The steel industry has changed radically over the last

GMATGuruNY wrote:

richachampion wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote:A clause has both a subject and a verb.
A preposition such as with cannot be followed by a clause.
C: with large, integrated companies...have greatly downsized
Here, with is incorrectly followed by a clause (large, integrated companies have greatly downsized).
Eliminate C.

Here, with is incorrectly followed by a clause (large, integrated companies have greatly downsized).


Please explain this in detail as I am confused.

C: The steel industry has changed radically over the last two decades, with large, integrated companies such as Bethlehem Steel, that once conducted operations from mining at one end of the process to shipping at the other have greatly downsized.
The two colored portions above function as modifiers.
If we omit these modifiers, we get:
The steel industry has changed radically over the last two decades, with large, integrated companies have greatly downsized.
Here, the portion in red constitutes a clause, since it contains both a subject (large, integrated companies) and a verb (have greatly downsized).
As mentioned in my post above, a preposition such as with cannot serve to introduce a clause.
Eliminate C.

sir, can you please also comment on the importance of using "that"(that can't be left) in the correct answer.

richachampion wrote:sir, can you please also comment on the importance of using "that"(that can't be left) in the correct answer.

A and E omit that, as follows:
Large, integrated companies such as Bethlehem Steel once conducted operations from mining at one end of the process to shipping at the other have greatly downsized.
Here, the two colored portions both serve as modifiers.
If we omit these modifiers, we get:
Large, integrated companies conducted operations have greatly downsized.
The sentence above is nonsensical.
Eliminate A and E.

The OA includes that, as follows:
Large, integrated companies, such as Bethlehem Steel, that once conducted operations from mining at one end of the process to shipping at the other have greatly downsized.
Here, that serves to indicate that the blue portion -- like the preceding red portion -- is a modifier describing companies.
If we omit these modifiers, we get:
Large, integrated companies have greatly downsized.
The sentence above makes sense.

GMATGuruNY wrote: As mentioned in my post above, a preposition such as with cannot serve to introduce a clause.

Hi Mitch,

Could you elaborate what are the correct usages of using comma + with?
Have been confused with this one for a while...
Thanks in advance!

imawolf wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote: As mentioned in my post above, a preposition such as with cannot serve to introduce a clause.

Hi Mitch,

Could you elaborate what are the correct usages of using comma + with?
Have been confused with this one for a while...
Thanks in advance!

Generally:

COMMA + with after a clause will be an ADVERB serving to introduce something that accompanies the nearest preceding ACTION.
Visitors to the park have often seen monkeys sleeping on the branches, with arms and legs hanging like socks on a clothesline.
Here, COMMA + with follows the clause in red.
Its purpose is to introduce the portion in blue, which accompanies the act of SLEEPING (the nearest preceding action).

COMMA + with after a phrase will be an ADJECTIVE serving to modify the nearest preceding noun or noun phrase.
The intricate structure of the compound insect eye, with its hundreds of miniature eyes called ommatidia, helps explain why scientists have assumed that it evolved independently of the vertebrate eye.
Here, COMMA + with follows the phrase in red.
Its purpose is to introduce the portion in blue, which describes the compound insect eye (the nearest preceding noun phrase).