Sentence Correction

researchers have outlined a new set of studies for the treatment of breast cancer that is more comprehensive, focusing on multiple genes to identify several candidate therapeutic targets rather than profiling a single gene with the intention of targeting it alone.


in the above sentence
a) what does that modify
b) what does participial phrase focusing on multiple genes modify

ranjit_ece wrote:researchers have outlined a new set of studies for the treatment of breast cancer that is more comprehensive, focusing on multiple genes to identify several candidate therapeutic targets rather than profiling a single gene with the intention of targeting it alone.


in the above sentence
a) what does that modify
b) what does participial phrase focusing on multiple genes modify

according to ron , the that modifier is more felxible than which . It can take on a subject that is seperated by a prepositional phase as well depening on the context and use of common sense .

mundasingh123 wrote:

ranjit_ece wrote:researchers have outlined a new set of studies for the treatment of breast cancer that is more comprehensive, focusing on multiple genes to identify several candidate therapeutic targets rather than profiling a single gene with the intention of targeting it alone.


in the above sentence
a) what does that modify
b) what does participial phrase focusing on multiple genes modify

according to ron , the that modifier is more felxible than which . It can take on a subject that is seperated by a prepositional phase as well depening on the context and use of common sense .

Hi mundasingh123, do you mind pointing me that post please !

Guys, I am still keen to know your answer and reasoning for the same?

The relative clause "that is more comprehensive" seems to modify the noun phrase headed by "set". It could also be interpreted to modify "treatment", or "cancer" (because of the singular verb "is"), but in this case the prepositional phrase "of breast cancer" is crucial to the meaning of the sentence and cannot be omitted. It would not make sense to say "researchers have outlined a new set that is more comprehensive" or "researchers have outlined a new set of studies for the treatment that is more comprehensive" In this way a restrictive "that" relative clause can be positionally more flexible than its nonrestrictive counterpart, which must fall adjacent to the noun it modifies (as in this sentence ).

Participle phrases typically modify and hold the tense of the main verb and its subject. In this case it modifies "researchers have outlined" in "researchers have outlined... focusing on multiple genes to identify..."

ranjit_ece wrote:researchers have outlined a new set of studies for the treatment of breast cancer that is more comprehensive, focusing on multiple genes to identify several candidate therapeutic targets rather than profiling a single gene with the intention of targeting it alone.


in the above sentence
a) what does that modify
b) what does participial phrase focusing on multiple genes modify

The relative pronoun that introduces essential information -- information needed to define the noun being modified.

The treatment of breast cancer does not need to be further defined. The definite article the is used for a reason: a reader understands what is meant by the treatment of breast cancer.

A new set of studies is not quite as defined. The indefinite article a make us wait for more information. For this reason, a reader makes the connection: a new set of studies...that is more comprehensive.

As noted above, a present participle preceded by a comma (such as focusing) generally refers to the subject of the previous clause (researchers): the researchers are focusing on multiple genes.

ranjit_ece wrote:

mundasingh123 wrote:

ranjit_ece wrote:researchers have outlined a new set of studies for the treatment of breast cancer that is more comprehensive, focusing on multiple genes to identify several candidate therapeutic targets rather than profiling a single gene with the intention of targeting it alone.


in the above sentence
a) what does that modify
b) what does participial phrase focusing on multiple genes modify

according to ron , the that modifier is more felxible than which . It can take on a subject that is seperated by a prepositional phase as well depening on the context and use of common sense .

Hi mundasingh123, do you mind pointing me that post please !

Guys, I am still keen to know your answer and reasoning for the same?

sir here it is
https://www.beatthegmat.com/ing-modifier ... 3-105.html

Hi Sir,

I completely understood the first part of the post referring to what 'that' modifies.

GMATGuruNY wrote: As noted above, a present participle preceded by a comma (such as focusing) generally refers to the subject of the previous clause (researchers): the researchers are focusing on multiple genes.

I also agree with what is posted above. However. I was under impression that focussing is modifying the set of studies outlined by researches.

Could you please help me understand what am I missing here?

A participial phrase refers to the subject that performs the action of the main verb.

If the participial phrase refers to anything other than the subject of the main clause, it can be called a "dangling modifier" or "dangling participle".

In this case a logical subject, one that performs the action of the main verb, exists only in "researchers". Since "the set of studies" is the object of the main verb "have outlined", it cannot not be logically modified by the participial phrase.