WHICH ...yet again

[mmslf75]

Hailed as a key discovery in the science of evolution, the fossils of a large scaly creature resembling both a fish and a land-animal provide evidence of a possible link in the evolutionary chain from water-based to land-based organisms.


A) the fossils of a large scaly creature resembling both a fish and a land-animal provide evidence of

B) the fossils of a large scaly creature, which resembles both a fish and a land-animal, provides evidence of

For the above mentioned question the answer is A. I understand why it is.
The answer could have been B had there been the verb "PROVIDE"..

Had there been the word PROVIDE, would B be the right choice then ??
Is it because "the fossils of... creature" is placed before "WHICH" can we deduce that B will be right.. ( I think so because the sentence states "X(fossils) of Y (large creature) , which ...... .." )
??

[gauravgundal]

No i don't think so the answer would have been right if it would have been the verb "provide "
Bcoz in that case the creature would have been resembled like fish and ..
But we want or it is required the fossils of .. creature should resemble and not the creature.


If I am wrong please correct me .

Thanks

[mmslf75]

But if you were to look and understand the logic of the sentence then dont u feel that, strictly on the basis of context "WHICH" would have referred to FOSSILS and not creature..

I mean is it a THUMB RULE that WHICH can refer only to the NOUNS preceding it..

This is an important concept but I fail to understand it...

pls help

[tom4lax]

This is completely off topic for this question, but how do the fossils represent a key discovery? Perhaps finding or digging up fossils, but not the fossils themselves?

Does anyone else agree with me or am I looking to closely at the sentence?

[Stacey Koprince]

Received a PM asking me to respond. Source here is MGMAT.

For what you typed, I think that would be okay if you fixed the sub/verb error. (Note to others: the choice labeled B above is actually choice D on the real problem.)

And the fossils themselves can represent a key discovery.

[mmslf75]

So that means, it will be tough to identify whether WHICH is referring to the Object of preposition or the subject...

Till date in OG atleast, we see examples wherein WHICH refers to nouns preceding it....

So dont u think its infact tough to get wat actually WHICH refers to..


Am I thinking much on this...I just dont know...

[Stacey Koprince]

mms, the rule is not as strict as "the immediately preceding noun ONLY." At the same time, that does not mean it is tough to identify what the noun is.

The noun modifier refers either to the immediately preceding noun or to the main noun in a "main noun + necessary descriptive prepositional phrase" set-up. When this happens, it's okay for the "which" modifier to refer to the main noun. Also, when this happens, the test-writers are pretty good about throwing another clue in, in the form of a verb that agrees with only one of the two nouns. See Ron's post here for more detail: https://www.beatthegmat.com/which-usage- ... tml#183919


Also, I'll add: in my last post, where I said B would be okay if you fixed the verb, you'd then also have to change "resembles" to "resembled" - past - and you'd have to assume that the "which" was referring to the creature, not the fossils.

This is why: first, we're saying something (either the creature or the fossils) resembled two other kinds of animal. So the comparison should be animal to animal - not fossil to animal. And then, if we're saying animal to animal - well the creature is just fossils now, so it doesn't resemble those animals now. It did in the past, so we need "resembled."

[mmslf75]

mms, the rule is not as strict as "the immediately preceding noun ONLY." At the same time, that does not mean it is tough to identify what the noun is.

The noun modifier refers either to the immediately preceding noun or to the main noun in a "main noun + necessary descriptive prepositional phrase" set-up. When this happens, it's okay for the "which" modifier to refer to the main noun. Also, when this happens, the test-writers are pretty good about throwing another clue in, in the form of a verb that agrees with only one of the two nouns. See Ron's post here for more detail: https://www.beatthegmat.com/which-usage- ... tml#183919


Also, I'll add: in my last post, where I said B would be okay if you fixed the verb, you'd then also have to change "resembles" to "resembled" - past - and you'd have to assume that the "which" was referring to the creature, not the fossils.

This is why: first, we're saying something (either the creature or the fossils) resembled two other kinds of animal. So the comparison should be animal to animal - not fossil to animal. And then, if we're saying animal to animal - well the creature is just fossils now, so it doesn't resemble those animals now. It did in the past, so we need "resembled."

Thanks stacey...