The Swedish warship Vasa, sunk in 1628 and raised in 1961

NandishSS wrote:The Swedish warship Vasa, sunk in 1628 and raised in 1961, was preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, where low salinity inhibits the growth of marine borers that in most seas devour every exposed scrap of a sunken ship's wooden hull.

(A) was preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, where low salinity inhibits
(B) being preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, because the low salinity there is able to inhibit
(C) and preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, the low salinity there inhibits
(D) having been preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, whose low salinity inhibits
(E) had been preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, because of low salinity there inhibiting

GMATGuruNY wrote:

NandishSS wrote:The Swedish warship Vasa, sunk in 1628 and raised in 1961, was preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, where low salinity inhibits the growth of marine borers that in most seas devour every exposed scrap of a sunken ship's wooden hull.

(A) was preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, where low salinity inhibits
(B) being preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, because the low salinity there is able to inhibit
(C) and preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, the low salinity there inhibits
(D) having been preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, whose low salinity inhibits
(E) had been preserved in the cold water of Stockholm harbor, because of low salinity there inhibiting

In B, C, and D, the Swedish warship Vasa (subject) lacks a verb.
Eliminate B, C and D.

The past perfect (had + VERBed) serves to express an action completed before another past event.
E: The Swedish warship Vasa, sunk in 1628 and raised in 1961, had been preserved.
Here, the usage of had been preserved (past perfect) seems to imply that the warship was preserved BEFORE IT WAS SUNK AND RAISED.
This sequence is illogical.
Eliminate E.

The correct answer is A.

Mo2men wrote:Dear GMATGuru,

I have 2 questions about Choice E.

1- In above explanation you said it is illogical sequence. What is 'sunk and raised' role? I think both are participle?

If so, what are their original form ? is it 'which was sunk and was raised'?

could they be 'which had been sunk and had been raised?

2- Does this part 'because of low salinity there inhibiting' correct ? If correct, Is it consistent with non-underline part?

Thanks

GMATGuruNY wrote:

2- Does this part 'because of low salinity there inhibiting' correct ? If correct, Is it consistent with non-underline part?

Thanks

In E, the usage of because implies the following:
Low salinity caused the ship to be preserved..
low salinity = an absence of salt.
It seems illogical to say that something NOT PRESENT IN THE WATER (salt) caused an action in the water (the preservation of the ship).

Mo2men wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote:

2- Does this part 'because of low salinity there inhibiting' correct ? If correct, Is it consistent with non-underline part?

Thanks

In E, the usage of because implies the following:
Low salinity caused the ship to be preserved..
low salinity = an absence of salt.
It seems illogical to say that something NOT PRESENT IN THE WATER (salt) caused an action in the water (the preservation of the ship).

Thanks Mitch for your reply.

In my question above, if you ignored the meaning issue, is the construction grammatically correct 'because of low salinity there inhibitingthe growth of marine borers that in most seas devour '

Thanks