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Og 2015 sc #128

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Og 2015 sc #128

by gettingwanderlust » Mon Mar 09, 2015 8:53 am
Australian embryologists have found evidence that suggests that the elephant is descended from an aquatic animal, and its trunk originally evolved as a kind of snorkel.
A. that suggests that the elephant is descended from an aquatic animal, and its trunk originally evolved
B. that has suggested the elephant descended from an aquatic animal, its trunk originally evolving
C. suggesting that the elephant had descended from an aquatic animal with its trunk originally evolving
D. to suggest that the elephant has descended from an aquatic animal and its trunk originally evolved
E. to suggest that the elephant is descended from an aquatic animal and that its trunk originally evolved
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA






Answer was E.

However, isnt 'its' in the answer choice E vague? Between the elephant and an aquatic animal...
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by [email protected] » Mon Mar 09, 2015 10:16 am
Hi gettingwanderlust,

Even on Test Day, you might find that you don't prefer ANY of the answers in an SC, but you still have to make a choice based on established grammar and style rules (and any other limitations that exist in the specific prompt).

In this prompt, notice how ALL of the answers refer to "...its trunk..." - there's NOTHING that can be changed about THAT part of the sentence, so you have to accept it as correct.

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by GMATGuruNY » Mon Mar 09, 2015 3:34 pm
gettingwanderlust wrote:
However, isnt 'its' in the answer choice E vague? Between the elephant and an aquatic animal...
that THE ELEPHANT is descended
and
that ITS TRUNK originally evolved

The parallel structures make it clear that ITS trunk refers to THE ELEPHANT'S trunk.
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by ReasonGMAT » Tue Mar 10, 2015 7:38 am
And if you focus on the meaning here choice E is the only possible answer because the key is that it is saying that the evidence suggests 2 things: that the elephant is descended from an aquatic animal and that its trunk originally evolved as a kind of snorkel.

If you get rid of the "that" in choice E (the way choices A and D do) then it sounds like the "its trunk originally evolved...." is separate from the first part of the sentence (almost as though that is a fact and not something that the evidence suggests).
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by x.dominicraj » Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:09 am
Hi,

Can someone please explain how we can write "the elephant is descended..". It should have been "the elephant descended.." Is option E not ambiguous because of that?

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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:06 am
x.dominicraj wrote:Hi,

Can someone please explain how we can write "the elephant is descended..". It should have been "the elephant descended.." Is option E not ambiguous because of that?

Regards

Dominic
To be descended from means TO BE RELATED TO an animal that lived long ago.
OA: The elephant is descended from an aquatic animal.
Conveyed meaning:
The elephant IS RELATED TO an aquatic animal that lived long ago.
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by prachi18oct » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:06 am
What is the meaning difference between "has descended" in D and "is descended" in E?
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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:07 am
prachi18oct wrote:What is the meaning difference between "has descended" in D and "is descended" in E?

D: The elephant has descended from an aquatic animal.
Here, a reader might construe the following meaning:
The elephant HAS WALKED DOWN from its position at the top of an aquatic animal.
Not the intended meaning.
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