mohish wrote:The sentence below is #26 in OG Verbal Review:

The Baldrick Manufacturing Company has for several years followed a policy aimed at decreasing operating costs and improving the efficiency of its distribution system.
(A) aimed at decreasing operating costs and improving
(B) aimed at the decreasing of operating costs and to improve
(C) aiming at the decreasing of operating costs and improving
(D) the aim of which is the decreasing of operating costs and improving
(E) with the aim to decrease operating costs and to improve

The OE for C says: Using 'the' before 'decreasing' creates a gerund, which is not parallel to the participle 'improving'.

I can bet this explanation is not correct. 'decreasing' and 'improving', as used in the original sentence, are Gerunds. Experts, please help.

Verbal NOUN:

Gerund has another form also, "verbal NOUN", which is formed by adding "the" before "verbing" and "of after "verbing".
Example:

The reading of history is my favorite hobby.

Gerund: Verbing is gerund if the "verbing" works in any one of the following way:
1. Subject of a verb
2. Object of a verb
3. Object of a preposition.
==> Meaning "GERUND" can work as NOUN. All the three activities can be done by a NOUN. In the original sentence "decreasing" and "improving" are working as participle NOT as gerund.

A lesson:

Don't question the official explanation. It will harm your learning. You should ask "Why this is correct in OG?" You should NOT ask "Why it is wrong in OG?" Say for example, something has been explained in OG, but you failed to grasp the explanation. You should NOT say that the official explanation is wrong. You should say "WHY IS IT SO?" "HOW IT IS?"

OG and the test writers:

They are the creator of the game. They give marks. They will give marks if and only if you comply with the rules made by them. So, it is foolish to doubt on the explanation. If something is there in the official explanation, it correct. Learn from this.

You will say, "Yes, I learned that This can also be correct because OG says this"

Thanks.

gmat_perfect wrote:
Gerund: Verbing is gerund if the "verbing" works in any one of the following way:
1. Subject of a verb
2. Object of a verb
3. Object of a preposition.
==> Meaning "GERUND" can work as NOUN. All the three activities can be done by a NOUN. In the original sentence "decreasing" and "improving" are working as participle NOT as gerund.

I am sorry, you are wrong on multiple accounts.

You say: "GERUND" can work as NOUN.

Correction: Actually Gerunds ALWAYS work as noun.

You say: Verbing is gerund if the "verbing" works in any one of the following way: Object of a preposition.

Correction: Thats exactly what the original sentence is. "aimed at decreasing". "at" is a preoposition and "decreasing" is the object of preposition. Hence, "improving" is a Gerund.

Request experts to please reply.

I think you should work on your attitude.

I sincerely apologize. Will be more careful in my choice of words the next time.

The OE for C says: Using 'the' before 'decreasing' creates a gerund, which is not parallel to the participle 'improving'.

I can bet this explanation is not correct. 'decreasing' and 'improving', as used in the original sentence, are Gerunds. Experts, please help.

Please clarify your question. Are you saying that you disagree with the OG that participles in A aren't participles, but rather gerunds?

The Baldrick Manufacturing Company has for several years followed a policy aimed at decreasing operating costs and improving the efficiency of its distribution system.
(A) aimed at decreasing operating costs and improving
(B) aimed at the decreasing of operating costs and to improve
(C) aiming at the decreasing of operating costs and improving
(D) the aim of which is the decreasing of operating costs and improving
(E) with the aim to decrease operating costs and to improve

Also with C, participles aiming and improving aren't suppose to be parallel, because they are not both modifying "policy." But with the way C is constructed, they do become parallel and "improving" is incorrectly modifying policy.

With A, the construction is as follow:

"...a policy aimed at decreasing operating costs and improving the efficiency of its distribution system."

Parallel and grammatically correct.

'at the decreasing of...' is complex gerund phrase.

'improving..' is simple gerund phrase.

Note that simple gerund phrases is not always parallel to complex gerund phrase.

I also don't think it's necessary to be caught up on the grammar jargon. The goal is to choose the best answer, not to find what's wrong with the explanation.

selango wrote:'at the decreasing of...' is complex gerund phrase.

'improving..' is simple gerund phrase.

Note that simple gerund phrases is not always parallel to complex gerund phrase.

I would agree with that, but as I said, OE states: Using 'the' before 'decreasing' creates a gerund, which is not parallel to the participle 'improving'.

My contention is that improving, as used in this sentence, is not a participle at all. I think you also agree with this.

This is not about just the jargon. Since participles/gerunds are so critical to Sentence correction, this explanation took me completely by surprise.

Hold on..Leave all the grammatical jargon and look at the option.

aiming at the decreasing of costs and improving the efficiency.

Note that 'decreasing of costs' and 'improving the efficiency' are not parallel.

Instead 'decreasing costs and improving the efficiency' look parallel and concise.

For some reason entirely unknown to me, I have not been able to express my concern:)

I never said that the answer to this question is wrong. All I am saying is that OE for option C is wrong. Period.

I concur. Indeed, improving is a gerund here.

Why?
The Baldrick Manufacturing Company has for several years followed a policy aimed at improving the efficiency of its distribution system.

The underlined part is a noun phrase. improving is the gerund in the noun phrase.

We can construct a different sentence for clarity.
Improving the efficiency of its distribution system has been a focus area for the Baldrick Manufacturing Company for several years.

Another example:
Selling has been a focus area for the Baldrick Manufacturing Company for several years.

Clearly improving, like selling, is a gerund in the previous sentence.

Bottomline:
While the OA should never be questioned, the OE often sucks in OG. Take note and move on. Don't fret too much on it.

niksworth wrote: Bottomline:
While the OA should never be questioned, the OE often sucks in OG. Take note and move on. Don't fret too much on it.

Well, many many OEs just say: "awkward and wordy", which is the explanation I would put in the sucks category.

But this one is a step further:).