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by fiza gupta » Tue Nov 15, 2016 6:01 am

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In some types of pine tree, a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well.

A) a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well
B) a thick needle layer protects buds from where new growth proceeds, so that they can withstand forest fires relatively well
C) a thick layer of needles protect the buds from which new growth proceeds; thus, they are able to withstand relatively well any forest fires
D) since the buds from which new growth proceeds are protected by a thick layer needle layer, consequently they can therefore withstand forest fires relatively well
E) because the buds where new growth happens are protected by a thick layer of needles, they are able to withstand forest fires relatively easily as a result

OA:A
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by ceilidh.erickson » Tue Nov 15, 2016 4:13 pm

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This question is primarily testing SENTENCE STRUCTURE (clauses) and LOGICAL MEANING.

In some types of pine tree, a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well.

A) a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well

Correct!
- we have an independent clause on either side of the semicolon. (Remember that whenever we see a SEMICOLON, we must have a full independent clause on either side).
- all modifiers logically modify the intended thing

B) a thick needle layer protects buds from where new growth proceeds, so that they can withstand forest fires relatively well
- "so that" implies intentionality. Are the trees doing this on purpose? Can trees be said to do anything on purpose?
- idiomatically, we cannot say "from where." "Where" cannot be an object of a preposition. We can only say "from which" (for anything non-human) or "from whom" (human).

C) a thick layer of needles protect the buds from which new growth proceeds; thus, they are able to withstand relatively well any forest fires
- the correct verb is "a thick layer [of needles] protects..."

D) since the buds from which new growth proceeds are protected by a thick layer needle layer, consequently they can therefore withstand forest fires relatively well
- If we start the sentence with a prepositional phrase ("In some types..."), we should follow it with the independent clause, not a dependent clause ("since...")
- "consequently" is redundant if we've already said "since", and "therefore" is doubly redundant

E) because the buds where new growth happens are protected by a thick layer of needles, they are able to withstand forest fires relatively easily as a result
- same as in D - we shouldn't begin a dependent clause ("because") after an opening prepositional phrase.
- we can't use "where" to modify "buds." "where" should only refer to a physical / geographical location.

The answer is A.
Last edited by ceilidh.erickson on Wed Nov 16, 2016 1:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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by GMATsid2016 » Wed Nov 16, 2016 9:30 am

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C) a thick layer of needles protect the buds from which new growth proceeds; thus, they are able to withstand relatively well any forest fires
- the correct verb is "a thick layer [of needles] protects..."

Hello Ceilidh ,

Can you please explain more above reason to eliminate this option?

Also please advise what does THEY refer to in OA?

Thanks,

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by ceilidh.erickson » Wed Nov 16, 2016 1:11 pm

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GMATsid2016 wrote: Hello Ceilidh ,

Can you please explain more above reason to eliminate this option?

Also please advise what does THEY refer to in OA?

Thanks,

Sid
Option C is wrong because it violates SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT. The subject is the singular "layer" (not "needles," which is part of a modifying prepositional phrase), so the verb should be "protects," not "protect."

I agree that determining the antecedent of the pronoun "THEY" is tricky in this problem. Pronouns are most likely to replace subjects or objects of verbs, and are less likely to replace nouns in modifying phrases or clauses. Thus, we can assume that "they" probably refers to "buds." There is a little bit of ambiguity in whether "they" might be referring to "types of pine tree" rather than "buds," but the issue is minor; it would not cause a meaning difference in this problem. I've updated my post accordingly.

The pronoun ambiguity issue is a tricky one on the GMAT: sometimes we're required to fix ambiguity issues (usually if there are also meaning issues), and sometimes a right answer will contain a seemingly ambiguous pronoun. The best thing to do is to ignore this issue unless you're sure you've dealt with all other grammar and meaning issues.
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by akara2500 » Fri Apr 14, 2017 8:08 pm

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Could you please more clarify, as far as I see, for this case "from which" is not the modifier for buds, since it has to be protect the bud from sth (protect sth from sth). So it's ok with protect the buds from where new growth proceeds. "where new growth proceeds" is just sth to protect the buds from

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by akara2500 » Fri Apr 14, 2017 8:08 pm

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Could you please more clarify, as far as I see, for this case "from which" is not the modifier for buds, since it has to be protect the bud from sth (protect sth from sth). So it's ok with protect the buds from where new growth proceeds. "where new growth proceeds" is just sth to protect the buds from

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by ceilidh.erickson » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:53 am

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akara2500 wrote:Could you please more clarify, as far as I see, for this case "from which" is not the modifier for buds, since it has to be protect the bud from sth (protect sth from sth). So it's ok with protect the buds from where new growth proceeds. "where new growth proceeds" is just sth to protect the buds from
The "from which" clause does modify "buds":
- needles protect buds
- new growth proceeds from buds


So the sentence needs to convey:
... a thick layer of needles protects the buds (the things that new growth proceeds from)...
We often end phrases in prepositions colloquially, but the GMAT will prefer the more proper PREPOSITION + RELATIVE PRONOUN.

