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Need expert's help on absolute phrase - OG#12-100

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by sui generis » Mon Jul 23, 2012 6:28 am
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being
(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet
(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but

OA: B

I agree with the OA but I couldn't understand one part of explanation that OG states.

For choice A, OG says:: The modifying phrase, some of them at tremendous speeds, is best placed after motion.

I understand 'some of them at tremendous speeds' is an absolute phrase and can be freely placed anywhere.

For example: "The superintendent, his head on his chest, was slowly poking the ground with his stick." Here the italicized modifier is absolute phrase and it correctly modifies the clause.

I couldn't understand why OG rejects the same sort of construction in choice A.


Experts please help.
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by vk_vinayak » Mon Jul 23, 2012 9:25 am
I am not an expert, but here are my views:
(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion....
(B) ... the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, ...
I believe, A and B, as written in the options, answer two different questions, based on the placement of appositive modifier:

Option A) Which stars are in motion? Ans: Some of the stars that are at tremendous speeds.

Option B) How are the stars in motion? Ans: Some of the stars are at tremendous speeds.
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by sui generis » Tue Jul 24, 2012 4:36 am
Any takers ?
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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:52 am
sui generis wrote:The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being
(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet
(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but

OA: B

I agree with the OA but I couldn't understand one part of explanation that OG states.

For choice A, OG says:: The modifying phrase, some of them at tremendous speeds, is best placed after motion.

I understand 'some of them at tremendous speeds' is an absolute phrase and can be freely placed anywhere.

For example: "The superintendent, his head on his chest, was slowly poking the ground with his stick." Here the italicized modifier is absolute phrase and it correctly modifies the clause.

I couldn't understand why OG rejects the same sort of construction in choice A.


Experts please help.
A: The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds...
Here, the STARS themselves seem to be at tremendous speeds.
Not the intended meaning: a star can't be AT A SPEED.

B: The stars are IN MOTION, some of them AT TREMENDOUS SPEEDS.
Here, the stars clearly are IN MOTION AT TREMENDOUS SPEEDS.
This is the intended meaning: at tremendous speeds describes how the stars are IN MOTION.

An absolute phrase modifies an ENTIRE CLAUSE.
It provides information about both the subject AND the verb of the clause being modified.
It is for this reason that an absolute phrase on the GMAT typically will FOLLOW the clause being modified.
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by sui generis » Tue Jul 24, 2012 11:18 am
Thanks Mitch.

Got your point: modifier construction in B is much preferred to that in A.
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by coolhabhi » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:24 pm
GMATGuruNY wrote:
sui generis wrote:The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being
(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet
(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but

OA: B

A: The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds...
Here, the STARS themselves seem to be at tremendous speeds.
Not the intended meaning: a star can't be AT A SPEED.

B: The stars are IN MOTION, some of them AT TREMENDOUS SPEEDS.
Here, the stars clearly are IN MOTION AT TREMENDOUS SPEEDS.
This is the intended meaning: at tremendous speeds describes how the stars are IN MOTION.

An absolute phrase modifies an ENTIRE CLAUSE.
It provides information about both the subject AND the verb of the clause being modified.
It is for this reason that an absolute phrase on the GMAT typically will FOLLOW the clause being modified.
Mitch why isn't D correct? Please explain.
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