OG 13 : Q 37

[sinsofgmat]

Dressed as a man and using the name Robert Shurtleff, Deborah Sampson, the first woman to draw a soldier’s pension, joined the Continental Army in 1782 at the age of 22, was injured three times, and was discharged in 1783 because she had become too ill to serve.

A. 22, was injured three times, and was discharged in 1783 because she had become
B. 22, was injured three times, while being discharged in 1783 because she had become
C. 22, and was injured three times, and discharged in 1783, being
D. 22, injured three times, and was discharged in 1783 because she was
E. 22, having been injured three times and discharged in 1783, being

No problem with the underlined part of the sentence.

My question is on the opening modifier.

Dressed as a man and using the name Robert Shurtleff

How come a verb-ed modifier parallel to verb-ing modifier.

[GMATGuruNY]

My question is on the opening modifier.

Dressed as a man and using the name Robert Shurtleff

How come a verb-ed modifier parallel to verb-ing modifier.

Dressed as a man and using the name Robert Shurtleff, Deborah Sampson joined the Continental Army in 1782.
Here, dressed and using both serve as ADJECTIVES modifying Deborah Sampson, the subject of the following clause.
Thus, the two modifiers are parallel.

One modifier is VERBed, while there other is VERBing, in order to convey the intended meaning.
An introductory VERBed modifier implies an action completed BEFORE the main verb.
An introductory VERBing modifier implies an action taking place AT THE SAME TIME as the main verb.
Here:
dressed correctly implies that Deborah Sampson put on the clothes of a man BEFORE she stood in line to join the army.
using correctly implies that Deborah Sampson was using the same Robert Shurtleff WHEN she stood in line to join the army.
If the first modifier were dressing, the implication would be that Deborah Sampson was putting on the clothes of a man WHILE she stood in line to join the army -- not the intended meaning.