Kaplan Workbook Practice Set - 1

[codesnooker]

Although it is conceivable that certain electronic devices implanted in the brain may someday correct blindness caused by nerve damage, there is now no clear evidence of their ability to do it.

A) of their ability to do it.
B) of their doing that
C) that they can do so
D) that they might one day be able to do it
E) to do so

OA C

[senthil]

C is the answer ?

[codesnooker]

C is the answer ?

Yes.

Reasons?

[amitansu]

Parallelism : conceivable that....no clear evdence that
short and retaining meaning of sentense.


Amit

[codesnooker]

Parallelism : conceivable that....no clear evdence that
short and retaining meaning of sentense.


Amit

I am not convinced with your answer. (C) should be correct according to the book but I feel it has pronoun reference problem.

"They" refer to which noun?
1) Certain electronic devices
2) Brain
3) Nerve

According to me it should be something like this:

Although it is conceivable that certain electronic devices implanted in the brain may someday correct blindness caused by nerve damage, there is now no clear evidence that these electronic devices can do so.

I think the above sentence is more clear and removes the ambiguity. I am applying the POSSESSIVE PRONOUN rule over here.

Comment please....

[amitansu]

Yes, it does have a pronoun ref. problem
In place of they there could have been "these electronic devices"

I chose the best possible available here though not absolute correct one !!
But parallel comparision is also existing though that is not the main trouble area of this sentense.

Amit

[codesnooker]

Yes, it does have a pronoun ref. problem
In place of they there could have been "these electronic devices"

Amit

LOL

I marked it as incorrect choice on seeing the pronoun reference problem (I was going topic wise, first looking for 3Cs, then SVA and so on). I chose (E) as the correct answer after doing POE but Kaplan clearly stated the problem with statement (E) on which I am agree with Kaplan.

We need some expert's comment to clearly know about this problem.

Hello Experts!!! comment please....

[Stuart@KaplanGMAT]

"They" is a plural pronoun. Accordingly, it can only refer to plural nouns.

The only plur noun in the sentence is "devices". Therefore, "they" clearly refers to the devices and there's absolutely no ambiguity.

[codesnooker]

Thanks Stuart for clearing the concept. You had cleared lot of concepts/doubts of mine for the Quant section, hope I (and also others too) will be getting the same help for this section.