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To GMAT GuruNY: infinitive vs that clause

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by aflaam » Sun May 01, 2016 8:44 pm
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A row of upright fan-shaped plates running down the spine provided the Stegosaurus dinosaur with an especially efficient solar heating and cooling system to allow them to move comfortably through different climatic regions.

A)to allow them to move comfortably
B)to allow it a comfortable movement
C)that allowed it to move comfortably
D)that allowed their comfortable movement
E)Allowing them to move comfortably
OA C

Hello Guru,
can you tell the difference between B and C?
in that clause vs infinitive, how to choose one?
Thanks
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Source: — Sentence Correction |

by joealam1 » Sat Aug 27, 2016 11:57 pm
i thin it's a matter of idiom

"provided that" is correct while "provided to" is not
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by Abhishek009 » Sun Aug 28, 2016 6:23 am
IMHO (C)

C)that allowed it (referring to - the Stegosaurus dinosaur) to move comfortably
Abhishek
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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Aug 30, 2016 5:18 am
aflaam wrote:A row of upright fan-shaped plates running down the spine provided the Stegosaurus dinosaur with an especially efficient solar heating and cooling system to allow them to move comfortably through different climatic regions.

A)to allow them to move comfortably
B)to allow it a comfortable movement
C)that allowed it to move comfortably
D)that allowed their comfortable movement
E)Allowing them to move comfortably
In A, D and E, them and their (both plural) do not agree with the Stegosaurus dinosaur (singular).
Eliminate A, D and E.

Generally, an infinitive modifier serves to express the INTENT of the preceding subject.
B: A row of upright fan-shaped plates...provided...to allow...a comfortable movement
Here, the usage of to allow implies that a row of upright fan-shaped plates INTENDED to allow a comfortable movement.
This meaning is nonsensical.
A row cannot have an intent.
Eliminate B.

The correct answer is C.

OA: an especially efficient solar heating and cooling system that allowed
Here, the that-clause in blue serves to modify an especially efficient solar heating and cooling system, conveying that the SYSTEM enabled the dinosaur to move comfortably.
This meaning makes sense.
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