The spectacular disintegration of a comet last year in full

[RonPurewal]

The spectacular disintegration of a comet last year in full view of ground- and space-based telescopes provided new insights.

I eliminated A because the above sentence seems to say that 'spectacular disintegration of comet blah blah and space based telescopes provided new insights'.It sounds as if disintegration of a comet and space based telescopes.
Can any1 plz tell why this isnt so?

Thanks,
Shreeraj

if you look at the surrounding context, it will become clear that "in full view of ground- and space-based telescopes" is a single modifier -- in view of both of those things.

if you try to process the sentence in the way you've written here, you wind up with "in full view of ground-" (including the hyphen!) as a separate modifier; it should be clear that such a construction is unworkable.

[shreerajp99]

Thanks Ron!

[tim]

:)

[RB]

The spectacular disintegration of a comet last year in full view of ground- and space-based telescopes provided
new insights into how comets form and may thus force a rethinking of the role of comets in the delivery of
organic compounds to the evolving Earth.

Still dont get it how is it possible to have these two in parallel.

"may thus have forced" is a better parallel to "provided"...

[tim]

not at all. there is nothing about your example that is "more" parallel than the other option. both put a verb parallel to a verb. end of story. if you're looking any further, you are going to get a LOT of these wrong..

[aditya8062]

Good day Ron
i have a question regarding option A and E
Ron you have written that in option E ,the prepositional phrase "in full view ground ans space based telescope" is acting like an adverbial modifier and hence is wrong

my doubt is why the same prepositional modifier in A is not acting as an adverbial modifier .in other words what role is the prepositional modifier playing in option A?

thanks and regards

[RonPurewal]

When a sentence opens with "In xxxx", followed by a comma, that modifier describes the entire action of the sentence.

In my house, children wear respectable clothes.
--> This is a general statement about the dress code at my house: If children are there, they dress respectably.
It's not a statement about any child(ren) that are actually at my house right now.

If "in xxxx" follows a noun, without a comma, then it describes the noun.
The children in my house wear respectable clothes.
--> There are children in my house right now; this sentence describes their sartorial habits. (This sentence implies nothing about what generally happens in my house.)

[uddipan.d]

Hi RON

In the below GMAT PREP question , The OA is option D.

In option D, "among these the threat... " is a prepositional modifier.As you explained "When a prepositional phrase modifier is set off by comma(s), it is adverbial (modifying the entire clause to which it is attached).."
However in the below question "among these the threat... " is modifying the challenges and not the entire preceding clause.


Can you please explain what I am missing ?


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. including among them the threat from a rival’s multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the declining sales for
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


Thanks

[RonPurewal]

that kind of modifier isn't just "prep + noun". it's "among them + noun".
this is a completely different kind of modifier, which is impossible to use without the comma.

[RonPurewal]

also, please don't cross-post; that problem is already discussed at length on this forum.
if you want to post on the proper thread and then cross-reference that discussion with a link, then go ahead. (that would actually be quite helpful.)

[subhojyoti.it]

Hi Ron

During my gmatprep my method of POE was like :

B and D out because of "thus possibly forcing"

C is out because of "it"

Now, between A and C , i saw the A has simple past with "last year" and E has "past perfect " with last year
from my previous knowledge i thought E is thus wrong.

Please let me know whether my thought process was correct

[RonPurewal]

largely accurate.
you're naming tenses incorrectly -- "has ___ed" is the present perfect, not the past perfect -- but, as i'm so fond of pointing out, that doesn't really matter. (i had to look up the names myself just now, in fact.)

[RonPurewal]

there are plenty of other things wrong, though, too. for instance, think carefully about the meaning conveyed in each version of the sentence.
e.g., E says that, "in full view of ground- and space-based telescopes, the disintegration ... has provided new insights". eh? you can watch something "provide insights" with a telescope? i think not. (:

...and, right here, there's a whole thread full of other things.

don't forget -- when you REVIEW a problem, the point is to find things you didn't see the first time. if your "review" is nothing but a reprise of your original thought process, then it doesn't serve any real purpose.

[ScottD643]

Greetings Whit (and company)!

Thank you for all the responses over the past year.

With respect to the use of the Present Perfect in answer (E):

“Last year, __________ the spectacular disintegration of a comet has provided new insights…..”

Since the opening modifier (‘last year’) is essentially setting the context of the rest of the sentence, placing it in the perspective of one finished time period, the present perfect tense just doesn’t make sense.

Wouldn’t version (E) be similar to the following sentence:

“in 1810, Mexico has achieved independence.”

…..a sentence that seems flagrantly incorrect.

The post seems to meander back and forth throughout the years. At one point, I believe a post is entered detailing how the Present Perfect could be correct in certain circumstances in (E).

However, are there any circumstances under which we could use the Present Perfect Tense when a “defined, finished time period” is mentioned?

After reading all the explanations regarding version (E), I just want to make sure that I am not making the issue easier than it actually is.

After I saw “Last year” + (comma) and understood the context of the sentence, I just didn’t see how the Present Perfect could be correct under any interpretation.

I suppose rather than posing a direct question, I am searching for clarification: have I analyzed version E incorrectly?

Thank you for all your help,

Scott

[Whit Garner]

Greetings Whit (and company)!

Thank you for all the responses over the past year.

With respect to the use of the Present Perfect in answer (E):

“Last year, __________ the spectacular disintegration of a comet has provided new insights…..”

Since the opening modifier (‘last year’) is essentially setting the context of the rest of the sentence, placing it in the perspective of one finished time period, the present perfect tense just doesn’t make sense.

.........

However, are there any circumstances under which we could use the Present Perfect Tense when a “defined, finished time period” is mentioned?

Hi ScottD643!

You're more than welcome for the help - that's what we're here for! And I didn't pour over the previous posts with a fine-tooth, but I'll say that you're right - the use of present perfect doesn't make sense. That said, we CAN use present perfect when a “defined, finished time period” is mentioned. It might be easier to think about when the action is happening relative to the finished time period. For example:

Since last year, the spectacular disintegration has provided new insights.

The present perfect is correct here... why? Because the action (has provided) is happening in the time period SINCE last year (a time period that we are currently sitting in). That's a part of my litmus test for whether present perfect could be used.

1) Is it intended to show recency (the sentence says things like recently, since, etc)?
2) Are we still sitting in the time period mentioned (today, this week, this year...)?
3) Is it trying to say that I've done something ever and it (or its effects) are still true?

Example of 1: Since last year, the spectacular disintegration has provided new insights.

Example of 2: We have worked every day this week.

Example of 3: I have eaten sushi. (implying that it is something I have done at some point in my life, so it is now just generally true).

Hope this helps!

Whit