osirus0830 wrote:According to some economists, Japan is in danger of plunging into a depression that, with double-digit unemployment, could severely strain a society that regards lifetime employment as a virtual right of citizenship.

(A) that, with double-digit unemployment, could severely strain

(B) that, because of double-digit unemployment, could be a severe strain for

(C) with double-digit unemployment, and it could severely strain

(D) with double-digit unemployment and could be a severe strain

(E) with double-digit unemployment and could severely strain

Answer A


I'm not really interested in the answer or why any of the answer choices are wrong. I simply want someone to explain what specifically is the prepositional phrase "with double-digit unemployment" modifying? How would you diagram that?

If i am allowed to rephrase ur question.....is the prepositional phrase modifying Japan or depression, right??

Prepositional phrase modifies nouns or pronouns.

This sentence reads "a depression that could severely strain a society blah blah"... - Hence here the subject is "depression" modified by a prepositional phrase cum appositive "with double digit unemployment". This also makes "with double digit unemployment" an adjectival phrase immediately following "depression", the modified noun.

This is my understanding
Tx

Thanks for the response. One more question. Does a prepositional phrase not have to obey the touch rule? That is does it not have to touch the noun or pronoun that it modifies?

i think A cant be right.


That ? is not needed here....

A.Kiran wrote:i think A cant be right.


That ? is not needed here....

kiran

A is indeed the answer here


read on !

According to some economists, Japan is in danger of plunging into a depression that, with double-digit unemployment, could severely strain a society that regards lifetime employment as a virtual right of citizenship.
see the way it is to be read "WITH SPOILER INTACT"

In C D E
all versions indicate that Japan......WITH a DOUBLE, as if japan is carrying something

note the equal rank alloted to COULD BE part of the sentence with AND

(C) with double-digit unemployment, and it could severely strain

(D) with double-digit unemployment and could be a severe strain

(E) with double-digit unemployment and could severely strain

In B
Beacuase of is not needed as author is making a statement.
"Because of" would me.. Japan is plunging BECAUSE of double digit figures, however, no where does
author forces us to think this way!l

Received a PM.

I will agree that you need to eliminate C, D and E because of the "and". The relationship between the two facts ("depression" and the "severe strain" on the economy) is not that of coordination, it is of cause and effect.

B is also out mainly because it's not the unemployment that causes the severe strain, but the depression with unemployment.

Only A remains: think of that "with" as "coupled with" and it seems to make more sense.