author Bharati Mukherjee
(E) Having been born in Calcutta in 1940 and being a United States citizen since 1988, author Bharati Mukherjee

A - Two sides of the combined modifier "and" are not parallel. "(non-standard conjunction) + noun" on one side and "verb + predicate" on the other. Also, it is always preferred that the facts are stated in chronological order but that does not rule this answer option out as the two facts are independently stated with a co-ordinating conjunction. Otherwise, there is no problem with this answer option.

B- This illogically states that she had been a citizen in United States since 1988 at the time she was born in 1940. Although, X lived in Y, does not make as much sense as X has/had lived in Y, but is not grammatically wrong.

C - Nothing wrong here.

D - Parallelism maintained, again has/had would have been better. The sentence overall is not concise as compared to D.

E - Parallelism destroyed again, similar to A.
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 2330
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:14 am
Thanked: 56 times
Followed by:26 members

by mundasingh123 » Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:38 am
"(non-standard conjunction) + noun" on one side and "verb + predicate" on the other.

Born is not a verb ;its a past participle
being is a present participle .It implies that the state of being a citizen is still true .
So there is nothing such as "parallelism has not been preserved "
I Seek Explanations Not Answers
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1