Sentence Correction

Stanford researchers have shown for the first time that adult bone marrow cells have migrated to the brain and express neuronal-specific proteins that look like their neuronal neighbors who suggest that an individual's own, genetically-modifier bone marrow cells may someday be used to treat diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's,or damage caused by a stroke or traumatic brain injury.

a) have migrated to the brain and express neuronal-specific proteins that look like their neuronal neighbors who suggest
b) can migrate with their neuronal neighbors who express neuronal-specific proteins, which suggest
c) are migrating to their neuronal neighbors and expressing neuronal-specific proteins which can look like their neuronal neighbors and that is what is suggesting
d) are migrated to the brain and express neuronal-specific proteins that look like their neighbors and that can suggest
e) can migrate to the brain, express neuronal-specific proteins, and begin to look like their neuronal neighbors, suggesting

Can anyone please help me figure out what(Tense, parallelism etc) is wrong with each of the answer choices?

OA after some discussion

Thanks

gmat1978 wrote:Stanford researchers have shown for the first time that adult bone marrow cells have migrated to the brain and express neuronal-specific proteins that look like their neuronal neighbors who suggest that an individual's own, genetically-modifier bone marrow cells may someday be used to treat diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's,or damage caused by a stroke or traumatic brain injury.

a) have migrated to the brain and express neuronal-specific proteins that look like their neuronal neighbors who suggest
b) can migrate with their neuronal neighbors who express neuronal-specific proteins, which suggest
c) are migrating to their neuronal neighbors and expressing neuronal-specific proteins which can look like their neuronal neighbors and that is what is suggesting
d) are migrated to the brain and express neuronal-specific proteins that look like their neighbors and that can suggest
e) can migrate to the brain, express neuronal-specific proteins, and begin to look like their neuronal neighbors, suggesting

Can anyone please help me figure out what(Tense, parallelism etc) is wrong with each of the answer choices?

OA after some discussion

Thanks

In A and B, who cannot be used to refer to neuronal neighbors. Eliminate A and B.

In C, that has no clear antecedent. Eliminate C.

Same issue in D: in the clause that can suggest, what exactly is that? Eliminate D.

The correct answer is E.

IMO E
a) have migrated to the brain and express neuronal-specific proteins that look like their neuronal neighbors who suggest - wrong modifier
b) can migrate with their neuronal neighbors who express neuronal-specific proteins, which suggest
c) are migrating to their neuronal neighbors and expressing neuronal-specific proteins which can look like their neuronal neighbors and that is what is suggesting - action has already completed
d) are migrated to the brain and express neuronal-specific proteins that look like their neighbors and that can suggest - incorrect verb combination
e) can migrate to the brain, express neuronal-specific proteins, and begin to look like their neuronal neighbors, suggesting - CORRECT[/spoiler]

@GMATGuruNY

Sir, can we eliminate all the answer choices except Op B and Op E solely on the basis of tenses?? adult bone marrow cells migrate...this is a general principle so saying marrow cells have migrated...or are migrated or are migrating seems illogical to me and that why i eliminated all choices except Op B and Op E at first glance. Op B has pronoun error.

please suggest my approach is correct or not???

In this problem, how would I go about finding out the appropriate tense (have migrated / can migrate / are migrating / are migrated). Generally, I look at the context to figure out the tense. But in this problem, I am confused and not able to figure out the correct tense. If anyone can please explain with examples, that would be very helpful.

Thanks

gmat1978 wrote:In this problem, how would I go about finding out the appropriate tense (have migrated / can migrate / are migrating / are migrated). Generally, I look at the context to figure out the tense. But in this problem, I am confused and not able to figure out the correct tense. If anyone can please explain with examples, that would be very helpful.

Thanks

When a sentence expresses a general truth, we typically use the regular present tense:

Children love ice cream.

If we say children have loved ice cream, the implication is that children have loved ice cream SOMETIME IN THE PAST, but we don't know whether they ALWAYS love ice cream.
If we say children are loving ice cream, the implication is that RIGHT NOW children are loving ice cream, but we don't know whether they ALWAYS love ice cream.

The regular present tense love makes it clear that a general truth about children is being expressed.

The SC above is expressing a general truth adult bone-marrow cells.
Thus, the regular present tense is appropriate.

Since A says have migrated, eliminate A.

Since C says are migrating, eliminate C.

In D, are migrated makes no sense. Cells migrate -- or don't -- on their own. They can't be "migrated". Eliminate D.

Only B and E use the regular present tense: adult bone-marrow cells CAN.

B can be eliminated for several reasons: migrate with is not idiomatic, who incorrectly refers to neuronal neighbors, and which incorrectly refers to proteins.

The correct answer is E.

18 seconds. "can migrate" is the only possible tense (research discovers something that CAN happen in the present tense), therefore b and e. e is parallel, choose e.