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Unlike lions and tigers

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Unlike lions and tigers

by jain2016 » Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:27 am
Unlike lions and tigers, which can be roaring by causing its hyoid bones to vibrate, domestic cats have fixed hyoid bones and are therefore unable to roar.


A) which can be roaring by causing its hyoid bones to vibrate, domestic cats

B) which can roar by causing their hyoid bones to vibrate, domestic cats

C) who can roar by causing their hyoid bones to vibrate, domestic cats differently

D) who can roar by causing its hyoid bones to vibrate, domestic cats

E) of which the hyoid bones vibrate to cause a roar, domestic cats

OAB

Hi Experts ,

I got this one right, just want to know that usage of of which in option E is right or wrong. If yes or no , then please explain.

Many thanks in advance.

SJ
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by Saikiran Dudyala » Wed Apr 20, 2016 9:48 pm
Hello,
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the usage of "of which" in Option E, grammatically.
Consider flipping the arrangement of elements in the phrase.

ORIGINAL :
Unlike lions and tigers, of which the hyoid bones vibrate to cause a roar...

FLIPPED SENTENCE :
Unlike lions and tigers, the hyoid bones of which vibrate to cause a roar...
The phrase - "The hyoid bones...." tends to act as an appositive adding more information to the tigers. So there is no problem grammatically.

However look at the meaning between the above sentences and Option B.
Option B gives the meaning in a clearer format by saying that the tiger roars by causing some bones to vibrate. Such a clarity doesn't come with Option E and that is why E is wrong.
So when you are down to 2 options and if there is no grammar rule helping, quickly check the clarity of the meaning of the sentence.
All the best!
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by ceilidh.erickson » Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:01 am
Technically it's not wrong to use "of which" as a possessive, but it's rarely used in this context idiomatically. The GMAT likely considers this a wrong idiom. If we're talking about an object or quality possessed by a person/animal/thing, it's much more common to say "whose":
Unlike lions and tigers, whose bones can vibrate...

This is stylistically preferable to Unlike lions and tigers, of which the bones...
You would almost certainly never see that usage in a right answer on SC.

"Of which" is generally only used when modifying in a non-possessive way:
Grammar rules, of which there are many, can be hard to learn.

What is the source of this question?

Posters - please ALWAYS post the source of your questions!
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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