"Where" should only refer to a geographical place: a city, a country, a building, etc. Something with a fixed location. "Buds" are objects found on muliples trees in multiple locations, so it's better to use "which."

For whatever reason, "from where" is never used in English. In old-fashioned usage, you might see "from whence." But in modern English, you would see "from which" even when referring to geographical places: New Orleans, a city from which numerous jazz artists emerged...

I hope this answers your question!
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by noiceman » Sun May 28, 2017 11:06 pm

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ceilidh.erickson wrote:This question is primarily testing SENTENCE STRUCTURE (clauses) and LOGICAL MEANING.

In some types of pine tree, a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well.

A) a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well

Correct!
- we have an independent clause on either side of the semicolon. (Remember that whenever we see a SEMICOLON, we must have a full independent clause on either side).
- all modifiers logically modify the intended thing

B) a thick needle layer protects buds from where new growth proceeds, so that they can withstand forest fires relatively well
- "so that" implies intentionality. Are the trees doing this on purpose? Can trees be said to do anything on purpose?
- idiomatically, we cannot say "from where." "Where" cannot be an object of a preposition. We can only say "from which" (for anything non-human) or "from whom" (human).

C) a thick layer of needles protect the buds from which new growth proceeds; thus, they are able to withstand relatively well any forest fires
- the correct verb is "a thick layer [of needles] protects..."

D) since the buds from which new growth proceeds are protected by a thick layer needle layer, consequently they can therefore withstand forest fires relatively well
- If we start the sentence with a prepositional phrase ("In some types..."), we should follow it with the independent clause, not a dependent clause ("since...")
- "consequently" is redundant if we've already said "since", and "therefore" is doubly redundant

E) because the buds where new growth happens are protected by a thick layer of needles, they are able to withstand forest fires relatively easily as a result
- same as in D - we shouldn't begin a dependent clause ("because") after an opening prepositional phrase.
- we can't use "where" to modify "buds." "where" should only refer to a physical / geographical location.

The answer is A.
Hi Ceilidh,
Thank you for the explanation.
Could you elaborate "we shouldn't begin a dependent clause ("because") after an opening prepositional phrase", please?
It will help a lot.

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by ceilidh.erickson » Mon May 29, 2017 7:38 am

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noiceman wrote: Hi Ceilidh,
Thank you for the explanation.
Could you elaborate "we shouldn't begin a dependent clause ("because") after an opening prepositional phrase", please?
It will help a lot.
Prepositional phrases act as modifiers (sometimes modifying nouns, sometimes modifying actions). As a general rule, a prepositional phrase at the beginning of a sentence should modify what comes right after it:

In the school play, I had the starring role.

If additional modifying information is added with a dependent clause, it should not be "stacked" in front of the prepositional phrase:

Incorrect: In the school play, because the other children had stage fright, I had the starring role.

Correct: In the school play, I had the starring role, because the other children had stage fright.
or...
Correct: Because the other children had stage fright, I had the starring role in the school play,

Does that answer your question?
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by noiceman » Mon May 29, 2017 7:45 am

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ceilidh.erickson wrote:
noiceman wrote: Hi Ceilidh,
Thank you for the explanation.
Could you elaborate "we shouldn't begin a dependent clause ("because") after an opening prepositional phrase", please?
It will help a lot.
Prepositional phrases act as modifiers (sometimes modifying nouns, sometimes modifying actions). As a general rule, a prepositional phrase at the beginning of a sentence should modify what comes right after it:

In the school play, I had the starring role.

If additional modifying information is added with a dependent clause, it should not be "stacked" in front of the prepositional phrase:

Incorrect: In the school play, because the other children had stage fright, I had the starring role.

Correct: In the school play, I had the starring role, because the other children had stage fright.
or...
Correct: Because the other children had stage fright, I had the starring role in the school play,

Does that answer your question?
Yes. Thank you for the kind help! :)

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by ceilidh.erickson » Mon May 29, 2017 7:58 am

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My pleasure!
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by Mo2men » Mon Dec 25, 2017 5:58 am

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fiza gupta wrote:In some types of pine tree, a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well.

