It does. There are to most common ways to modify a clause an absolut phrase and an ing verb.tgou008 wrote:So to confirm - the modifier in green above correctly modifies the entire clause?Patrick_GMATFix wrote:elevinty wrote:Hey Patrick,
Can you please tell me if the following construction is the same as the above(meaning is the modifier acting as an adverb)
years ago, according to some scientists, 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.
note: the modifier is in green.
Thanks
There are 2 types of modifiers: noun modifiers (which describe nouns) and adverbial modifiers (which describe everything else, most importantly actions and clauses). In this case, the modifier in green as an adverbial modifier because it doesn't describe a noun, but the entire clause. It tells you the result of the entire clause. In correct GMAT sentences, these modifiers often begin with a noun (such as "an event" above) or with an -ing, such as in OG12 SC # 47: "Five eagles left their nests in Scotland, bringing to 34 the number of birds successfully raised since 1975."
I wouldn't say that your modifier acts exactly as an adverb because it doesn't modify just a single word (adjective, adverb or verb) but it modifies an entire clause. Still, it's called an adverbial modifier. You can practice these by setting the Drill Generator to topic='modifiers' and difficulty='600-700 AND 700+'
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Thanks
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IMO C.
(A) Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992, project SETI pledged a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
--It means Europeans arrived on Coloumbus Day of 1992. So INCORRECT.
(B) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992, five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence was pledged by Project SET -- Verb-Ed modifier should modify Project SETI and not $100 M investment. iNCORRECT.
(C) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992,five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,Project SETI pledged a$100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence ---> all modifiers in the right place. CORRECT.
(D) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the initiation of Project SETI five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992.---> Same error as A.
(E) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,on Columbus Day 1992,the initiation of Project SETI took place ---> Total Confusion.
IMO - C
(A) Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992, project SETI pledged a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
--It means Europeans arrived on Coloumbus Day of 1992. So INCORRECT.
(B) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992, five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence was pledged by Project SET -- Verb-Ed modifier should modify Project SETI and not $100 M investment. iNCORRECT.
(C) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992,five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,Project SETI pledged a$100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence ---> all modifiers in the right place. CORRECT.
(D) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the initiation of Project SETI five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992.---> Same error as A.
(E) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,on Columbus Day 1992,the initiation of Project SETI took place ---> Total Confusion.
IMO - C
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This is an OG question and the answer is C. Five centuries ago correctly modifies 1992 in the option C.
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C is the best here.elevinty wrote:Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992, Project SETI pledged a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
(A) Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992, project SETI pledged a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
(B) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992, five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence was pledged by Project SETI.
(C) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992,five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,Project SETI pledged a$100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
(D) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the initiation of Project SETI five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992.
(E) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,on Columbus Day 1992,the initiation of Project SETI took place
here is my question:
what I dont understand is the structure:
In C and B: Initiated on Columbus Day 1992,five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World, what is the function of the noun phrase in here(five centuries....), at first glance it seemed as an misplaced modifier, because you need a noun subject after the introductory phrase instead we have another modifier, to me the place of this modifier seems illogic.
Anyway, correct me if am wrong:
The sentence starts with an adverb(initiated...) hence it can come any where in the sentence and still modify the main clause, the second bit is a noun modifier(five centuries...) that is functioning as appositive, therefore it can come before or after the noun that it's meant to modify, as a result the sentence is grammatically right.
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(C) is the answer in my opinion
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Hi Patrick,
When the sentence is starting with a phrase,immediately the subject in the 2nd part of the sentence should have a noun/pronoun describing about what are we speaking in the first part(phrase).Right?
For ex:Using a water pencil,a stroke is made---wrong
Using a water pencil,I made a stroke----right
Please correct me if I am wrong
Thank you
When the sentence is starting with a phrase,immediately the subject in the 2nd part of the sentence should have a noun/pronoun describing about what are we speaking in the first part(phrase).Right?
For ex:Using a water pencil,a stroke is made---wrong
Using a water pencil,I made a stroke----right
Please correct me if I am wrong
Thank you
Last edited by seagull on Fri Feb 21, 2014 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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That is correct; If the phrase that begins the sentence is describing a thing, that thing should follow the comma.
For example:
"Working in Visual Basic, Linda wrote her first computer program."
A rare exception would be the use of another phrase to modify the last term in the introductory phrase. In the example below, the phrase in blue correctly modifies "Visual Basic" and the sentence is correct:
"Working in Visual Basic, an easy-to-learn coding language, Linda wrote her first computer program."
For example:
"Working in Visual Basic, Linda wrote her first computer program."
A rare exception would be the use of another phrase to modify the last term in the introductory phrase. In the example below, the phrase in blue correctly modifies "Visual Basic" and the sentence is correct:
"Working in Visual Basic, an easy-to-learn coding language, Linda wrote her first computer program."
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A - Issue here is: "Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992". This sentence can be interpreted as "Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day", which is not the original sentence's intended meaning.elevinty wrote:Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992, Project SETI pledged a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
(A) Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992, project SETI pledged a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
(B) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992, five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence was pledged by Project SETI.
(C) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992,five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,Project SETI pledged a$100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
(D) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the initiation of Project SETI five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992.
(E) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World,on Columbus Day 1992,the initiation of Project SETI took place
B - Seems ok, I kept this for a little bit.
C - Modifiers are placed correctly. More concise than B. Uses the active voice. Keeping this one as well.
D - Misplaced modifier. The initiation did not and cannot "pledge".
E - This has the same issue as D--misplaced modifier. This one is just a little more convoluted.
Between B and C, choice C is the more compelling of the two for the reasons stated above.
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Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992, Project SETI pledged a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
(A) Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992, Project SETI pledged a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
(B) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992, five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World?a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence was pledged by Project SETI?
(C) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992?five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World?Project SETI pledged a$100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence?
(D) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the initiation of Project SETI five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992.
(E) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World?on Columbus Day 1992?the initiation of Project SETI took place.
C
(A) Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992, Project SETI pledged a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
(B) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992, five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World?a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence was pledged by Project SETI?
(C) Initiated on Columbus Day 1992?five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World?Project SETI pledged a$100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence?
(D) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the initiation of Project SETI five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992.
(E) Pledging a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World?on Columbus Day 1992?the initiation of Project SETI took place.
C
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Will go with C.
Five centuries after 1992 hasn't come yet... so eliminate A,D,E.
B is passive form of C & more wordy. so eliminate it.
Five centuries after 1992 hasn't come yet... so eliminate A,D,E.
B is passive form of C & more wordy. so eliminate it.