Declining values for farm equipment and land, the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is going to force many lenders to tighten or deny credit this spring.
(A) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is
(B) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, is
(C) the collateral which is borrowed against by farmers to get through the harvest season, is
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, are
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are
Problem from Modifiers : Confused bwt D and E please explain
Declining values for farm equipment SC 1000 Q 234
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position of "against" - in D it modifies illogically 'borrow' while in E correctly "collateral" - IMO ESmarpanGamt wrote:Declining values for farm equipment and land, the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is going to force many lenders to tighten or deny credit this spring.
(A) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is
(B) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, is
(C) the collateral which is borrowed against by farmers to get through the harvest season, is
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, are
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are
Problem from Modifiers : Confused bwt D and E please explain
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Check this post: https://www.beatthegmat.com/og-10th-edit ... html#48131SmarpanGamt wrote:Confused bwt D and E please explain
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A preposition should be as close as possible to the noun that it's modifying:SmarpanGamt wrote:Declining values for farm equipment and land, the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is going to force many lenders to tighten or deny credit this spring.
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, are
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are
Problem from Modifiers : Confused bwt D and E please explain
Wrong: This is the table I placed the book on.
I placed the book on the table, so the preposition on and the noun table should be closer.
Correct: This is the table on which I placed the book.
The pronoun which is standing in for the table, so on which = on the table.
Using this reasoning, we can see in the SC above that answer choice E is better than answer choice D:
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against
The farmers borrow against the collateral, so the preposition against and the noun collateral should be closer.
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season
The pronoun which is standing in for the collateral, so against which = against the collateral.
Since (E) places the preposition against closer to the noun that it's modifying (the collateral), answer choice E is correct.
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GMATGuruNY wrote:A preposition should be as close as possible to the noun that it's modifying:SmarpanGamt wrote:Declining values for farm equipment and land, the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is going to force many lenders to tighten or deny credit this spring.
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, are
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are
Problem from Modifiers : Confused bwt D and E please explain
Wrong: This is the table I placed the book on.
I placed the book on the table, so the preposition on and the noun table should be closer.
Correct: This is the table on which I placed the book.
The pronoun which is standing in for the table, so on which = on the table.
Using this reasoning, we can see in the SC above that answer choice E is better than answer choice D:
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against
The farmers borrow against the collateral, so the preposition against and the noun collateral should be closer.
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season
The pronoun which is standing in for the collateral, so against which = against the collateral.
Since (E) places the preposition against closer to the noun that it's modifying (the collateral), answer choice E is correct.
Thank you Mitch. Very Helpful explaination
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Declining values for farm equipment and land, the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is going to force many lenders to tighten or deny credit this spring.
(A) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is ---->should be are ( values is plural )
(B) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, is ---->should be are ( values is plural )
(C) the collateral which is borrowed against by farmers to get through the harvest season, is ---->should be are ( values is plural )
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, are --> i am thinking that which is modifying the whole phrase "declining values for farm equipment and land......" thats wrong......
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are --> cream of the crap..
(A) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is ---->should be are ( values is plural )
(B) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, is ---->should be are ( values is plural )
(C) the collateral which is borrowed against by farmers to get through the harvest season, is ---->should be are ( values is plural )
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, are --> i am thinking that which is modifying the whole phrase "declining values for farm equipment and land......" thats wrong......
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are --> cream of the crap..
Thanks for the preposition tip, Mitch.
I have a question about what is being modified...
To me, E sounds like 'declining values for farm equipment and land' are the collateral, but isn't that nonsensical, as how can declining values be used as collateral?
Hence why I went for D, as i thought the 'which' restricts the phrase to the preceding nouns 'farm and land'.
Where am I going wrong?
I have a question about what is being modified...
To me, E sounds like 'declining values for farm equipment and land' are the collateral, but isn't that nonsensical, as how can declining values be used as collateral?
Hence why I went for D, as i thought the 'which' restricts the phrase to the preceding nouns 'farm and land'.
