Please explain

This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 44
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 10:30 pm
Thanked: 4 times

Please explain

by paresh_patil » Sun Mar 03, 2013 9:26 am
The computer company has announced that it will purchase the color-printing division of a rival company for $950 million, which is part of a deal that will make it the largest manufacturer in the office color-printing market.

A) million, which is part of a deal that will make
B) million, a part of a deal that makes
C) million, a part of a deal making
D) million as a part of a deal to make
E) million as part of a deal that will make

Answer E

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:21 am

by dixitnagpal » Sun Mar 03, 2013 9:47 am
Can U please mention the source of this question as it doesnt seems to be a good GMAt Question. reason being the it in the stem of the Question is ambiguous and GMAT Barely do that.

Thanks

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 44
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 10:30 pm
Thanked: 4 times

by paresh_patil » Sun Mar 03, 2013 10:09 am
Source : The OG for GMAT Verbal Review 2nd edition

Legendary Member
Posts: 774
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:32 am
Thanked: 46 times
Followed by:14 members

by aditya8062 » Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:17 am
this is very much a gmat question
A is wrong for "which"
B and C are wrong for its giving a notion that only a part of deal is making it the the largest manufacturer in the office color-printing market.
D is wrong coz its showing "intent" when there is none
E is correct as it is

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 44
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 10:30 pm
Thanked: 4 times

by paresh_patil » Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:46 am
Thank you.
Can you please give a more detail explanation on why "which" is wrong in the original statement?

Legendary Member
Posts: 774
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:32 am
Thanked: 46 times
Followed by:14 members

by aditya8062 » Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:09 am
"which" generally refers to the noun before the comma and in this sentence it gives nonsensical meaning

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:02 am
paresh_patil wrote:Thank you.
Can you please give a more detail explanation on why "which" is wrong in the original statement?
COMMA + WHICH + SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE typically serves to express a GENERAL TRUTH about the immediately preceding noun.
SC66 in the OG12:
The 32 species...include the animal known as the KILLER WHALE, WHICH CAN GROW to be 30 feet long and IS FAMOUS for its aggressive hunting pods.
Here, the which-modifier serves to express a GENERAL TRUTH about the killer whale.
The attributes described -- that the killer whale CAN GROW to be 30 feet long and IS FAMOUS for its aggressive hunting pods -- are GENERAL TRUTHS about the killer whale.

Answer choice A in the SC above:
The computer company has announced that it will purchase the color-printing division of a rival company for $950 MILLION, WHICH IS PART OF A DEAL that will make it the largest manufacturer in the office color-printing market.
Here, the which-modifier seems to refer to $950 million.
But the attribute described -- serving as part of the company's deal -- is NOT a GENERAL TRUTH about $950 million.
Thus, the use of COMMA + WHICH + SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE is inappropriate.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:21 am

by dixitnagpal » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:12 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
paresh_patil wrote:Thank you.
Can you please give a more detail explanation on why "which" is wrong in the original statement?
COMMA + WHICH + SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE typically serves to express a GENERAL TRUTH about the immediately preceding noun.
SC66 in the OG12:
The 32 species...include the animal known as the KILLER WHALE, WHICH CAN GROW to be 30 feet long and IS FAMOUS for its aggressive hunting pods.
Here, the which-modifier serves to express a GENERAL TRUTH about the killer whale.
The attributes described -- that the killer whale CAN GROW to be 30 feet long and IS FAMOUS for its aggressive hunting pods -- are GENERAL TRUTHS about the killer whale.

Answer choice A in the SC above:
The computer company has announced that it will purchase the color-printing division of a rival company for $950 MILLION, WHICH IS PART OF A DEAL that will make it the largest manufacturer in the office color-printing market.
Here, the which-modifier seems to refer to $950 million.
But the attribute described -- serving as part of the company's deal -- is NOT a GENERAL TRUTH about $950 million.
Thus, the use of COMMA + WHICH + SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE is inappropriate.
Mitch i have one doubt here , isnt the "it" in the stem of the question "will make it the largest" is ambiguous here. it can refer to rival company,the same comapny ,the color-printing divison also. Please explain the usage and appropriateness.

