SC: the turkey vulture

This topic has expert replies
User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 12:42 am
Thanked: 4 times
Followed by:1 members

SC: the turkey vulture

by kashefian » Fri Nov 19, 2010 12:57 pm
Looking through the expensive binoculars, the turkey vulture appeared to be the size of a robin.

A. Looking through the expensive binoculars,
B. Using the expensive binoculars,
C. Through the expensive binoculars,
D. While it was being watched by the hiker through the expensive binoculars,
E. While looking through the expensive binoculars,

The Oa is C

My problem is that I do not understand why D is wrong. The given answer sounds alike a dangling modifier. Please explain.

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 97
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2010 1:39 am
Location: Montreal, Canada
Thanked: 22 times
Followed by:20 members

by Isaac@EconomistGMAT » Fri Nov 19, 2010 1:24 pm
In D there is no reason to add a whole clause (which the answer choice does) when the correct answer choice is more concise. Also, while it was being watched through the bonoculars is a bit redundant as 'watching' is what we do through binoculars. Also, the Passive voice is less liked stylistically by the GMAT people. This does not mean the passive is wrong, but simply that if there is another answer choice that avoids the passive and is correct on all levels then you choose that one instead.

Furthermore, in the correct AC, it is certainly not a Dangling modifier but simply a modifier. The original sentence contains a wrongful modifier (you usually know the dangling modifiers when such modifiers begin with a present or past participle (eg Looking, or Seen, for example). In this case the prepositional phrase acting as modifier perfectly describes the Turkey (ie it is the turket that can be seen through the binoculars...)

Therefore, on many levels this answer choice (D) is less preferable than the correct one.
Isaac Bettan
Academic Director
Master GMAT
https://econgm.at/EconomistGMAT
[youtube]QBNZczg84tU[/youtube]

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 332
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:50 pm
Thanked: 41 times
Followed by:7 members
GMAT Score:720

by rishab1988 » Fri Nov 19, 2010 3:27 pm
IMHO C

Here is why

(A) This is illogical ; ask the question who was looking through the expensive binoculars. Definitely the turkey wasn't looking through the binoculars, perhaps some person. Since the object being modified by the participle phrase (when in the beginning of the sentence) must follow the participle phrase ( which is not the case in A), we can eliminate A.

(B) Same issue as in A. Ask the question : who was using the expensive binoculars? Therefore, eliminate B too.

(C) Through the expensive binoculars is an adverbial modifier ( It is a prepositional phrase ( through is a preposition) that is acting as an adverb). Remember : Adverbs have much looser placement rules as compared to adjectives such as participle phrases.

Be careful: prepositional phrases can be adverbs as well as adjectives. But what separates them apart is that adverbs answer questions such as how? when? where? .

We can confirm that through the expensive binoculars is an adverb because it identifies from where the turkey was seen.

Since this phrase - through the expensive binoculars - is an adverb,it must be modifying an adjective, an adverb, or a verb (by definition). The verb -appeared- is correctly being modified by the adverb phrase : through the expensive binoculars.

Also, you can further confirm this by asking the question - from where did the turkey appear to be the size of a robin? You will find that "through the expensive binoculars " is correctly answering this question.

(D) While can be used in 2 situations: first, for indicating contrast (when used in a subordinate clause0; second, for indicating that 2 actions happened at the same time ( when used as an adjectival modifier).

In this situation (the actual sentence) we can be assured that no contrast is going on.

This sentence however conveys that a contrast is happening. It seems to say " At the same time the turkey was being watched by ... through ... the turkey somehow (tried) to appear to be the size of a robin". In other words it seems to say that 2 events happened.

For eg. While I watched TV, my friend played on the PC. ( two events : me watching TV and my friend played on PC).

This is wrong because only 1 even happened in original sentence) and that was of seeing turkey, which appeared to be the size of a robin.

The original sentence wanted to convey that the turkey , seen through binoculars, appeared to be of the same size as that of robin.

(E) It is an participle phrase. It is a dangling modifier because the turkey vulture cannot look through binoculars and appear to be the size of the robin (not logical).

