BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Sentence correction : Misplaced modifier (non-essential mod)

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 11:16 pm

Sentence correction : Misplaced modifier (non-essential mod)

by santoshs » Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:37 am
As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision, it would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind if it were an adult with such vision.

(A) As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision, it would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind if it were an adult with such vision.
(B) A baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision that would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind as an adult.
(C) As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb, its rudimentary sense of vision would be rated about 20/500; qualifying it to be legally blind if an adult.
(D) A baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision that would be rated about 20/500; an adult with such vision would be deemed legally blind.
(E) As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb, its rudimentary sense of vision, which would be deemed legally blind for an adult, would be rated about 20/500.

I feel option "E" is the right answer as it use non-essential modifier (,which)
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |
User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:21 pm
Location: Karachi, Pakistan
Thanked: 7 times

by Salman Ghaffar » Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:43 am
Firstly the "rudimentary sense of vision" would not be deemed legally blind (how could vision be called "blind")?

A person with such a vision would be deemed legally blind.

A makes it sound as if the baby would be rated 20/500 (the vision should be rated, not the baby)
B makes it sound as if the sense of vision would be deemed legally blind , by using "a rudimentary sense of vision that would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind as an adult"
In C, the second clause is dependent, when you actually need an independent clause after a semi-colon . Another problem is using the qord "qualifying" for a negative quality - you can't "qualify" to be blind.
E says that the "sense of vision" would be deemed legally blind. That's not correct.

D is the answer.
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 117
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:57 pm
Location: India
Thanked: 1 times

by YellowSapphire » Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:07 am
Yes D is the right one.
Yellow Sapphire
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 434
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:42 pm
Location: Bangalore, India
Thanked: 91 times
Followed by:46 members

by EducationAisle » Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:23 am
Multiple issues with E:

1. its could refer to baby or the womb. Though it might be argued that logically womb does not have vision, nevertheless this usage is not preferable.

2. sense of vision cannot be deemed legally blind (which in E modifies sense of vision)

3. The biggest issue however is that E seems to suggest that the rudimentary sense of vision of the baby would be deemed blind for an adult. How can vision of the baby make an adult blind? See how D neatly addresses this problem: an adult with such vision would be deemed legally blind.
Ashish
MBA - ISB, GMAT - 99th Percentile
GMAT Faculty @ EducationAisle
www.EducationAisle.com

Sentence Correction Nirvana available at:

a) Amazon: Sentence Correction Nirvana

b) Flipkart: Sentence Correction Nirvana

Now! Preview the entire Grammar Section of Sentence Correction Nirvana at pothi
Top
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:35 am

by s9q78g » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:50 am
hey ashish-
can you pls explain the pattern in option D...
A baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision that would be rated about 20/500; an adult with such vision would be deemed legally blind.
in my opinion, there should be comma after WOMB, so that it functions as a proper modifier.
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 434
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:42 pm
Location: Bangalore, India
Thanked: 91 times
Followed by:46 members

by EducationAisle » Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:20 am
Well, this construction is considered acceptable on GMAT. For example, refer to Q 111 in OG, and while 'with' in this sentence is in the non-underlined portion, I guess it does corroborate this point:

...who opened the Colosseum with a one-hundred-day cycle of religious pageants, gladiatorial games, and spectacles.

Ditto with Q 19:

..they supplemented their cultivation of maize, squash, and beans with fishing and hunting.
Ashish
MBA - ISB, GMAT - 99th Percentile
GMAT Faculty @ EducationAisle
www.EducationAisle.com

Sentence Correction Nirvana available at:

a) Amazon: Sentence Correction Nirvana

b) Flipkart: Sentence Correction Nirvana

Now! Preview the entire Grammar Section of Sentence Correction Nirvana at pothi
Top
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:35 am

by s9q78g » Fri Apr 01, 2011 12:12 pm
EducationAisle wrote:Well, this construction is considered acceptable on GMAT. For example, refer to Q 111 in OG, and while 'with' in this sentence is in the non-underlined portion, I guess it does corroborate this point:

...who opened the Colosseum with a one-hundred-day cycle of religious pageants, gladiatorial games, and spectacles.

Ditto with Q 19:

..they supplemented their cultivation of maize, squash, and beans with fishing and hunting.
Thanks for pointing out some references. Can I come up with a general rule that WITH will always refer to the verb and to the noun(linked to that verb), which it modifies, even if there is a noun that may be just preceding the preposition WITH.
Top
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 582
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:48 am
Thanked: 61 times
Followed by:6 members
GMAT Score:740

by force5 » Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:47 pm
yes D it is
Top
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:35 am

by s9q78g » Fri Apr 01, 2011 8:46 pm
@ force
yes D it is
it is better to reply with a reasoning rather than just pointing out the OA.
how do you think that your reply will help me or someone else?
Top
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 582
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:48 am
Thanked: 61 times
Followed by:6 members
GMAT Score:740

by force5 » Sun Apr 03, 2011 2:57 am
I'm sorry. The answers were already given and i concurred hence didn't feel like re-writing them.
But here it goes -

(A) As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision, it would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind if it were an adult with such vision. (it doesnt have a clear referent)
(B) A baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision that would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind as an adult. (vision would be rated.... as an adult-- incorrect)
(C) As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb, its rudimentary sense of vision would be rated about 20/500; qualifying it to be legally blind if an adult.(2nd sentence is a fragment, its depended )
(D) A baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision that would be rated about 20/500; an adult with such vision would be deemed legally blind. (correct- two independent sentences connected by a ; )
(E) As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb, its rudimentary sense of vision, which would be deemed legally blind for an adult, would be rated about 20/500.("which would be deemed legally blind... is incorrect modifier and is changing the meaning of entire sentence)
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 641
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:07 pm
Location: Madison, WI
Thanked: 162 times
Followed by:45 members
GMAT Score:760

by Jim@Grockit » Mon Apr 04, 2011 6:58 am
I wonder what the world would be like with an actual baby-rating system.

In any case, regarding the "with" modification, when context will not make it completely clear what with modifies, expect a relative clause on the GMAT.

Also with modifying the noun preceding it is contextually restrictive -- meant to differentiate that noun from other real or potential similar things.
I met a man with a wooden leg.
I want a bicycle with disc brakes.
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1