@vaibhav.iit2002 WERE in the your sentence shows that sentence is talking about past. "verb + ing " only describes an ongoing action and not in which tense(present,past,future), this explanation is given by helping verb used

i hope it is clear

eshahid wrote:The problem with long sentences is that we tend to get confused about the structure by the time we are finished reading the sentence.

The key to understand this sentence is to isolate the sentence parts and verify if the structure is correct (parallelism in this case).

a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

Reading the parts separately : Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth,
a giant fungus spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago
AND
a giant fungus extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

The structure is parallel with two participles (spawned and extending).
The Answer is A

Try other options... extends/extended/it extended/is extending to see if they suit fine.

Phew, I was definitely confused by this question too. Your answer has she some light on this question.

stubbornp wrote:210. Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant
fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized
spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.
(A) extending
(B) extends
(C) extended
(D) it extended
(E) is extending

Parallelism is not the only issue.
Even when a verb functions as a modifier, it conveys tense.
In C and D, extended implies past action. Although the filigree was spawned 10,000 years ago (in the past), it is still extending for more than 30 acres (in the present). Eliminate C and D.

In B, spawned (adjective) and extends (verb) are not parallel. Eliminate B.
In E, spawned (adjective) and is extending (verb) are not parallel. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is A.

I don't think extending replaces a continuous tense (that is extending) but rather the active voice (that extends).

A book consisting of seven chapters (that consists of...
A meeting lasting five hours
A car belonging to a dentist
People intending to graduate early (who intend to...)

i am confused between the usage of participle v/s verbs...

Can someone answer the following questions:

1) Can someone please explain how to know we need a participle...


2) Also, what is the main verb in the modifier sentence : "a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,300 years ago and extending for more than 33 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest. "? Is this whole bolded part one modifier???



3)Is the bolded part itself a modifier and it has a modifier within it too ?



4) How do we know a giant fungus that.... forest... that if we start witrh THAT until what part is the modifier there and we need to hide the modifier and re-read the sentence?

I find no stated explanation clear so I try to give mine as follows:
Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant
fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles
spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago
and
extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

So the structure is: rootlike tentacle spawned by ...and extending....
The full sentence will be: rootlike tentacles, that were spawned (passive voice) by.. 10000 years ago and is extending (active voice -which tense?) for ...( not mentioning time period)

why " is extending" - present continuos?

Because: this fungus is " the oldest living organism on Earth" --> still alive --> spawned (passive voice) by.. 10000 years ago and (then describe something at present)

Anyway, I am not completely satisfied with the answer of the question......

I still don't get it...

I read OG explanation again and again but I just don't understand.

I am sure why D, E is not an option but why B, C can't be an option?

Although the statement starts with [Scientists "have recently discovered" ~], it doesn't necessarily mean that the giant fungus still lives in Michigan forest. There is no assurance that the giant fungus should be living "now in Michigan forest".
There is a possibility that the giant fungus extended in Michigan forest long time ago and now it become extinct.
So I think "extended" can be an option.


According to the explanation in OG, the statement can be separated as below.
1. A giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a spore ~
2. A giant fungus is extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of Michigan forest.

However is there any problem if we separate this statement as below?
1. A giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a spore ~
2. A giant fungus extends/extended for more than 30 acres in the soil of Michigan forest.


Well...It seems OK for me...

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<update>
Oh...I got it.
There is a problem.
I did not consider the meaning of whole statement.

1. Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a spore ~

2-1. Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus extends/extended for more than 30 acres in the soil of Michigan forest. -> Awkward. There is no pronoun for what scientists actually discovered. In this sentence there is no assurance that the giant fungus is the oldest living organism which scientists discovered. There is no relation between clause before comma and after comma.

2-2. Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is extends/extended for more than 30 acres in the soil of Michigan forest. -> Awkward. no doubt.


2-3. Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of Michigan forest. -> OK

Now it is clear. -_-

a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,300 years ago and extending for more than 33 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest

Doubt: I am confused about the subject which is being modified by "spawned" & "extending". Seems like they refer back to "giant fungus" , but why cant they be referring back to "rootlike tentacles"

Any thoughts??

TGIF wrote:a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,300 years ago and extending for more than 33 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest

Doubt: I am confused about the subject which is being modified by "spawned" & "extending". Seems like they refer back to "giant fungus" , but why cant they be referring back to "rootlike tentacles"

Any thoughts??

a giant fungus -> Singular (plural of fungus is fungi) -> should be modified with "extends" or "is extending"
rootlike tentacles -> Plural -> should be modified with "extend" or "are extending"

But aren't Spawned and Extending independent of Singular/Plural, since they are not carrying any helping verb(to be) with them (since they are being used as noun modifier)..

One reason I can think of is that logically spawning should refer to fungus and not tentacles.
Still confused

TGIF wrote:But aren't Spawned and Extending independent of Singular/Plural, since they are not carrying any helping verb(to be) with them (since they are being used as noun modifier)..

One reason I can think of is that logically spawning should refer to fungus and not tentacles.
Still confused

Oh...now I get what you mean.

(1) [a giant fungus] that is an [interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles] spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,300 years ago and extending for more than 33 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

Fungus = mixture of mushrooms and tentacles = spawned from spore = extends more than 33 acres.

(2) [a giant fungus] that is an [interwoven filigree of mushrooms] and [rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,300 years ago and extending for more than 33 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest]

Fungus = mixture of mushrooms
Tentacles = looks like a root = spawned from a spore = extend more than 33 acres.

You mean it could be understand like (2).
But it doesn't make any sense because there is no verb for "tentacles" to think like this way.
It leaves clause for tentacles incomplete.

If spawned and extending is modifying tentacles then the sentence should be like below.

(2-1) [a giant fungus] that is an [interwoven filigree of mushrooms] and [rootlike tentacles "are" spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,300 years ago and extending for more than 33 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest]

I think if there was a comma or a pronoun, "spawned" can modify "tentacles" but there weren't any.

(2-2) [a giant fungus] that is an [interwoven filigree of mushrooms] and [rootlike tentacles, (which) spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,300 years ago] and extending for more than 33 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest]

And this is why the answer is "is extending".
There is a missing verb so it makes the statement awkward.
(A) [a giant fungus] that is an [interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles] spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,300 years ago and (the giant fungus)"is extending" for more than 33 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

Thanks

I am still confused - what are the roles played by spawned and extending. Please can someone explain.

In this video, you mention that "spawned" is modifying "fungus" (which seems logically correct as well), but I believe I read somewhere that the "-ed" forms of the verb modify the word preceding it. So, "spawned" should modify "tentacles".

Can you please clarify.