Lesson: Modifiers - Part III - "that" vs. "which"

Comment on Modifiers - Part III - "that" vs. "which"

Hello,
Why A is not right? I don't understand why A implies that is the portfolio that dropped.

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Because of the sharp increases in the price of gold and silver, the value of Monica Taylor's portfolio rose as her daughter-in-law's dropped.
A. as her daughter-in-law's dropped
B. while her daughter-in-law's has dropped
C. as there was a drop in her daughter-in-law's
D. while that of her daughter-in-law's dropped
E. as it dropped for her daughter-in-law's
gmat-admin's picture

The intent of the sentence is to say "...the VALUE of Monica's portfolio rose, and the VALUE of her daughter-in-law's portfolio dropped."

Answer choice A is ambiguous. It suggests that the VALUE of Monica's portfolio rose, and her daughter-in-law's PORTFOLIO dropped.
Even if we assume "daughter-in-law's" is referring to the word VALUE, we still have a problem, since this suggests the daughter-in-law's VALUE dropped.

Answer choice D eliminates ambiguity: ...while that (VALUE) of her daughter-in-law's (PORTFOLIO) dropped.

Does that help?

Hi Brent,
In below question I chose option B thinking 'Which' as a non-restrictive clause but GMATNinja has given an altogether different explanation. Can you please explain why option B wrong and option E is right?
https://gmatclub.com/forum/sixty-five-million-years-ago-according-to-some-scientists-an-asteroi-94658.html
gmat-admin's picture

Question link:
The key here is that any non-restrictive clause beginning with WHICH must immediately follow the noun it is modifying.

(B) Sixty-five million years ago, according to some scientists, an asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, which caused the plant and animal extinctions marking the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period.

In this sentence the non-restrictive clause "which caused the plant and animal extinctions" immediately follows the noun NORTH AMERICA.
Since it makes no sense that NORTH AMERICA caused the plant and animal extinctions, we can eliminate B.

(E) Sixty-five million years ago, according to some scientists, an asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, an event that caused the plant and animal extinctions that mark the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period.

In this sentence, it's clear that AN EVENT refers to the asteroid slamming into North America. It's also true that this EVENT caused the plant and animal extinctions, and it's also true that these extinctions mark the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period. Perfect all around!

Does that help?

Dear Brant,
Every time I think I understand the topic, I encounter a question which challenges me. And this is two of the choices are the gerund and the relative pronoun (which/that) that follows a main clause.

e.g.
.. only if the non‐OPEC nations, which include Norway, Mexico, and Russia,..

.. only if the non‐OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia,..

Can you explain which one to choose in this example? Sorry if you already explained it several times:)

Regards
Gulsen
gmat-admin's picture

Question link: https://gmatclub.com/forum/the-organization-of-petroleum-exporting-count...

This question doesn't concern the difference between "which include" and "including"

The correct answer here is:
(E) year only if non-OPEC nations, INCLUDING Norway, Mexico, and Russia, trim output.

However the answer would still be E if it were written as follows:
(E) year only if non-OPEC nations, WHICH INCLUDE Norway, Mexico, and Russia, trim output.

Instead, each incorrect answer choice has different issues.
For example, answer choices A and B have issues with the repeated BUT (among other issues)

Does that help?

Hi Brent, I have a question, why is the question here "United States Trade Deficit", not "United States' " (with apostrophe)?
Unlike "American", "United States" isn't an adjective, so it's not like it's modifying the noun "trade deficit".
Also, ppl have pointed out "conpared with" and compared "to" as another reason for error, does Gmat actually distinguish between these? Manhattan Prep seems to say no.
https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-contrast-to-the-ongoing-trade-imbalances-with-china-and-japan-the-83077.html
gmat-admin's picture

Q link: https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-contrast-to-the-ongoing-trade-imbalances-w...

IMO, this question serves as a perfect reason to remove SC from the GMAT.
Like you, I feel UNITED STATES behaves like a noun most of the time.
That said, we use terms like "The UNITED STATES Olympic team," which suggests UNITED STATES (without the apostrophe) could also function as a possessive adjective.
Bottom line: Although it's an official question, I don't like the way it treats UNITED STATES as a possessive.

GMAT Ninja makes a similar observation here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-contrast-to-the-ongoing-trade-imbalances-w...

I don't believe the GMAT tests "compared TO" versus compared WITH.

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