The use of "INDEPENDENT"

Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension
This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 193
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:53 am
Thanked: 4 times
Followed by:5 members

The use of "INDEPENDENT"

by amysky_0205 » Sat Dec 08, 2012 4:39 am
What's the difference between independent from and independent of ???
How do we use them?

tks!

Here's an example:

Recently discovered fossil remains strongly suggest that the Australian egg-laying mammals of today are a branch of the main stem of mammalian evolution rather than developing independently from a common ancestor of mammals more than 220 million years ago.

(A) rather than developing independently from
(B) rather than a type that developed independently from
(C) rather than a type whose development was independent of
(D) instead of developing independently from
(E) instead of a development that was independent of

OA: B
Source: — Verbal Reasoning |

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 646
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 7:08 am
Thanked: 322 times
Followed by:143 members

by Kasia@EconomistGMAT » Tue Dec 11, 2012 2:30 am
We use "independent OF" when we talk about two processes or situations that don't depend on each other. This phrase conveys the meaning similar to that of "unaffected by."
"Independent FROM", on the other hand, means "not ruled by another country/person."
Kasia
Senior Instructor
Master GMAT - the #1 rated GMAT course

"¢ If you found my post helpful, please click the "thank" button and/or follow me.

"¢ Take a 7 day free trial and find out why Economist GMAT is the highest rated GMAT course - https://gmat.economist.com/

"¢ Read GMAT Economist reviews - https://reviews.beatthegmat.com/economis ... mat-course

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 613
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:17 am
Location: madrid
Thanked: 171 times
Followed by:64 members
GMAT Score:790

by kevincanspain » Tue Dec 11, 2012 2:42 am
In this sentence, the author means to say which of the following ?

The Australian egg-laying mammals of today are direct descendants of the common ancestor

i.e. they developed from the common ancestor

or

The development of the Australian egg-laying mammals of today was not affected by the common ancestor
Kevin Armstrong
GMAT Instructor
Gmatclasses
Madrid