WHy is B wrong?

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by [email protected] » Fri Apr 04, 2014 10:39 am

oa c

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Fri Apr 04, 2014 10:39 am

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by [email protected] » Sat Apr 05, 2014 9:47 am

In the answer choice B, the anticident of it is not clear. Its refers to sound or water is not clear. Also, the fragment having its is most prob. unidiomatic. I hope this would help you.

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by [email protected] » Sat Apr 05, 2014 1:42 pm

Hi mukherjee.tanuj3,

One of the problems with Answer B is that the verb "prevented" isn't "attached" to the proper subject. The "acoustic energy" is what's "prevented from dissipating", so that noun ("acoustic energy") should come before the verb ("prevented...".

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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:25 pm

Sound can travel through water for enormous distances, prevented from dissipating its acoustic energy as a result of boundaries in the ocean created by water layers of different temperatures and densities.

A. prevented from dissipating its acoustic energy as a
result of
B. prevented from having its acoustic energy dissipated by
C. its acoustic energy prevented from dissipating by
D. its acoustic energy prevented from being dissipated as a result of
E preventing its acoustic energy from dissipating by

Generally, COMMA + VERBed refers to the immediately preceding noun. Thus, in A and B, prevented seems to modify distances. Since it is not the distances but the ACOUSTIC ENERGY that is prevented from dissipating, eliminate A and B.

Generally, COMMA + VERBing refers to the SUBJECT of the preceding clause. Thus, in E, preventing seems to modify SOUND, implying that the sound is preventing its own energy from dissipating. Not the intended meaning. Eliminate E.

In D, as a result of boundaries implies that the boundaries themselves are RESULTING in something. Not possible; only an ACTION or an EVENT can result in something. Eliminate D.

The correct answer is C.

In C, dissipating is a GERUND: a verb serving as a NOUN. More specifically, dissipating serves as the object of the preposition from. From what action is the energy prevented? It is prevented from DISSIPATING.

The entire phrase its acoustic energy prevented from dissipating is an absolute phrase. For a description of this grammatical construction, check my posts here:

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