Remember E is slightly different from D in that D had a subject (the hiker) and a verb (was being watched) and therefore acts as a subordinate clause. The preposition while in the subordinate clause was used to indicate contrast as in usage of although.....,....Therefore, " while... binoculars" isn't really modifying the turkey ....robin.

But in E there is no verb. looking is a gerund here and through the expensive binoculars is a prepositional phrase.

More specifically E is an example of two things happening at the same time.

for eg: While watching TV, I ate my lunch. ( watching and eating are happening at the same time).

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 574
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:47 pm
Location: USA
Thanked: 29 times
Followed by:5 members

by Target2009 » Sun Jan 23, 2011 9:58 pm
Orginal sentence : Looking through the expensive binoculars, the turkey vulture appeared to be the size of a robin.
rishab1988 wrote: (A) Since the object being modified by the participle phrase (when in the beginning of the sentence) must follow the participle phrase ( which is not the case in A), we can eliminate A.
Hi Rishab, Can you please elaborate above statement with some example.

Though i agree this choice is illogical on the ground of meaning, is there any error in Grammatical construction.
Regards
Abhishek
------------------------------
MasterGmat Student

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 332
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:50 pm
Thanked: 41 times
Followed by:7 members
GMAT Score:720

by rishab1988 » Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:15 pm
Target2009 wrote:Orginal sentence : Looking through the expensive binoculars, the turkey vulture appeared to be the size of a robin.
rishab1988 wrote: (A) Since the object being modified by the participle phrase (when in the beginning of the sentence) must follow the participle phrase ( which is not the case in A), we can eliminate A.
Hi Rishab, Can you please elaborate above statement with some example.

Though i agree this choice is illogical on the ground of meaning, is there any error in Grammatical construction.
By that I meant the person who performing the action described in participle "Looking through the expensive binoculars" should touch it , that is, should come immediately after the comma. Logically, a hiker, a wild life activist, or any other person would look through a binoculars. Using turkey vulture immediately after the the phrase implies that it was the turkey vulture who saw itself in the binoculars. It results in 2 errors :

1) How can the vulture be at 2 places at the same time?
2) Do animals/birds use binoculars?
Finally aced the GMAT.
720 (Q49 V40)

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 574
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:47 pm
Location: USA
Thanked: 29 times
Followed by:5 members

by Target2009 » Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:24 pm
rishab1988 wrote: By that I meant the person who performing the action described in participle "Looking through the expensive binoculars" should touch it , that is, should come immediately after the comma. Logically, a hiker, a wild life activist, or any other person would look through a binoculars. Using turkey vulture immediately after the the phrase implies that it was the turkey vulture who saw itself in the binoculars. It results in 2 errors :

1) How can the vulture be at 2 places at the same time?
2) Do animals/birds use binoculars?
Absolutely agree, That what i said sentence is not logical. My question is "Looking through the expensive binoculars" an adverbial phrase and its not logically modifying the subsequent clause, Can we classify it as dangling modifier issue.

In Correct ans also we have adverbial modifier, which correctly modifies the subsequent clause.
Regards
Abhishek
------------------------------
MasterGmat Student

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 332
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:50 pm
Thanked: 41 times
Followed by:7 members
GMAT Score:720

by rishab1988 » Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:30 pm
Target2009 wrote:
rishab1988 wrote: By that I meant the person who performing the action described in participle "Looking through the expensive binoculars" should touch it , that is, should come immediately after the comma. Logically, a hiker, a wild life activist, or any other person would look through a binoculars. Using turkey vulture immediately after the the phrase implies that it was the turkey vulture who saw itself in the binoculars. It results in 2 errors :

1) How can the vulture be at 2 places at the same time?
2) Do animals/birds use binoculars?
Absolutely agree, That what i said sentence is not logical. My question is "Looking through the expensive binoculars" an adverbial phrase and its not logically modifying the subsequent clause, Can we classify it as dangling modifier issue.

