values require plural they so D/E out. depressed values r not direct agent so B is out. because is used for a reason, we require only a relative pronoun to refer back to the subject so C is out.

GmatKiss wrote:While depressed property values can hurt some large investors, they are potentially devastating for homeowners, whose equity - in many cases representing a life's savings - can plunge or even disappear.

(A) they are potentially devastating for homeowners, whose
(B) they can potentially devastate homeowners in that their
(C) for homeowners they are potentially devastating, because their
(D) for homeowners, it is potentially devastating in that their
(E) it can potentially devastate homeowners, whose

OA is A
Please help in breaking this down!

Will we also consider here that "can" and "potentially" are redudant?

Someone please help crack this one.

Thanks.

This is a case in which I think the idea of "decision points" is really helpful.

"Whose" is a relative modifier, and must modify the word adjacent to it. That should tip you off - is "whose" justified here?

In A and E it's used properly to modify "homeowners" (although E has a massive problem with "it" as the pronoun with no singular subject before it). So even though we can't use it to eliminate a choice, the fact that it is there shows us something. Its job is to provide direct clarity - to show that the modifier (equity...) has to clearly modify "homeowners". In the other choices that don't use "whose", the pronoun "their" is used - and "their" really refers back to the subject of the sentence, "values". That's illogical. "Values" don't have life savings or equity. So we can eliminate B C and D based on the use of "their" and not "whose".

Relative modifiers are great decision points - they have such a specific use that they offer terrific insight when they're used, either properly or improperly.

Brian@VeritasPrep wrote:This is a case in which I think the idea of "decision points" is really helpful.

"Whose" is a relative modifier, and must modify the word adjacent to it. That should tip you off - is "whose" justified here?

In A and E it's used properly to modify "homeowners" (although E has a massive problem with "it" as the pronoun with no singular subject before it). So even though we can't use it to eliminate a choice, the fact that it is there shows us something. Its job is to provide direct clarity - to show that the modifier (equity...) has to clearly modify "homeowners". In the other choices that don't use "whose", the pronoun "their" is used - and "their" really refers back to the subject of the sentence, "values". That's illogical. "Values" don't have life savings or equity. So we can eliminate B C and D based on the use of "their" and not "whose".

Relative modifiers are great decision points - they have such a specific use that they offer terrific insight when they're used, either properly or improperly.

Thanks Brain. Great insight.

Could you suggest what other decision points we should keep in mind. Secondly, why do you think 'their' should refer to subject of the sentence.