Sentence Correction

By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(A) By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(B) By law, only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(C) By law, only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine which protects the public.
(D) In order to protect the public, by law a qualified physician only can prescribe medicine.
(E) In order to protect the public, by law only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine.


hey,, can nybdy pls explain the answer to this question...

IMO:A
can someone pls point out where am i going wrong.

heymayank08 wrote:By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(A) By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(B) By law, only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(C) By law, only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine which protects the public.
(D) In order to protect the public, by law a qualified physician only can prescribe medicine.
(E) In order to protect the public, by law only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine.


hey,, can nybdy pls explain the answer to this question...

IMO:A
can someone pls point out where am i going wrong.

PROTECTING is modifing previous clause and therefore when we ask WHO IS PROTECTING, we get the answer as A PHYSICIAN. Lets ask ourselves what the sentence intends to convey - does the sentence intend to say that IS THE PHYSICIAN PROTECTING or THE LAW (THAT BARS PHYSICIANS FROM DOING SOMETHING IS PROTECTING). We will agree that ITS THE LAW (not the PHYSICIAN) and therefore A/B WRONG

C - WHICH modifies medicine (that means MEDICINE PROTECTS!! - can medicine protect?). Drop

Btn D and E emphsis is on PHYSICIAN who are the only ones to prescibe medicine. Therefore IMO E

ohk..now i got the catch in this

thanx pantanjali

By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.

(A) By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(B) By law, only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(C) By law, only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine which protects the public. - run on
(D) In order to protect the public, by law a qualified physician only can prescribe medicine. - change in meaning
(E) In order to protect the public, by law only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine.

IMO: E

By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(A) By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(B) By law, only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(C) By law, only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine which protects the public. No comma before non-restrictive which
(D) In order to protect the public, by law a qualified physician only can prescribe medicine.
(E) In order to protect the public, by law only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine.

SC Lesson:
The OG clearly states that "only" should be placed close the entity it modifies. Here the intended meaning is only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine. only B,C,E are contenders.
B - protecting is awkward construction
C - when using non-restrictive which "comma" is mandatory.
Hence correct AO is E

Eliminate A, B and C - Distorted meaning
D & E are strong contenders

Eliminate D because the placement of "only" is more apt in Option E. Only is an adjective modifier in GMAT that should be placed before the noun it modifies.

[spoiler]Hence IMO: E[/spoiler]