OG 11, SC Q19

This topic has expert replies
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:24 pm
Location: Albuquerque, NM
GMAT Score:710

OG 11, SC Q19

by ajayiitr » Mon May 24, 2010 8:25 pm
"In virtually all types of tissue in every animal species, dioxin induces the production of enzymes that are the organism's trying to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical that is irritating it."

Although I understand that answer, but explanation says that 'chemical that is irritating it' or ' chemical irritating it' are grammatically correct but wordy. I think use of 'it' is ambiguous here and so grammatically incorrect. 'It' can not modify 'organism's' because 'organism's is a possessive noun and so can be followed by possessive pronouns only. Is 'it' modifying something else here?

Please explain.

Thanks.

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1052
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 1:30 am
Thanked: 335 times
Followed by:98 members

by Patrick_GMATFix » Mon May 24, 2010 9:29 pm
I think you are correct. I don't see how "it" can be correct as it shouldn't refer to the possessive "organism's"