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Woodcutter

by jain2016 » Mon Jan 25, 2016 11:04 am
Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the woodcutter decided to lay down and rest for a while.

A) Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the woodcutter decided to lay down and rest for a while

B) Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the wood cutter decided to lie down and to rest for a while

C) Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the woodcutter,decided to lay down and to rest for a while

D) The woodcutter, having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, decided to lie down and rest for a while

E) The woodcutter toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, decided to lie down and rest for a while.

OAD

Hi Experts ,

Can you please explain why not E?


Many thanks in advance.

SJ
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Mon Jan 25, 2016 2:57 pm
jain2016 wrote:Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the woodcutter decided to lay down and rest for a while.

A) Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the woodcutter decided to lay down and rest for a while

B) Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the wood cutter decided to lie down and to rest for a while

C) Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the woodcutter,decided to lay down and to rest for a while

D) The woodcutter, having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, decided to lie down and rest for a while

E) The woodcutter toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, decided to lie down and rest for a while.

OAD

Hi Experts ,

Can you please explain why not E?


Many thanks in advance.

SJ
E lacks a conjunction connecting the two past tense verbs. One could write, "The woodcutter toiled.... and decided..." but it is incorrect to write "The woodcutter toiled..., decided."

In the correct answer, "having toiled...." is part of a participial phrase modifying the "woodcutter." Without the modifying phrase, you're left with the simple clause, "the woodcutter decided to lie down and rest...."
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:13 pm
jain2016 wrote:Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the woodcutter decided to lay down and rest for a while.

A) Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the woodcutter decided to lay down and rest for a while

B) Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the wood cutter decided to lie down and to rest for a while

C) Having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, the woodcutter,decided to lay down and to rest for a while

D) The woodcutter, having toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, decided to lie down and rest for a while

E) The woodcutter toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun for six straight hours, decided to lie down and rest for a while.

OAD

Hi Experts ,

Can you please explain why not E?


Many thanks in advance.

SJ
One more small usage detail is tested in this question: "to lie" is the infinitive form of an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take an object. For example: "I want to lie down." This is the usage in the correct answer.

"To lay" is the infinitive form of a transitive verb, meaning it does take an object. For example, "The teacher told me to lay my book on the desk." (Here, "my book" is the object. Not terribly important for GMAT purposes, but a good thing to know...
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by jain2016 » Mon Jan 25, 2016 10:04 pm
E lacks a conjunction connecting the two past tense verbs. One could write, "The woodcutter toiled.... and decided..." but it is incorrect to write "The woodcutter toiled..., decided."
Hi David ,

Many thanks for your reply.

Can you please explain the above part?

Is it always necessary to connect the two past tense verb with conjunction? If yes then please explain or if not then why in this sentence.

Thanks,

SJ
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Tue Jan 26, 2016 9:10 am
jain2016 wrote:
E lacks a conjunction connecting the two past tense verbs. One could write, "The woodcutter toiled.... and decided..." but it is incorrect to write "The woodcutter toiled..., decided."
Hi David ,

Many thanks for your reply.

Can you please explain the above part?

Is it always necessary to connect the two past tense verb with conjunction? If yes then please explain or if not then why in this sentence.

Thanks,

SJ
This isn't a rule that applies specifically to past tense actions, but rather to any instance in which a subject is linked with multiple verbs. It would be just as applicable to future and present tense verbs. But the answer to your question is 'yes,' this is always necessary, so long as the multiple verbs apply to the same subject. For example, "Tom went to the gym this morning and exercised for one hour. The subject "Tom" is performing two actions, so we need a conjunction to connect those actions.

If however, we introduce a modifier or a new subject, you would not need a conjunction. For example, "Tom, who goes to the gym everyday, exercised for an hour this morning." Here we have two subject-verb pairs. Tom exercised (the main clause of the sentence) and who goes (part of a relative clause that modifies Tom.)
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