GMAT Sentence Correction: The growth of the railroads led to the abolition...

[Erin]

So that nobody gets confused, I've merged the two threads we had going on this question, since I've answered a bunch of stuff in each.

[aspiremba]

I happened to land on this thread and wow, am I fortunate enough!! Erin, your explanations helped a lot - never understood this sentence even after taking a prep course and delving on this question for hours. Thanks doesn't even express an aorta of my gratitude.

[karlfurt]

The growth of the railroads led to the abolition of local times, which was determined by when the sun reached the observer’s meridian and differing from city to city, and to the establishment of regional times.

(C) which were determined by when the sun reached the observer’s meridian and differing
If C were correct as written (which is possible grammatically), it would mean this:

The growth of the railroads led to the abolition of local times, which were determined by when the sun reached the observer’s meridian and which were differing from city to city, and to the establishment of regional times.

In other words, which were determined would be parallel with which were differing; or, if it were "reduced," determined and differing would be parallel.

I think you'll agree that the verb tense of which were differing is incorrect, so C is out.

Hello Erin,

I've read all your impressive explanations about this SC which is still puzzling me after 6 months study and already one attempt few months ago.
I've read this sentence so many times. The problem is that every time I try to answer, I choose C! I simply cannot figure out why C is wrong. The quote above is the ultimate explanation I found for dismissing C.

So you say that C can simply be dismissed because 'which were differing' uses a wrong verb tense. When I look this sentence, I don't see what is wrong in the tense. For example :
'the people were thinking'. I suppose this is a correct sentence which uses an intransitive verb, like 'differ'.

So can you please explain a little more this point which seems to be so obvious but to me!

Thanks

[bmwhype]

Hello Erin,

I've read all your impressive explanations about this SC which is still puzzling me after 6 months study and already one attempt few months ago.
I've read this sentence so many times. The problem is that every time I try to answer, I choose C! I simply cannot figure out why C is wrong. The quote above is the ultimate explanation I found for dismissing C.

So you say that C can simply be dismissed because 'which were differing' uses a wrong verb tense. When I look this sentence, I don't see what is wrong in the tense. For example :
'the people were thinking'. I suppose this is a correct sentence which uses an intransitive verb, like 'differ'.

So can you please explain a little more this point which seems to be so obvious but to me!

Thanks

it's very simple. which refers to the noun in the noun + of + object construction. the abolition was not determined by when the sun reached the observer's meridian. it was the local time that was "determined by when..."

[bmwhype]

GMAT Club :: View topic - Brutal SC 70

[mitzi]

I studied Erin's explanation this afternoon, and encountered a question that tests the same concept. It was 'aha-moment'

Thank you very much Erin and guys!
the question is SC1000 - 767 as follows.

1.The increased popularity and availability of televisions has led to the decline of regional dialects, language variations which originate from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated by geographic isolation.
(A) which originate from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated
(B) that originated from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated
(C) originated from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated
(D) originating from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated
(E) originating from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuating

Let me apply what I learned today.

without ellipsis the sentence was
language variations which were originated .... and which were penetrated by.....

-> compressed them into participial phrase.
language variations originating..... and penetrated.....

when why not 'penetrating?
language variations is not an agent of penetrating. it is receiving by graphic isolation.
so 'penetrated' is correct.

What do you think?

[micky2100]

Almost! You're right that we need a finite verb in here to make the elements parallel, but it's not determined and differed that are parallel; it's was determined and differed (they are both verbs/verb phrases).

in the above post erin has mentioned that was determined is a verb
but as we know be verb+participle is used in pasive voice and ws determined is also modifying times....as a result determined should be a participle in above context....

[samarpan_bschool]

Hi Mitzi

Is my explanation correct? Have i correctly made individual sentences from the question?

'Geographic isolations perpetuate language variations' ---> So 'perpetuate' modifies the object 'language variations'. So '-ed form' perpetuated

Language variations originate from various ethnic and cultural heritages' ----> So 'originate' modifies the subject 'language variations'. So '-ing form' originating


Thanks a ton!

[mitzi]

samarpan_bschool,

You are genious!!! It took me for a while to learn this, but you just got it..
Wow...

[samarpan_bschool]

Thanks mitzi. TM is an amazing forum because of amazing ppl like you

One more question TMians (am not supposed to post the question here, still i found some link to this thread)

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


Removing ellipsis, 'The Baldrick Manufacturing Company has for several years followed a policy which was aimed at decreasing operating costs'. Since aimed at modifies policy which is an object, we use '-ed form'. Hence it is reduced to 'aimed at'

Second part of the sentence, 'improving the efficiency of its distribution system' Here we cannot write 'which was aimed at improving the efficiency of its system', since 'its' does not refer to policy.

'Efficiency of the company's distribution system is improved by the policy'. Here 'improve' modifies distribution system which is the subject, we use '-ing form'. Hence 'improving'.

By this logic, i find A as the correct answer.

Any thoughts?

Thanks a ton in advance...