Legendary Member
Posts: 774
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:32 am
Thanked: 46 times
Followed by:14 members

by aditya8062 » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:19 am
@dixit firstly pronoun ambiguity is not an absolute rule and secondly the "it" is in the non underlined portion .thirdly u r missing a rule of pronoun reference :when the first "it" refers to "the computer company" then all the following "it" will refer to "the computer company" in the same clause .also pronoun ambiguity should always be seen in relative reference

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 131
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 4:50 am
Location: India
Thanked: 28 times
Followed by:6 members

by vishugogo » Mon Mar 11, 2013 5:40 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
can u give an elaborate reason why D is wrong.

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Mon Mar 11, 2013 2:51 pm
dixitnagpal wrote: Mitch i have one doubt here , isnt the "it" in the stem of the question "will make it the largest" is ambiguous here. it can refer to rival company,the same comapny ,the color-printing divison also. Please explain the usage and appropriateness.
The pronoun is not underlined, so ambiguity is not being tested here.
That being said, the following line of reasoning could serve as justification:
The computer company has announced that IT will purchase the color-printing division of a rival company for $950 million as part of a deal that will make IT the largest manufacturer in the office color-printing market.
Here, there is only ONE PRIMARY CLAUSE: The computer company has announced that IT will purchase the color-printing division of a rival company.
The remainder of the sentence serves to modify this primary clause.
When a pronoun is REPEATED within the context of one primary clause, the default interpretation that the antecedent in each case is THE SAME.
Thus, the COMPUTER COMPANY serves as the antecedent both for the first it and for the second.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 132
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 2:52 pm
Thanked: 4 times
Followed by:1 members

by aflaam » Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:54 pm
Sorry to dig this old one.


for C.
I understand we cannot take million, part of a deal making as appositive but why can't we take it as summative modifier?
I think ,part of the deal perfectly sums up the idea of the preceding clause.
Moreover making also make sense vis-a-vis tense.
What am i missing in C?

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 132
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 2:52 pm
Thanked: 4 times
Followed by:1 members

by aflaam » Thu Mar 03, 2016 7:02 am
can someone help me out with this one?
Thanks in advance

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Tue Mar 08, 2016 5:19 am
aflaam wrote:Sorry to dig this old one.


for C.
I understand we cannot take million, part of a deal making as appositive but why can't we take it as summative modifier?
I think ,part of the deal perfectly sums up the idea of the preceding clause.
Moreover making also make sense vis-a-vis tense.
What am i missing in C?
A summative modifier is composed of COMMA + ABSTRACT NOUN + OTHER WORDS.
The purpose of a summative modifier is to SUM UP the preceding clause.
RULE:
An abstract noun may serve as a summative modifier only if it CANNOT logically refer to the nearest preceding noun.

C: The computer company has announced that it will purchase the color-printing division of a rival company for $950 million, a part of a deal that making it the largest manufacturer in the office color-printing market.
The portion in red is composed of COMMA + ABSTRACT NOUN + OTHER WORDS.
Here, the abstract noun (part) can logically refer to the nearest preceding noun ($950 million), since it is possible that $950 million is PART OF A DEAL.
For this reason, the portion in red may NOT serve as a summative modifier.

Correct: Sixty-five million years ago an asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, an event that caused the plant and animal extinctions that mark the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period.
The portion in red is composed of COMMA + ABSTRACT NOUN + OTHER WORDS.
Here, the abstract noun (event) CANNOT logically refer to the nearest preceding noun (North America), since it is not possible that North America is an EVENT.
Thus, the portion in red is a valid summative modifier, serving to SUM UP the preceding clause as an event that caused the plant and animal extinctions that mark the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:50 am
Thanked: 11 times

by thang » Thu Mar 17, 2016 12:57 am
I think differently

in summmative sentence, the ending noun phrase sum up the main clause

but
as a part " modifies the main verb in main clause. "as a part" dose not sum up the main clause but modifies the main verb.

so, the logic meaing here is "as a part" should modify the main verb.

the adverb which modifies the whole sentence is sumative noun. the adverb which modifies the main verb is "as a part".

it is hard to differentiate the two modifications here. but there are two modifications. very hard in test room. I can not do this problem in the test room.
looking for the girl living in Bradford UK, visiting Halong bay, Vietnam on 26- 27 Jan 2014. all persons, pls, forward this message to all persons you know to help me find her: my email: [email protected], call: 84904812758