Where am I going wrong?
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GMATGuruNY wrote:A preposition should be as close as possible to the noun that it's modifying:SmarpanGamt wrote:Declining values for farm equipment and land, the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is going to force many lenders to tighten or deny credit this spring.
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, are
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are
Problem from Modifiers : Confused bwt D and E please explain
Wrong: This is the table I placed the book on.
I placed the book on the table, so the preposition on and the noun table should be closer.
Correct: This is the table on which I placed the book.
The pronoun which is standing in for the table, so on which = on the table.
Using this reasoning, we can see in the SC above that answer choice E is better than answer choice D:
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against
The farmers borrow against the collateral, so the preposition against and the noun collateral should be closer.
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season
The pronoun which is standing in for the collateral, so against which = against the collateral.
Since (E) places the preposition against closer to the noun that it's modifying (the collateral), answer choice E is correct.
But Mitch , isn't the meaning conveyed by E nonsensical ?
E seems to say say that the equipment and land are the collateral . This seems to mean that the primary role played by equipment and land is that of a collateral. Equipment and land are something that a farmer uses to cultivate crops.
However they could be used by farmers as collateral in case they need to borrow money.
D says that equipment and land could be used as a collateral.
You also said that the preposition needs to be close to the noun that it modifies
But this does not apply in the following sentence
On the couch,the cat took a nap.
The opening phrase modifies the cat
The preposition is placed away from the noun ie:the cat
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Both D and E include which. In each answer choice, which refers to farm equipment and land, the closest preceding nouns. There is no grammatical or semantic reason to think that which would refer to declining values.StuartM wrote:Thanks for the preposition tip, Mitch.
I have a question about what is being modified...
To me, E sounds like 'declining values for farm equipment and land' are the collateral, but isn't that nonsensical, as how can declining values be used as collateral?
Hence why I went for D, as i thought the 'which' restricts the phrase to the preceding nouns 'farm and land'.
Where am I going wrong?
E does not say or imply that the PRIMARY purpose of the farm equipment and land is to serve as collateral.But Mitch , isn't the meaning conveyed by E nonsensical ?
E seems to say say that the equipment and land are the collateral . This seems to mean that the primary role played by equipment and land is that of a collateral. Equipment and land are something that a farmer uses to cultivate crops.
However they could be used by farmers as collateral in case they need to borrow money.
D says that equipment and land could be used as a collateral.
Let me clarify. Here is the issue in D:You also said that the preposition needs to be close to the noun that it modifies
But this does not apply in the following sentence
On the couch,the cat took a nap.
The opening phrase modifies the cat
The preposition is placed away from the noun ie:the cat
The object of a preposition should directly follow the preposition.
Wrong: This is the couch that the cat took a nap on. (The preposition on is not followed by its object, the couch).
Correct: The cat took a nap on this couch. (The preposition on is followed directly by its object, the couch).
In D, the preposition against is not followed by its object, which. Thus, we should eliminate D and choose E.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Sun Aug 21, 2011 4:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Thanks for clarifying the point that prepositions must be followed by the object of the preposition .
Mitch i wonder why many books considered authorities on GMAT SC fail to mention this so very important point .
Thanks
However i am still unclear about the meaning that E conveys .
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are
Doesnt the appositive "the collateral ... " here serve as a definition of land ?
Mitch i wonder why many books considered authorities on GMAT SC fail to mention this so very important point .
Thanks
However i am still unclear about the meaning that E conveys .
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are
Doesnt the appositive "the collateral ... " here serve as a definition of land ?
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An appositive explains or identifies the noun to which it refers. An appositive does not necessarily offer the sole defining aspect of the noun to which it refers.mundasingh123 wrote:Thanks for clarifying the point that prepositions must be followed by the object of the preposition .
Mitch i wonder why many books considered authorities on GMAT SC fail to mention this so very important point .
Thanks
However i am still unclear about the meaning that E conveys .
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are
Doesnt the appositive "the collateral ... " here serve as a definition of land ?
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