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MGMAT: Clarity of meaning?

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MGMAT: Clarity of meaning?

by euro » Tue Oct 26, 2010 4:00 am
Until Antoine Lavoisier proved otherwise in the eighteenth century, many scientists had believed that combustion released phlogiston, an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood.

a) many scientists had believed that combustion released phlogiston, an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood

b) many scientists believed that phlogiston was an imaginary substance released by combustion and its properties were not fully understood

c) phlogiston was an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood and which many scientists had believed was released by combustion

d) phlogiston, an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood, was believed by scientists to be released by combustion

e) many scientists had believed that phlogiston was released by combustion and was an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood

[spoiler]OA is (a)[/spoiler]

Can somebody please explain why option [spoiler] (E) [/spoiler] is incorrect?
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by kvcpk » Tue Oct 26, 2010 5:09 am
E has a shift in Meaning.

Let me put across 2 sentences:

I believe that Ram took the apple - means that I am giving importance to ram and saying that he took apple and not banana...

I believe that the apple was taken by Ram - means that I am giving importance to Apple and saying that the apple was actually taken by Ram and not by Shyam.


In this question, Scientists believed that combustion produced X. But we do not actually know if it produced or not.

E changes it by saying X is produced by combustion. this is not the intended meaning.

Hope this helps!!
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by shovan85 » Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:13 am
kvcpk wrote:E has a shift in Meaning.

Let me put across 2 sentences:

I believe that Ram took the apple - means that I am giving importance to ram and saying that he took apple and not banana...

I believe that the apple was taken by Ram - means that I am giving importance to Apple and saying that the apple was actually taken by Ram and not by Shyam.


In this question, Scientists believed that combustion produced X. But we do not actually know if it produced or not.

E changes it by saying X is produced by combustion. this is not the intended meaning.

Hope this helps!!
phlogiston should have importance. A shows non essential modifier I feel.

Whats your opinion?
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by kvcpk » Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:24 am
shovan85 wrote: phlogiston should have importance. A shows non essential modifier I feel.

Whats your opinion?
Importance should be with Combustion. not with phlogiston.

"an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood" is an appositive modifying the noun phlogiston.

Whenever, you find an appositive, ignore it and read through the sentence.

Until Antoine Lavoisier proved otherwise in the eighteenth century, many scientists had believed that combustion released phlogiston.

This looks simple and correct.

Hope this helps!!
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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:12 am
euro wrote:Until Antoine Lavoisier proved otherwise in the eighteenth century, many scientists had believed that combustion released phlogiston, an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood.

a) many scientists had believed that combustion released phlogiston, an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood

b) many scientists believed that phlogiston was an imaginary substance released by combustion and its properties were not fully understood

c) phlogiston was an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood and which many scientists had believed was released by combustion

d) phlogiston, an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood, was believed by scientists to be released by combustion

e) many scientists had believed that phlogiston was released by combustion and was an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood

[spoiler]OA is (a)[/spoiler]

Can somebody please explain why option [spoiler] (E) [/spoiler] is incorrect?
Quickest approach:

The correct series of tenses is Until A.L. proved otherwise...many scientists had believed. Eliminate B and D.

C incorrectly implies that Until A.L. proved otherwise, phlogiston was an imaginary substance. The scientists had believed that phlogiston was real. Eliminate C.

E also changes the intended meaning of the sentence:

...many scientists had believed that phlogiston...was an imaginary substance...

The scientists had not believed that phlogiston was an imaginary substance; they had believed that it was real, until A.L. proved otherwise. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is A.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by Arcane66 » Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:24 am
I chose A as well. Mitch's response is the best.
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