A) a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well
B) a thick needle layer protects buds from where new growth proceeds, so that they can withstand forest fires relatively well
C) a thick layer of needles protect the buds from which new growth proceeds; thus, they are able to withstand relatively well any forest fires
D) since the buds from which new growth proceeds are protected by a thick layer needle layer, consequently they can therefore withstand forest fires relatively well
E) because the buds where new growth happens are protected by a thick layer of needles, they are able to withstand forest fires relatively easily as a result

OA:A
In choice B:

1- Is the construction 'a a thick needle layer' correct? I think it is not. It should be 'a thick-needle layer', is it correct?

2- Is the usage of 'so that'? does it used for 'clause of consequences?

Thanks

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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Dec 26, 2017 6:28 pm

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Mo2men wrote:In choice B:

1- Is the construction 'a a thick needle layer' correct?
B: a thick needle layer
Here, it is unclear whether thick serves to modify needle or layer.
Thus, the construction is not viable.
It should be 'a thick-needle layer', is it correct?
The hyphenated phrase in red implies a layer of THICK NEEDLES.
The OA, however, discusses a THICK LAYER of needles.
Thus, the hyphenated phrase in red does not convey the intended meaning.
2- Is the usage of 'so that'? does it used for 'clause of consequences?
This assessment sounds reasonable.
SC270 in the 2018 Verbal Review includes a similar usage of so that:
In many of the world's regions, increasing pressure on water resources has resulted from expanding development, changes in climate, and pollution, so that future supplies in some of the more arid areas are a concern.
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by [email protected] » Mon Apr 01, 2019 8:48 am

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Hello Everyone!

Let's tackle this question, one thing at a time, and find the correct choice as quickly as possible! First, here is the original question, with the major differences between the options highlighted in orange:

In some types of pine tree, a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well.

(A) a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well
(B) a thick needle layer protects buds from where new growth proceeds, so that they can withstand forest fires relatively well
(C) a thick layer of needles protect the buds from which new growth proceeds; thus, they are able to withstand relatively well any forest fires
(D) since the buds from which new growth proceeds are protected by a thick needle layer, consequently they can therefore withstand forest fires relatively well
(E) because the buds where new growth happens are protected by a thick layer of needles, they are able to withstand forest fires relatively easily as a result

After a quick glance over the options, there are a few things we can focus on to narrow down our choices:

1. protects / protect / are protected by (verb tense & active/passive voice)
2. from which / from where / where (agreement)
3. consequently / so that / thus / they (conjunctions & punctuation)


Let's start with #1 on our list: verb tenses. This should be an easier grammar concept to focus on first, and it should narrow down a few options quickly. To do this, we need to make sure that the subjects and verbs agree in number, and we must also make sure to use active voice whenever possible (the GMAT does not like passive voice answers). Here is how each option breaks down:

(A) a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well -> GOOD
(The singular subject "a thick layer" agrees with singular verb "protects," so let's keep this option for later!)

(B) a thick needle layer protects buds from where new growth proceeds, so that they can withstand forest fires relatively well --> GOOD
(The subject and verb in this option are both singular, just like option A, so let's also keep this option for later!)

(C) a thick layer of needles protect the buds from which new growth proceeds; thus, they are able to withstand relatively well any forest fires --> INCORRECT
(This is wrong because the singular subject (a thick layer) should have a singular verb. Instead, this sentence uses a plural verb (protect), which doesn't agree.)

(D) since the buds from which new growth proceeds are protected by a thick needle layer, consequently they can therefore withstand forest fires relatively well --> INCORRECT
(This is wrong because it uses passive voice! It switches the subject and object of the sentence. The GMAT prefers active voice over passive voice whenever possible, so let's rule this out.)

(E) because the buds where new growth happens are protected by a thick layer of needles, they are able to withstand forest fires relatively easily as a result --> INCORRECT
(This is wrong because it uses passive voice! It switches the subject and object of the sentence. The GMAT prefers active voice over passive voice whenever possible, so let's rule this out.)

We can eliminate options C, D, and E because they use the wrong verb tenses or passive voice.

Now that we have this narrowed down to just 2 options, let's take a closer look at #2 and #3 on our list to determine which is the better option:

(A) a thick layer of needles protects the buds from which new growth proceeds; consequently they are able to withstand forest fires relatively well

This is the CORRECT choice! It uses the correct phrasing "from which" to indicate that the growth comes from the buds, not from some location around the buds. It also uses the conjunction "consequently" to show a cause/effect relationship, and the semicolon is used correctly to split the two independent clauses up nicely.

(B) a thick needle layer protects buds from where new growth proceeds, so that they can withstand forest fires relatively well

This is INCORRECT for a couple reasons. First, the phrase "from where" is confusing to readers because it changes the meaning slightly. Instead of saying the growth comes from the buds themselves, this sentence says the buds happen to be in the same area where new growth appears on its own, which doesn't make sense. Second, the subordinating conjunction "so that" does NOT need a comma before it.

There you go - option A is the correct choice!


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