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Burrow Design - A new 700 level SC problem

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Burrow Design - A new 700 level SC problem

by e-GMAT » Sun Jan 27, 2013 1:17 pm
Hi folks,

Here comes a new SC problem of this week, just for you. Do post your detailed analysis and we will give "Thanks" to you if you get correct.

A new study suggests that different species of mice have different burrow design: a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA combinations of burrow creation in genome.

A. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA
B. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow because of its genes that carry various DNA
C. a mouse raised in the lab builds species-specific burrow so that its genes carry various DNA
D. a mouse in the lab can build species-specific burrow as its genes can carry various DNA
E. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrows because of their genes carrying various DNA

Official answer and detailed solution will be posted after a few responses.
Happy Practicing. :)
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by e-GMAT » Sun Jan 27, 2013 1:17 pm
Hi Everyone,

First of all, thank you for your responses. Here comes the official explanation for this one.

A new study suggests that different species of mice have different burrow design: a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA combinations of burrow creation in genome.

Image

"¢ This sentence presents facts.
"¢ Different species of mice build burrows of different designs.
"¢ Even a mouse raised in lab can make a burrow specific to its species.
"¢ Burrow making is genetic as genes carry DNA combinations of burrow making in every species.

Image

Error Analysis

"¢ Clause 1: A new study suggests
"¢ Clause 2: that different species of mice have different burrow design:
"¢ Clause 3: a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA combinations of burrow creation in genome.

1. Use of "due to" is incorrect in this sentence because it has been used to modify the verb in this sentence, more specifically to present the reason for the verb - how can a lab-raised mouse build species-specific burrow. "Due to" can only be used to explain the noun and not a verb.

2. The comma + verb-ing modifier "carrying" modifies the preceding clause. This modification does not make much sense as it seems to suggest that mice carry various DNA combinations. Logically, it is the genes in the mice that carry DNA combinations. Hence, we need a modifier that refers to "genes".

PoE

A. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA: Incorrect for the reasons stated above.

B. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow because of its genes that carry various DNA: Correct Answer. It corrects both errors of choice A and does not introduce any other errors.

C. a mouse raised in the lab builds species-specific burrow so that its genes carry various DNA: Incorrect.

Error 1 - Use of simple presents "builds" is incorrect because the original sentence presents the ability of the lab raised mouse to build species-specific burrow by saying "can build". This choice suggests that it is a general fact that lab- raised mice make species-specific burrow.
Error 2 - Use of "so that" is incorrect. This phrase is used to present the result of the preceding clause. This usage distorts the intended meaning.

D. a mouse in the lab can build species-specific burrow as its genes can carry various DNA: Incorrect.

Error 1 - "A mouse in the lab" does not mean the same as "a lab-raised mouse". A mouse in the lab can be just any mouse there and not necessarily the mouse that has been raised there.
Error 2 - Per the original sentence, it is a general fact that "genes" carry various DNA combinations. Per this choice, "can carry" suggests the ability of genes to carry various DNA combinations. This is not the intended meaning.

E. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrows because of their genes carrying various DNA: Incorrect. Pronoun "their" should logically refer to "mouse". But grammatically, plural pronoun "their" does not agree in number with the singular noun "mouse".

Image

1. "Due to" cannot be used to present reason for the verb. It can only describe noun entities. "Because of" is the correct expression to do so.
2. We must use the correct Modifier must be used correctly to modify the entity it is supposed to modify.
3. "Can verb" presents the ability, while simple presents tense presents general truth.
4. We must use correct expressions to communicate the intended meaning. For example, lab-raised mouse is not the same as mouse in the lab.

Thanks. :)
Payal
Last edited by e-GMAT on Wed Jan 30, 2013 8:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by hutch27 » Sun Jan 27, 2013 3:34 pm
I think B
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by patanjali.purpose » Sun Jan 27, 2013 4:38 pm
e-GMAT wrote:Hi folks,

Here comes a new SC problem of this week, just for you. Do post your detailed analysis and we will give "Thanks" to you if you get correct.

A new study suggests that different species of mice have different burrow design: a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA combinations of burrow creation in genome.

A. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA
B. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow because of its genes that carry various DNA
C. a mouse raised in the lab builds species-specific burrow so that its genes carry various DNA
D. a mouse in the lab can build species-specific burrow as its genes can carry various DNA
E. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrows because of their genes carrying various DNA

Official answer and detailed solution will be posted after a few responses.
Happy Practicing. :)
A - use of DUE TO wrong; Burrow is DUE TO...nonsesical
E - use of THEIR wrong (for MOUSE)MOUSE can build burrow

C- the original intent is to say that 'MOUSE can build burrow because of its genes' etc. But, C says MOUSE can build burrow SO THAT its genes carry. The use of SO THAT wrong

D - A MOUSE in lab IS DIFFERENT FROM lab-raised mouse. Thats change from original sentence. Moreover, IMO the use of AS states FLOW OF ACTIONS meaning AS GENES CARRY DNA, MOUSE CAN BUILD BURROW. This is not the intended meaning. Using AS we lose the casual connection between BURROW BUILDING AND GENES CARRYING DNA

IMO B
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by ravivu » Sun Jan 27, 2013 8:21 pm
A new study suggests that different species of mice have different burrow design: a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA combinations of burrow creation in genome.

A. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA
B. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow because of its genes that carry various DNA
C. a mouse raised in the lab builds species-specific burrow so that its genes carry various DNA
D. a mouse in the lab can build species-specific burrow as its genes can carry various DNA
E. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrows because of their genes carrying various DNA

1. Meaning

2. Error log:

First we can split the sentence into clauses

clause 1: A new study suggests that different species of mice have different burrow design:

clause 2: a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes,

modifier: carrying various DNA combinations of burrow creation in genome.

CL.1 is IC SV agrees in number ( study- suggests ) ':' is a connector for two independent cl.

Cl2: SV agrees in number and there is no tense problem here. if we replace due to with 'caused by' sentence doesn't make sense, if we replace due to with because then sentence meaning is correct

Modifier is place after ',' in the original sentence. what it is modifying either the sub. or the clause of the prec.clause. In both cases it is incorrect it is modifier error.

POE:

A. incorrect
B. correct
c. 'so that' there is no purpose of building specific design ..incorrect
d. 'as' there is no comparison or role or function mentioned in the sentence... incorrect
e. SV problem mouse...their

My choice is B
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by Lifetron » Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:57 pm
A - 'due to' seems wrong
C and D - Changes the intended meaning
E - 'their' is wrong
[spoiler]
So, B ![/spoiler]
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by e-GMAT » Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:25 am
patanjali.purpose wrote:
D - A MOUSE in lab IS DIFFERENT FROM lab-raised mouse. Thats change from original sentence. Moreover, IMO the use of AS states FLOW OF ACTIONS meaning AS GENES CARRY DNA, MOUSE CAN BUILD BURROW. This is not the intended meaning. Using AS we lose the casual connection between BURROW BUILDING AND GENES CARRYING DNA

IMO B
Great analysis @patanjali.purpose. Your explanation for choice D is especially note-worthy. You are absolutely correct that a mouse in lab is different from lab-raised mouse.
However, I think you should re-visit your stand on the use of "as". While you are correct that "as" is used to show "flow of actions", it is also used to express causality. For example:

He reached late as he was stuck in the traffic. - Here "as" indicates the reason for reaching late.

So in the light of this, use of "as" is appropriate in this context. That being said, there is one more error in choice D. Can you find that ? Looking forward to your response:

Note that we will be posting the official solution tomorrow.

Regards,
Payal
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by e-GMAT » Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:35 am
ravivu wrote: CL.1 is IC SV agrees in number ( study- suggests ) ':' is a connector for two independent cl.

Cl2: SV agrees in number and there is no tense problem here. if we replace due to with 'caused by' sentence doesn't make sense, if we replace due to with because then sentence meaning is correct

Modifier is place after ',' in the original sentence. what it is modifying either the sub. or the clause of the prec.clause. In both cases it is incorrect it is modifier error.

POE:
A. incorrect
B. correct
c. 'so that' there is no purpose of building specific design ..incorrect
d. 'as' there is no comparison or role or function mentioned in the sentence... incorrect
e. SV problem mouse...their

My choice is B
Great analysis @ravivu. I was happy to see that you did your analysis by splitting the sentence into small portions.
I was also happy to see your thought process on making decisions regarding "due to" and "because of". You followed a very structured approach. Great! Equally intriguing was your approach to determine if verb-ing modifier modifies correctly. Impressive. Keep up the structured approach!!

Now I hope you don't mind my pointing out a few shortcomings.
First of all I did not see a meaning analysis in your solution. I was curious why you wrote "meaning" but did not add anything under it.
Secondly, the reason for rejecting choice D is not correct. Remember "as" serves many roles and as I noted in my previous post, one of the roles is to express causality. So the use of "as" is correct in this sentence. So I would suggest you review choice D again and tell me what is wrong with it.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Payal
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by patanjali.purpose » Wed Jan 30, 2013 2:35 pm
e-GMAT wrote:
patanjali.purpose wrote:
D - A MOUSE in lab IS DIFFERENT FROM lab-raised mouse. Thats change from original sentence. Moreover, IMO the use of AS states FLOW OF ACTIONS meaning AS GENES CARRY DNA, MOUSE CAN BUILD BURROW. This is not the intended meaning. Using AS we lose the casual connection between BURROW BUILDING AND GENES CARRYING DNA

IMO B
Great analysis @patanjali.purpose. Your explanation for choice D is especially note-worthy. You are absolutely correct that a mouse in lab is different from lab-raised mouse.
However, I think you should re-visit your stand on the use of "as". While you are correct that "as" is used to show "flow of actions", it is also used to express causality. For example:

He reached late as he was stuck in the traffic. - Here "as" indicates the reason for reaching late.

So in the light of this, use of "as" is appropriate in this context. That being said, there is one more error in choice D. Can you find that ? Looking forward to your response:

Note that we will be posting the official solution tomorrow.

Regards,
Payal
Thanks for the encouragement. I could find CAN CARRY issue in D(missed that initially). Very interesting and challenging questions.
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