At the annual stockholders meeting

[joehurundas]

At the annual stockholders meeting, investors heard a presentation on the numerous challenges facing the company, including among them the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the declining sales for the company's powerful microprocessor chip.

(A)....
(B) which includes the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and declining sales of
(C) included among these the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit as well as a decline in sales for
(D) among them the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the decline in sales of
(E) among these the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit as well as the decline in sales for


Baring in mind the error in "sales for" in option E, I still want to know whether the use of "among these the threat..." constitutes an error as well as opposed to "among them the threat..." in D.

Appreciate your kind response.

[mschwrtz]

One could argue that "these" is incorrect here. In this context, "these" is a demonstrative pronoun (it can be an adjective in other contexts). When used as a demonstrative pronoun, "these" should refer to something nearby in time or space. It doesn't seem to do that here.

Offhand, I can't think of an actual GMAT question where precisely this error was dispositive.

[susmod]

OK, I am confused. Isn't D a fragment?among creates a clause and not a modifier, correct? So, where is the main verb?

[RonPurewal]

OK, I am confused. Isn't D a fragment?among creates a clause and not a modifier, correct? So, where is the main verb?

the main clause is "investors heard a presentation on the numerous challenges facing the company".
the underlined part modifies "the numerous challenges facing the company".

[pushkalk]

Hi Ron/Mike,

D>At the annual stockholders meeting, investors heard a presentation on the numerous challenges facing the company, among them the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the decline in sales of the company's powerful microprocessor chip.

In D; is "Among" is a preposition introducing a modifier ?

Is the underlined portion part of a dependent clause starting after a comma ? If yes can a dependent clause start with a preposition ?

I am aware that a dependent clause should be connected to an independent clause by
1>a "comma + coordinating conjunction"
2>a subordinator. (despite,although etc)

[RonPurewal]

Hi Ron/Mike,

D>At the annual stockholders meeting, investors heard a presentation on the numerous challenges facing the company, among them the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the decline in sales of the company's powerful microprocessor chip.

In D; is "Among" is a preposition introducing a modifier ?

in this case, i don't know the formal grammatical breakdown, but "among them" acts a lot like a preposition. in fact, it is completely replaceable by "including".

[liu1993918]

I am not sure whether this structure is right: among them the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit as well as the decline in sales of the company's powerful microprocessor chip.

Or can we use include A as well as B?

[RonPurewal]

I am not sure whether this structure is right: among them the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit as well as the decline in sales of the company's powerful microprocessor chip.

rhetorically, this one is a bit different: it places differential emphasis on the two things mentioned. "and", on the other hand, puts them on the same level.

this exam doesn't test rhetoric, though, so "it's fine" is a complete answer.

[RonPurewal]

Or can we use include A as well as B?

again, there are rhetorical differences, but theoretically yes.