Pronoun Error

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arashyazdiha: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 102; Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 3:42 am; Thanked: 2 times

by arashyazdiha » Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:19 pm

Hi,
I have sometimes encountered some antecedent finding problems among some sentences.
As GMAT offers, there should be no ambiguity.
Could anyone please help me with this sentence taken from GMAT:
Confronted by radical changes in production and distribution, modern Hollywood studios are attempting various experiments in an effort to retain their status as primary arbiters of movie consumption.
I know that their refers to modern Hollywood studios and this is the way that it sounds rational, but how can you provide support for eliminating other plural candidates in the sentence such as experiments. I might assume that modern studios are attempting various experiments to retain the experiments' status. I know it sounds awful but please tell me how you face this?
Thanks

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:19 pm

Geva@EconomistGMAT: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 905; Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2010 1:38 amFollowed by: 123 members; Thanked: 378 times; GMAT Score:760

by Geva@EconomistGMAT » Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:58 am

arashyazdiha wrote:Hi,
I have sometimes encountered some antecedent finding problems among some sentences.
As GMAT offers, there should be no ambiguity.
Could anyone please help me with this sentence taken from GMAT:
Confronted by radical changes in production and distribution, modern Hollywood studios are attempting various experiments in an effort to retain their status as primary arbiters of movie consumption.
I know that their refers to modern Hollywood studios and this is the way that it sounds rational, but how can you provide support for eliminating other plural candidates in the sentence such as experiments. I might assume that modern studios are attempting various experiments to retain the experiments' status. I know it sounds awful but please tell me how you face this?
Thanks

I think it best if you consider pronoun ambiguity is a "soft" elimination, rather than a "hard" one. the right answer choice in a sentence correction question will ideally contain no ambiguity, but it's also still possible for the right answer choice to contain the kind of ambiguity you present - as long as the other answer choices are eliminated by "harder" grammar or logic errors. So when you detect such an ambiguity problem (and it's very good that you're looking out for those), make a mental note of it, but look for other, supporting reasons to eliminate the answer choice - and be prepared to choose it if nothing else works.

Geva
Senior Instructor
Master GMAT
1-888-780-GMAT
https://www.mastergmat.com

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aspirant2011: Legendary Member; Posts: 1574; Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:52 amFollowed by: 13 members; Thanked: 88 times

by aspirant2011 » Wed Aug 24, 2011 7:15 am

Geva@MasterGMAT wrote:
arashyazdiha wrote:Hi,
I have sometimes encountered some antecedent finding problems among some sentences.
As GMAT offers, there should be no ambiguity.
Could anyone please help me with this sentence taken from GMAT:
Confronted by radical changes in production and distribution, modern Hollywood studios are attempting various experiments in an effort to retain their status as primary arbiters of movie consumption.
I know that their refers to modern Hollywood studios and this is the way that it sounds rational, but how can you provide support for eliminating other plural candidates in the sentence such as experiments. I might assume that modern studios are attempting various experiments to retain the experiments' status. I know it sounds awful but please tell me how you face this?
Thanks
I think it best if you consider pronoun ambiguity is a "soft" elimination, rather than a "hard" one. the right answer choice in a sentence correction question will ideally contain no ambiguity, but it's also still possible for the right answer choice to contain the kind of ambiguity you present - as long as the other answer choices are eliminated by "harder" grammar or logic errors. So when you detect such an ambiguity problem (and it's very good that you're looking out for those), make a mental note of it, but look for other, supporting reasons to eliminate the answer choice - and be prepared to choose it if nothing else works.

Hi Geva,

I have a doubt over here i.e how can arbiter refer to experiments in the above sentence..........arbiter means a judge and according to me Hollywood studios is the right usage

Please correct me if I am wrong......

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saketk: Legendary Member; Posts: 608; Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:16 amFollowed by: 8 members; Thanked: 37 times

by saketk » Wed Aug 24, 2011 10:30 pm

aspirant2011 wrote:
Geva@MasterGMAT wrote:
arashyazdiha wrote:Hi,
I have sometimes encountered some antecedent finding problems among some sentences.
As GMAT offers, there should be no ambiguity.
Could anyone please help me with this sentence taken from GMAT:
Confronted by radical changes in production and distribution, modern Hollywood studios are attempting various experiments in an effort to retain their status as primary arbiters of movie consumption.
I know that their refers to modern Hollywood studios and this is the way that it sounds rational, but how can you provide support for eliminating other plural candidates in the sentence such as experiments. I might assume that modern studios are attempting various experiments to retain the experiments' status. I know it sounds awful but please tell me how you face this?
Thanks
I think it best if you consider pronoun ambiguity is a "soft" elimination, rather than a "hard" one. the right answer choice in a sentence correction question will ideally contain no ambiguity, but it's also still possible for the right answer choice to contain the kind of ambiguity you present - as long as the other answer choices are eliminated by "harder" grammar or logic errors. So when you detect such an ambiguity problem (and it's very good that you're looking out for those), make a mental note of it, but look for other, supporting reasons to eliminate the answer choice - and be prepared to choose it if nothing else works.
Hi Geva,

I have a doubt over here i.e how can arbiter refer to experiments in the above sentence..........arbiter means a judge and according to me Hollywood studios is the right usage

Please correct me if I am wrong......

Arbiters is indeed pointing to Hollwood Studios --- Read this line "retain their status as primary arbiters" -- Their means -- hollywood studios.

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