SC -- wings so smooth and perfectly shaped

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zoe: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 121; Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2016 6:31 pm; Thanked: 1 times

by zoe » Mon Jul 04, 2016 9:55 pm

my dear friends :

please read the following question first

Since the 1930's aircraft manufacturers have tried to build airplanes with frictionless wings, shaped so smoothly and perfectly that the air passing over them would not become turbulent.

(A) wings, shaped so smoothly and perfectly
(B) wings, wings so smooth and so perfectly shaped
(C) wings that are shaped so smooth and perfect
(D) wings, shaped in such a smooth and perfect manner
(E) wings, wings having been shaped smoothly and perfectly so

i am not clear about the constructure if put correct choice (B) into the sentence.would you please help analyse the constructure for me?

Since the 1930's aircraft manufacturers have tried to build airplanes with frictionless wings,wings so smooth and so perfectly shaped that the air passing over them would not become turbulent.

the blue words "since the 1930's..... with frictionless wings", ---- clause, imply the timeframe,
the bold words "wings so smoth and so perfectly shaped" ---- subject of the sentence, with a modifier "so smooth and so perfectly shaped" , this modifier modifies the subject "wings",
also, here is an idiom ""so ...that..."
the black words "the air passing over them would not become turbuent",----- result of the smooth and perfectly shaped wings, i think it is a clause too.

why not wings ARE so smooth and so perfectly shaped
so... i have no ideas that what's the main verb of the whole sentence..., please help...

for example,
you worked so hard that you pass the GMAT.

here, subjeect-- you, verb -- worked, and result of the sentence is you (subject) pass (verb) the GMAT...

hoping won't wait for a long time reply

thanks in advance

have a nice day
>_~

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Mon Jul 04, 2016 9:55 pm

GMATGuruNY: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 15539; Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members; Location: New York, NY; Thanked: 13060 times; GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Tue Jul 05, 2016 6:08 am

zoe wrote:i am not clear about the constructure if put correct choice (B) into the sentence.would you please help analyse the constructure for me?

OA: Since the 1930's aircraft manufacturers have tried to build airplanes with frictionless wings, wings so smooth and so perfectly shaped that the air passing over them would not become turbulent.

Here, the core of the sentence is the portion in blue:
Aircraft manufacturers have tried to build airplanes with frictionless wings.
The main subject is aircraft manufacturers.
The verb for this subject is have tried.

The red portion -- since the 1930s -- is an adverb serving to express WHEN manufacturers have tried.
WHEN have manufacturers tried?
They have tried SINCE THE 1930s.

The green portion is a modifier serving to provide more information about the wings.
What KIND of wings?
wings SO SMOOTH AND SO PERFECTLY SHAPED that the air passing over them would not become turbulent.

For a fuller explanation of this SC, check my post here:
https://qa.www.beatthegmat.com/restricti ... 82341.html

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Mo2men: Legendary Member; Posts: 712; Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 4:39 amFollowed by: 5 members; Thanked: 14 times

by Mo2men » Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:06 pm

GMATGuruNY wrote:
OA: Since the 1930's aircraft manufacturers have tried to build airplanes with frictionless wings, wings so smooth and so perfectly shaped that the air passing over them would not become turbulent.

Dear Mitch,

There is word 'them' in the modifier part of the sentence(non underlined part). The antecedent is 'wings'. So I have general question here.

Must the pronoun INSIDE non-essential modifier have an antecedent INSIDE the Modifier part itself? or could refer to a noun inside the independent clause?

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GMATGuruNY: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 15539; Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members; Location: New York, NY; Thanked: 13060 times; GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Thu Aug 03, 2017 9:47 pm

Mo2men wrote:Dear Mitch,

There is word 'them' in the modifier part of the sentence(non underlined part). The antecedent is 'wings'. So I have general question here.

Must the pronoun INSIDE non-essential modifier have an antecedent INSIDE the Modifier part itself? or could refer to a noun inside the independent clause?

A pronoun in a non-essential modifier can serve to refer to a noun in the main clause.
The OA to SC134 in the OG16:
Last week local shrimpers held a news conference to take some credit for the resurgence of the rare Kemp's ridley turtle, saying that their compliance with laws requiring turtle-excluder devices on shrimp nets is protecting adult sea turtles.
Here, their (a pronoun in the non-essential modifier in blue) serves to refer to shimpers (a noun in the main clause).

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