GMAT Official Guide 2019 Over the past ten years

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Over the past ten years cultivated sunflowers have become a major commercial crop, second only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil.


A. second only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil

B. second in importance to soybeans only as a source of vegetable oil

C. being second in importance only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil

D. which, as a source of vegetable oil, is only second to soybeans

E. as a source of vegetable oil only second to soybeans

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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Jul 07, 2018 1:45 am

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BTGmoderatorDC wrote:Over the past ten years cultivated sunflowers have become a major commercial crop, second only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil.

A. second only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil

B. second in importance to soybeans only as a source of vegetable oil

C. being second in importance only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil

D. which, as a source of vegetable oil, is only second to soybeans

E. as a source of vegetable oil only second to soybeans
In B and C, second in importance is redundant.
X is second to Y means -- all on its own -- that X is less important than Y.
Eliminate B and C.

Modifiers such as only and almost are known as LIMITERS.
A limiter serves to LIMIT the scope of another word in the sentence.
Generally, a limiter should be placed directly before whatever it is intended to limit.

ONLY JOHN plays the tuba.
Here, only serves to limit WHO PLAYS the tuba.
Conveyed meaning;
NO ONE ELSE -- aside from John -- plays the tuba.

John plays ONLY THE TUBA.
Here, only serves to limit WHICH INSTRUMENTS John plays.
Conveyed meaning:
John plays NO OTHER INSTRUMENTS -- aside from the tuba.

A: Sunflowers have become...second ONLY TO SOYBEANS.
Here, only serves to limit WHICH CROPS are more important than sunflowers.
Conveyed meaning:
NO OTHER CROP -- aside from soybeans -- is more important than sunflowers.
This is the intended meaning of the original sentence.

D and E: A major commercial crop...ONLY SECOND.
Here, only serves to limit WHICH RANKING is attributed to the major commercial crop.
Conveyed meaning:
NO OTHER RANKING -- aside from second -- is attributed to the major commercial crop.
In D and E, the position of only distorts the intended meaning of the original sentence.
Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is A.
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question about choice (E)

by piggyts » Sat Aug 11, 2018 8:40 pm

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GMATGuruNY wrote:
BTGmoderatorDC wrote:Over the past ten years cultivated sunflowers have become a major commercial crop, second only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil.

A. second only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil

B. second in importance to soybeans only as a source of vegetable oil

C. being second in importance only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil

D. which, as a source of vegetable oil, is only second to soybeans

E. as a source of vegetable oil only second to soybeans
In B and C, second in importance is redundant.
X is second to Y means -- all on its own -- that X is less important than Y.
Eliminate B and C.

Modifiers such as only and almost are known as LIMITERS.
A limiter serves to LIMIT the scope of another word in the sentence.
Generally, a limiter should be placed directly before whatever it is intended to limit.

ONLY JOHN plays the tuba.
Here, only serves to limit WHO PLAYS the tuba.
Conveyed meaning;
NO ONE ELSE -- aside from John -- plays the tuba.

John plays ONLY THE TUBA.
Here, only serves to limit WHICH INSTRUMENTS John plays.
Conveyed meaning:
John plays NO OTHER INSTRUMENTS -- aside from the tuba.

A: Sunflowers have become...second ONLY TO SOYBEANS.
Here, only serves to limit WHICH CROPS are more important than sunflowers.
Conveyed meaning:
NO OTHER CROP -- aside from soybeans -- is more important than sunflowers.
This is the intended meaning of the original sentence.

D and E: A major commercial crop...ONLY SECOND.
Here, only serves to limit WHICH RANKING is attributed to the major commercial crop.
Conveyed meaning:
NO OTHER RANKING -- aside from second -- is attributed to the major commercial crop.
In D and E, the position of only distorts the intended meaning of the original sentence.
Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is A.
Thank you so much for the explanation about the usage of 'only'!!!

But I have another question about choice (E).

here is the explanation in OG:
it is unclear whether it modifies the phrase 'as a source of vegetable oil', or the phrase 'second to soybeans'.
=> why it can modify 'second to soybeans'? Doesn't 'second to soybeans' modify 'as a source of vegetable oil
'?

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by vietnam47 » Wed Aug 21, 2019 12:08 am

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BTGmoderatorDC wrote:Over the past ten years cultivated sunflowers have become a major commercial crop, second only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil.


A. second only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil

B. second in importance to soybeans only as a source of vegetable oil

C. being second in importance only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil

D. which, as a source of vegetable oil, is only second to soybeans

E. as a source of vegetable oil only second to soybeans
look at D.
comma+which clause shows a characteristics of the preceding noun. A+noun+comma+which clause should be treated with caution because it is normally wrong on gmat.
it is wrong because it means any noun of the kind has characteristics presented by which clause.
choice D means any crop is only second to soybean as source of vegetable oil. this is absurd.

when we see "A+noun+which clause", think that every noun of that kind has the characteristics presented by which clause.