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

Redeem

a star collapse...

Expert replies
by mukgera » Sat Sep 10, 2011 4:32 am
Please help me with this sentence correction problem

were it not for the fusion-powered heat and radiation that rush from its core, instead its own weight would cause a star to collapse.

1. instead its own weight would cause a star to collapse.
2. instead a star would have collapsed under its own weight.
3. a star would have to be collapsing under its own weight.
4. a star would collapse under its own weight.
5. its own weight would have caused a star's collapse.

Somehow intuitively my answer was same as OA but i was not able to prove it grammatically.

OA is D
Join the discussion
Source: — Sentence Correction |

by anukrati » Sat Sep 10, 2011 4:43 am
mukgera wrote:Please help me with this sentence correction problem

were it not for the fusion-powered heat and radiation that rush from its core, instead its own weight would cause a star to collapse.

1. instead its own weight would cause a star to collapse.
2. instead a star would have collapsed under its own weight.
3. a star would have to be collapsing under its own weight.
4. a star would collapse under its own weight.
5. its own weight would have caused a star's collapse.

Somehow intuitively my answer was same as OA but i was not able to prove it grammatically.

OA is D
for "it" to refer we need "a star" so option 1,2 and 5 are out.

And in option 3 "would have to be collapsing" is unnecessarily wordy and "have to be" is not required.

Therefore option 4 is correct.

Hope this solves your problem

Thanks
Anukrati
Join the discussion

by mukgera » Sat Sep 10, 2011 4:47 am
yup...thanks :)
Join the discussion

by sl750 » Sat Sep 10, 2011 5:45 am
"were it not for the fusion-powered heat and radiation that rush from its core" is a modifier and it logically modifies a star

have to be collapsing is ungrammatical in choice C. So only D fits
Join the discussion

by GmatKiss » Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:18 am
mukgera wrote:Please help me with this sentence correction problem

were it not for the fusion-powered heat and radiation that rush from its core, instead its own weight would cause a star to collapse.

1. instead its own weight would cause a star to collapse.
2. instead a star would have collapsed under its own weight.
3. a star would have to be collapsing under its[it refers to star] own weight.
4. a star would collapse under its [it refers to car]own weight.
5. its own weight would have caused a star's collapse.

its core, should be followed by "star"

IMO: 4
Join the discussion

• Page 1 of 1