Sentence Correction

GMATGuruNY wrote:

paes wrote:Nice explanation Guru.

But can you please address my following concern, between C and D

C :

it has been tasted by few people without requesting more.

I agree that it is ambiguous here.
But clearly the preposition phrase 'without requesting more' is modifying to people.

While in D :

few people have been known to taste it without requesting more.

the preposition phrase 'without requesting more' is not modifying to people clearly.
It seems that it is attached to chocolate.

(C) it has been tasted by few people without requesting more
(D) few people have been known to taste it without requesting more

The phrase without requesting more is not an adjective modifying the noun people. (What kind of people? They are people without requesting more. This sentence doesn't make sense. So without requesting more is not modifying people.)

The phrase without requesting more is an adverb modifying the verb taste. (How were the people unable to taste the chocolate? They were unable to taste it without requesting more. This sentence works. So without requesting more is modifying taste.)

Since a modifier should be as close as possible to what it's modifying, D is better than C, because in D without requesting more is closer to the verb taste.

mundasingh123 wrote:
Hi Mitch,
How do i find out whether the modifier underlined in the following sentence is acting as an adverb or adjective ?
Q1)Whether the modifier modifies Vaughn college or the students in Vaughn college ?
A1)The modifier has plural verb tense "are" so it refers to students , so the modifier refers to the students in Vaughn College.

Q2)If i ask question .
What kind of students ?
Ans)Students with more national achievement award winners among their ranks.

If I ask another question
How were the students academically stronger than the students in Lexington?
Ans)Academically stronger with more national achievement award winners among their ranks.

I am totally confused.



In addition to having a greater number of students than Lexington Community College, Vaughn College is home to students who are academically stronger than those in
Lexington, with more national achievement award winners among their ranks.

Please Help.

the present perfect infinitive indicates prior action.

Using the present perfect for both verbs makes the timeline unclear.
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The Western world's love affair with chocolate is well-documented: few people have been known to have tasted it for the first time without requesting more.
(A) few people have been known to have tasted it
(B) few having been known to taste it
(C) it has been tasted by few people
(D) few people have been known to taste it
(E) few people having tasted it

I chose E , if you feel the answer is not E then please let me know what is the correct answer and why ?

Thanks
Senthil

GMATGuruNY wrote:The Western world's love affair with chocolate is well-documented: few people have been known to have tasted it for the first time without requesting more.

(A) few people have been known to have tasted it
(B) few having been known to taste it
(C) it has been tasted by few people
(D) few people have been known to taste it
(E) few people having tasted it

The GMAT writers prefer that a colon separate two independent clauses; what comes before the colon should be a complete sentence, and what comes after the colon should be a complete sentence.

In B and E, a complete sentence doesn't follow the colon. Eliminate B and E.

In C, the pronoun it is ambiguous: it could refer to the love affair or to chocolate. Also, has been tasted is passive. It's better to say few people have tasted it (active) than to say it has been tasted by few people (passive). Eliminate C.

When you have a choice, avoid the passive voice.

Now we're down to A and D. According to the sentence, what have few people been able to do? They have been unable to taste chocolate for the first time without requesting more. Eliminate A.

The correct answer is D.

In A, the past perfect tense of to have tasted is incorrect and awkward. The correct construction is been known + infinitive:

People have been known to ace the GMAT.

Hope this helps!

GMATGuruNY wrote:The Western world's love affair with chocolate is well-documented: few people have been known to have tasted it for the first time without requesting more.

(A) few people have been known to have tasted it
(B) few having been known to taste it
(C) it has been tasted by few people
(D) few people have been known to taste it
(E) few people having tasted it

The GMAT writers prefer that a colon separate two independent clauses; what comes before the colon should be a complete sentence, and what comes after the colon should be a complete sentence.

In B and E, a complete sentence doesn't follow the colon. Eliminate B and E.

iongmat wrote:
Hi Mitch, could you please explain how the following is correct:

Seismologists studying the earthquake that struck northern California in October 1989 are still investigating some of its mysteries: the unexpected power of the seismic waves, the upward thrust that threw one man straight into the air, and the strange electromagnetic signals detected hours before the temblor.

The portion after the colon does not look like a complete sentence. Hope I am not mis-interpreting your post.