Sentence Correction

aditya8062 wrote:Most of Portugal's 250,000 university students boycotted classes in a one-day strike to
protest a law that requires them to contribute $330 a year toward the cost of higher
education, previously paying $7 per year.
A. year toward the cost of higher education, previously paying $7 per year
B. year toward the cost of higher education, for which was previously paid $7 per
year
C. year, compared to the previously $7 per year, toward the cost of higher education
D. year toward the cost of higher education, instead of the $7 per year required
previously
E. year as opposed to the $7 per year required previously for the cost of higher
education

my doubt : i want to understand the usage of "comma + instead of" construction .is "instead" acting as preposition here? kindly elaborate more on "comma +instead" construction .this construction always baffles me

thanks and regards

also please tell me if " semi colon + instead" can be used to introduce new clause

Instead of is a preposition that means IN PLACE OF.
Generally, instead of + noun serves as an adverb, indicating that an action is performed upon one thing INSTEAD OF another.

In the SCs below, all of the modifiers in red serve the same basic function:
Each serves to FURTHER DEFINE A VALUE IN THE PRECEDING CLAUSE (shown below in upper case letters).

aditya8062 wrote:Thanks Guru
i have one follow up question
you have written the following :

Instead of is a preposition that means IN PLACE OF.
Generally, instead of + noun serves as an adverb, indicating that an action is performed upon one thing INSTEAD OF another.

In the SCs below, all of the modifiers in red serve the same basic function:
Each serves to FURTHER DEFINE A VALUE IN THE PRECEDING CLAUSE (shown below in upper case letters).

you have written that comma + instead of +noun serves as an adverb .but if it is adverbial then should it not modify the action in the previous clause? Also in the examples that you have demonstrated ,if these expressions (the one in RED) are further defining the VALUE IN THE PRECEDING CLAUSE then how are these expressions functioning as adverbial in nature?

Thanks

GMATGuruNY wrote:

aditya8062 wrote:Thanks Guru
i have one follow up question
you have written the following :

Instead of is a preposition that means IN PLACE OF.
Generally, instead of + noun serves as an adverb, indicating that an action is performed upon one thing INSTEAD OF another.

In the SCs below, all of the modifiers in red serve the same basic function:
Each serves to FURTHER DEFINE A VALUE IN THE PRECEDING CLAUSE (shown below in upper case letters).

you have written that comma + instead of +noun serves as an adverb .but if it is adverbial then should it not modify the action in the previous clause? Also in the examples that you have demonstrated ,if these expressions (the one in RED) are further defining the VALUE IN THE PRECEDING CLAUSE then how are these expressions functioning as adverbial in nature?

Thanks

Students pay $330 instead of $7.
Since instead of serves to express what students PAY -- they no longer PAY $7, they now PAY $330 -- its role here seems adverbial:

The modifiers in red are not exactly the same.
Whether one is technically an adverb, while another is technically a noun modifier -- this sort of distinction is besides the point.
What matters is the PATTERN:
The main clause discusses A VALUE; the modifier in red puts this value in context.
This sort of construction is very common on the GMAT.

bonbossamazing wrote: Whats wrong in option A i think previously is correctly modifying students. Your valuable comments can vanish all doubts.

aditya8062 wrote:Most of Portugal's 250,000 university students boycotted classes in a one-day strike to
protest a law that requires them to contribute $330 a year toward the cost of higher
education, previously paying $7 per year.
A. year toward the cost of higher education, previously paying $7 per year
B. year toward the cost of higher education, for which was previously paid $7 per
year
C. year, compared to the previously $7 per year, toward the cost of higher education
D. year toward the cost of higher education, instead of the $7 per year required
previously
E. year as opposed to the $7 per year required previously for the cost of higher
education

both "compared to" and "as opposed to" can be used to connect two noun, not as a adverb modifying a clause.
in C "previously" is wrong
E is left.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

aditya8062 wrote:Thanks Guru
i have one follow up question
you have written the following :

Instead of is a preposition that means IN PLACE OF.
Generally, instead of + noun serves as an adverb, indicating that an action is performed upon one thing INSTEAD OF another.

In the SCs below, all of the modifiers in red serve the same basic function:
Each serves to FURTHER DEFINE A VALUE IN THE PRECEDING CLAUSE (shown below in upper case letters).

you have written that comma + instead of +noun serves as an adverb .but if it is adverbial then should it not modify the action in the previous clause? Also in the examples that you have demonstrated ,if these expressions (the one in RED) are further defining the VALUE IN THE PRECEDING CLAUSE then how are these expressions functioning as adverbial in nature?

Thanks

Students pay $330 instead of $7.
Since instead of serves to express what students PAY -- they no longer PAY $7, they now PAY $330 -- its role here seems adverbial:

The modifiers in red are not exactly the same.
Whether one is technically an adverb, while another is technically a noun modifier -- this sort of distinction is besides the point.
What matters is the PATTERN:
The main clause discusses A VALUE; the modifier in red puts this value in context.
This sort of construction is very common on the GMAT.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

aditya8062 wrote:Most of Portugal's 250,000 university students boycotted classes in a one-day strike to
protest a law that requires them to contribute $330 a year toward the cost of higher
education, previously paying $7 per year.
A. year toward the cost of higher education, previously paying $7 per year
B. year toward the cost of higher education, for which was previously paid $7 per
year
C. year, compared to the previously $7 per year, toward the cost of higher education
D. year toward the cost of higher education, instead of the $7 per year required
previously
E. year as opposed to the $7 per year required previously for the cost of higher
education

my doubt : i want to understand the usage of "comma + instead of" construction .is "instead" acting as preposition here? kindly elaborate more on "comma +instead" construction .this construction always baffles me

thanks and regards

Instead of is a preposition that means IN PLACE OF.
Generally, instead of + noun serves as an adverb, indicating that an action is performed upon one thing INSTEAD OF another.

In the SCs below, all of the modifiers in red serve the same basic function:
Each serves to FURTHER DEFINE A VALUE IN THE PRECEDING CLAUSE (shown below in upper case letters).

The law requires students to contribute $330 A YEAR toward the cost of higher education, instead of the $7 per year required previously.
Soaring television costs accounted for MORE THAN HALF the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than in any previous election.
Companies in the United States are providing job training and general education for nearly EIGHT MILLION PEOPLE, about as many as are enrolled in the nation's four-year colleges and universities.
Siberia's Lake Baikal holds 20 PERCENT of the world's fresh water, more than all the North American Great Lakes combined.

These sorts of modifiers are VERY COMMON on the GMAT.
COMMA + instead of + noun is simply one example of this type of modifier.

I posted a full explanation for the SC above here:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmatprep-sc-t270774.html

also please tell me if " semi colon + instead" can be used to introduce new clause

Yes.
The OA to the following SC includes SEMI-COLON + instead:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/semi-colon-t168198.html