In Correct ans also we have adverbial modifier, which correctly modifies the subsequent clause.
It is a dangling modifier, but participle modifiers are adjectival modifiers and not adverbial modifiers. Adverbial modifiers have a lot of freedom in where they can be placed, a thing that is not so with adjectival modifiers.
Finally aced the GMAT.
720 (Q49 V40)

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 574
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:47 pm
Location: USA
Thanked: 29 times
Followed by:5 members

by Target2009 » Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:37 pm
rishab1988 wrote:It is a dangling modifier, but participle modifiers are adjectival modifiers and not adverbial modifiers. Adverbial modifiers have a lot of freedom in where they can be placed, a thing that is not so with adjectival modifiers.
Hi Rishab,
Thanks for your reply, but please see the below comment from Stacey.

StaceyKoprince : When you have an -ing form participle at the beginning of a modifying phrase, then it modifies the preceding or subsequent clause (depending on the sentence)
Link : https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/sc- ... t4081.html

Let me know your opinion.
Regards
Abhishek
------------------------------
MasterGmat Student

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 139
Joined: Sat May 01, 2010 11:06 pm
Thanked: 4 times
GMAT Score:710

by badpoem » Wed Apr 13, 2011 8:43 am
Chose C.


A. Looking through the expensive binoculars --> Dangling modifier.
B. Using the expensive binoculars --> same as above - no subject.
D. While it was being watched by the hiker through the expensive binoculars --> verbose.
E. While looking through the expensive binoculars --> same as A.

User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2011 5:35 pm
Location: Florence, Italy

by giovanni.gastone » Thu May 19, 2011 9:24 am
kashefian wrote:Looking through the expensive binoculars, the turkey vulture appeared to be the size of a robin.

A. Looking through the expensive binoculars,
B. Using the expensive binoculars,
C. Through the expensive binoculars,
D. While it was being watched by the hiker through the expensive binoculars,
E. While looking through the expensive binoculars,

The Oa is C

My problem is that I do not understand why D is wrong. The given answer sounds alike a dangling modifier. Please explain.
I think I know why you felt that C is "dangling modifier"; you were probably thinking something like "SEEN through the expensive binocular" would make more sense because "through" seems to put be putting the turkey vulture inside and through the binoculars, literally. Or, maybe that wasn't what you were thinking. But, that's what I thought at first. But, then, I saw "appeared" later in the sentence and it made sense. Re-arranged, the sentence would be "the turkey vulture appeared... through the expensive binoculars."

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 626
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2011 2:50 am
Location: Ahmedabad
Thanked: 31 times
Followed by:10 members

by ronnie1985 » Sun Apr 01, 2012 7:02 am
Can someone explain why (A) is wrong in the first place.
Follow your passion, Success as perceived by others shall follow you

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1248
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:57 pm
Location: Everywhere
Thanked: 503 times
Followed by:192 members
GMAT Score:780

by Bill@VeritasPrep » Sun Apr 01, 2012 7:26 am
ronnie1985 wrote:Can someone explain why (A) is wrong in the first place.
The sentence starts with the modifying phrase "looking through the expensive binoculars." Whenever a modifying phrase opens a sentence, it should describe the noun that follows the comma. In this case, the noun is "turkey vulture." While it is a funny mental image, I don't think the sentence is trying to say that the vulture was using the binoculars.
Join Veritas Prep's 2010 Instructor of the Year, Matt Douglas for GMATT Mondays

Visit the Veritas Prep Blog

Try the FREE Veritas Prep Practice Test

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 57
Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 5:46 am
Thanked: 2 times

by anujan007 » Sat Jul 21, 2012 5:07 pm
I identified that this question was about dangling modifier. Came down correctly to choosing between C and D.

But then went for D since it specifies who was seeing through the binocular i.e. the subject. The explanation that D is passive voice makes sense. GMAT SC does not prefer passive.

Good question. Learnt from my mistake.
My attempt to capture my B-School Journey in a Blog : tranquilnomadgmat.blocked

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 308
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 12:51 am
Thanked: 16 times
Followed by:3 members

by Lifetron » Tue Sep 04, 2012 5:58 am
Got C !

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 308
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 12:51 am
Thanked: 16 times
Followed by:3 members

by Lifetron » Tue Sep 04, 2012 6:01 am
"Looking through the expensive binoculars" modifies Turkey. Says that Turkey was looking !

However in C "Through the expensive binoculars" correctly modifies "appeared".
ronnie1985 wrote:Can someone explain why (A) is wrong in the first place.