A prep question, (Pls come an instructor)

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A prep question, (Pls come an instructor)

by tracyyahoo » Sun Oct 30, 2011 9:54 pm
Meteor showers and individual streaks of light that flash across the sky every night are generated when tiny flecks of celestial detritus, often no larger than ((grains of sand or of pebbles, burn up speeding)) through the atmosphere.

A. grains of sand or of pebbles, burn up speeding

B. grains of sand or pebbles, burn up while speeding

C. grains of sand or pebbles, which burn up while speeding

D. a grain of sand or pebble, which burns up as it speeds

E. a grain of sand or a pebble, burns up when it speeds


OA is B, through all the parallemisn issue and C is wrong "which" lacks subject instead modifying flecks of celestial detritus.

I have a question that why B" while" is correct? Should we use while when we compare two nouns???
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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by sam2304 » Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:12 pm
IMO B.

Read the sentence omitting the part in between the commas. You will get it more clearly.

Meteor showers and individual streaks of light that flash across the sky every night are generated when tiny flecks of celestial detritus burn up while speeding through the atmosphere.

often no larger than grains of sand or pebbles - this is a modifying phrase which modifies celestial detritus describing its features.

As for your question am not able to get what is compared here :( While refers to the period when the celestial detritus speeds through the atmosphere.
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by Brian@VeritasPrep » Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:21 pm
Great stuff, Sam!

And just to elaborate on that, "while" in this sentence is a modifier for the time period. These objects burn up WHILE they speed through the atmosphere. "While" tells us when this happens. It's similar to saying:

I like to listen to music while driving.

Whistle while you work.

She called while you were asleep.

If the same subject is doing both simultaneously, you don't need to reintroduce the subject. So:

Yes, officer; I was texting while driving.

Allows "I" to be the subject of both "texting" and "driving". So in this sentence "flecks of celestial detritus burn up while speeding" means that "flecks" do both actions, and "while" shows that they're happening at the same time.
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