Sentence Correction

Source Knewton-Prep

Theoretically, water could remain in liquid form indefinitely in extremely low-energy environments, prevented from evaporating its molecules as a result of an insufficient level of kinetic energy present in the molecules on the liquid's surface.


(A) prevented from evaporating its molecules as a result of

(B) prevented from having its molecules evaporated by

(C) its molecules prevented from evaporating by

(D) its molecules prevented from being evaporated as a result of

(E) preventing its molecules from evaporating by

Answer is E.

For me, the option E conveys the same meaning as in the main sentence, that too in less words. D also has the same meaning, but its too wordy. GMAT always prefers correct sentence with less words. Hence the best option.

Theoretically, water could remain in liquid form indefinitely in extremely low-energy environments, prevented from evaporating its molecules as a result of an insufficient level of kinetic energy present in the molecules on the liquid's surface.


(A) prevented from evaporating its molecules as a result of

(B) prevented from having its molecules evaporated by

(C) its molecules prevented from evaporating by

(D) its molecules prevented from being evaporated as a result of

(E) preventing its molecules from evaporating by

I also picked E but its not the ans...sorry guys

IMO D..

atulmangal wrote:I also picked E but its not the ans...sorry guys

second best choice for me would have been option D but in that I am confused on the "its" usage

D?

This actually looks to be a good question. Explanations after the answer is confirmed.

hi guys
here i tend to disagree and vote for C
perhaps i am deadly wrong

any expert who can clarify what should be the answer and why!

irock wrote:any expert who can clarify what should be the answer and why!

It wouldn't hurt to ask K newton what they had in mind for this, but C is the least worst of the answer choices presented. My main problem with the original sentence is that water does not actively evaporate its own molecules - the molecules can evaporate, or be evaporate (or be prevented from evporating), but water does not evaporate its own molecules - implies that water has some intent or choice in the matter.

E is a good choice, but Is eliminated by the poor fit with the remainder of the clause: "by an insufficient level" implies the passive tense "prevented by", not actively "preventing by".

B and D are inferior choices to C because of the redundant and awkward "having" and being". Also, water cannot logically be prevented (B).

OA is C guys...

Well Op E looks really tempting.

@Geva, m surprised to see your reply:

water does not actively evaporate its own molecules - the molecules can evaporate, or be evaporate (or be prevented from evporating), but water does not evaporate its own molecules - implies that water has some intent or choice in the matter.

This is exactly the reason why Op E is wrong here....because modifier Preventing is modifying the whole preceding clause...that means Op E will be read as

water preventing its molecules from evaporating by....logically incorrect as u stated above..

With Op C there is no such problem....what's wrong u find in Op C (as u said least worst Op) ??

Also i believe, Op A and Op B are wrong because

Comma + Past participle modify the preceding noun, here its "low-energy environments"...and that's incorrect

I am just curious. If I add in another option, say F.

C - its molecules prevented from evaporating by
F - its molecules prevented from evaporating as a result of

Which of the two would be better and why? My focus is on meaning here. Is there a subtle difference in the two sentences semantically? Or do they absolutely convey the same meaning?

Thought to share the given official explanation:

The original sentence incorrectly uses the verb evaporating, which cannot take a direct object; a subject, here water, can evaporate, but a subject cannot evaporate something else. In the original version of this sentence, evaporating its molecules is not a grammatical use of evaporating.

Additionally, as a result of is an adverbial phrase that does not grammatically describe a verb within the sentence. Prevented... as a result of is not an acceptable construction.

Choice C fixes these errors without introducing new ones. The subject water is prevented from evaporating, and evaporating does not incorrectly take an object. The preposition by grammatically corresponds with the verb prevented. The water is prevented from evaporating... by an insufficient level... The pronoun its clearly refers to water.

Choice D retains the ungrammatical as a result of. The use of being is awkward.

Choice E is illogical; the water is not actively preventing its molecules...

The correct answer choice is C.

whats ungrammatical about

as a result of