BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

★★★★★5.0559 reviews
GMATLiveTeach 7 seats left
Chris Peckover
NEXT LIVE COHORT

Oct 13 to Jan 7, 2027

with Chris Peckover

Schedule
Tue, Thu · 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET
Included
40 live hours + 6 months of GMAT OnDemand
  • Live instruction and real-time questions
  • Class recordings and assigned practice
View class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeach 5 seats left
Logan Thompson
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Sep 6 to Dec 6, 2026

with Logan Thompson

Schedule
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
Live EA class + 6 months of EA OnDemand
  • Expert-led weekly online sessions
  • EA Masterclass access between classes
View EA class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemand Start anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

130-point score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions
Start free 5-day trial
Read 559 reviewsTarget Test Prep

Compare the format, schedule, and included access before enrolling. Prices and seat counts shown reflect the supplied offer details.

Them referred unambiguously

Expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:57 pm
Thanked: 1 times
by kv_ajay » Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:27 pm
By a narrow margin, the Board of Directors granted the corporation's top executives additional discretion permitting them to authorize without Board approval mergers and acquisitions of companies valued at less than $50 million.

(A) permitting them to authorize without Board approval
(B) for them to authorize without Board approval
(C) for authorizing the completion without Board approval of
(D) that permits it to authorize without Board approval the completion of
(E) that it can authorize without Board approval the completion of

OA - A

My question: Explanation for this question states - In this sentence, the noun discretion is appropriately modified by a participial phrase beginning with permitting. The pronoun them refers unambiguously to top executives, agrees with this plural antecedent, and is in the proper objective case (them is the object of the participle permitting). Permitting... to authorize follows the idiomatic structure permit + infinitive. There are no apparent errors in this sentence.
How does them refers to executives unambiguously...unless u read the whole sentence and now from meaning you know that 'them' refers to executives...
I see lot of explanations stating them it refers unambiguously but i do not know what is the reasoning behind that claim...

Thanks for your replies..
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Sentence Correction |
Legendary Member
Posts: 833
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:56 am
Thanked: 13 times

by vivek.kapoor83 » Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:43 pm
Keep it simple -- DE..out as 'it ' is wrong
BC - discretion for is unidomatic
So left with A and i see no prob with A.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:57 pm
Thanked: 1 times

by kv_ajay » Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:52 pm
I have no problem with A either. What i am asking is why "them" is referring to top executives unambiguously.

Not specific to this question but trying to find out how people decide on pro noun referring plural noun unambiguously when two of those exist.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 467
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:19 pmFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 27 times

by karmayogi » Tue Nov 11, 2008 11:51 pm
I am not sure, why you feel 'them' is used ambiguously. My guess is, you are confused whether 'them' is referring to 'the Board of Directors' or 'top executives'. However, 'the Board of Directors' is singular. Hence, 'them' unambiguously refers to 'top executives'.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 940
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:22 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 55 times

Re: Them referred unambiguously

by iamcste » Wed Nov 12, 2008 12:57 am
kv_ajay wrote:By a narrow margin, the Board of Directors granted the corporation's top executives additional discretion permitting them to authorize without Board approval mergers and acquisitions of companies valued at less than $50 million.

(A) permitting them to authorize without Board approval
(B) for them to authorize without Board approval
(C) for authorizing the completion without Board approval of
(D) that permits it to authorize without Board approval the completion of
(E) that it can authorize without Board approval the completion of

OA - A

quote]

IMO A. Them is not ambigous sînce its close to "top executives in the sentence"


C, D and E all use "Completion" which adds no meaning to sentence

It could be A or B. A expresses meaning correctly. B omits "permitting"
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 940
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:22 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 55 times

Re: Them referred unambiguously

by iamcste » Wed Nov 12, 2008 1:20 am
kv_ajay wrote:By a narrow margin, the Board of Directors granted the corporation's top executives additional discretion permitting them to authorize without Board approval mergers and acquisitions of companies valued at less than $50 million.

(A) permitting them to authorize without Board approval
(B) for them to authorize without Board approval
(C) for authorizing the completion without Board approval of
(D) that permits it to authorize without Board approval the completion of
(E) that it can authorize without Board approval the completion of

OA - A

I see lot of explanations stating them it refers unambiguously but i do not know what is the reasoning behind that claim...

Thanks for your replies..
If you have pronoun..

Every pronoun should have a unique antecedent as a noun or another pronoun.. Here pronoun" them" may point to both "Executives" and "board". But as its placement is near to executives and doesnt distort the meaning

If its placement could be near the board, it could distort the meaning.

"Them" in this case is correct/unambiguous

In this case , "The Board" is a collective noun and hence there is no chance for "them" to refer "The Board"
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1