Pronoun Referent Problem

[mlsbbe]

I am having problems with pronoun referent in this question.

The use of lie detectors is based on the assumption that lying produces emotional reactions in an individual that, in turn, create unconscious physiological responses.

a. same
b. that creates unconscious physiological responses in turn
c. creating, in turn, unconscious physiological responses
d. to create, in turn, physiological responses that are unconscious
e. who creates unconscious physiological responses in turn

The answer is (A). However, I have a problem with the pronoun referent in this question. Here "that" refers to the plural noun "reactions". But "that" is supposed to refer to the nearest available pronoun, in this case, the noun "individual".

Answer (B) has a subject-verb agreement problem, (D) distorts the meaning, (E) uses the wrong relative pronoun.

[adi_800]

Thanks for posting the q n i would like to comment...
I think we all are so much behind d manhattan guide that we have made below statements as 'RULES'...
1. which should refer to the nearest preceding noun iin the previous clause.
2. that should refer to the nearest preceding noun.

BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE ALWAYS...

I remembered bob once said do not blindly follow manhattan...
The above two points are valid but there are exceptions...
wen we have those exceptions...
when the meaning of the sentence you interpret by assuming above two statements as rules is not the same as what author really intended...

lets say that refers to individual (which can not be the case as meaning is incorrect n that can not refer to the person)
but suppose...
then what the sentence says..
lying procedure creates reactions in an individual that create responses...
if that refers to individual, then the sentence says that individual creates responses and this is not what author intended. The author's intention can be clear from the original sentence....

So that refers to the reactions and reactions create responses..
So A is perfectly fine...

[mlsbbe]

thanks for answering my question, but how would you know it would be clear from the sentence? This kind of thing is very subjective isn't it? There are no rules to follow, only your common sense. I don't believe this is a fair! What if the GMAT guys created exactly the same question, but say that answer (A) is wrong? They can be right as well, and you can't argue with them! No matter what you put as your answer, you can be wrong, because the GMAT guys can change the rules of grammar every time they make a question, and that's just unfair!

[adi_800]

It would be clear frm the intended meaning...
N this happens bcoz English being a language that has exceptions all the time

[Naimish Patel]

i think we face this problem only when there is preposition.

[mlsbbe]

Yes, but whether or not its clear, it really depends on the person! How would you know that the "individual" really didn't create the response? What if this was a more complicated situation?

Anyways, I believe the GMAT guys are as sly as hell. They changed from paper test to computer test, so nobody can take the questions out of the exam room and sue them if there are problems with the test!

[shaanrizvi]

IMO, the answer should be A!

[adi_800]

jst adding one more example that shows that may nt refer to the immediate preceding noun...

The widely accepted big bang theory holds that the
universe began in an explosive instant ten to twenty
billion years ago and has been expanding ever since.
(C) that the beginning of the universe was an
explosive instant ten to twenty billion years ago
that has expanded

For C OG says
C) The relative clause that has expanded
describes instant, which makes no sense.

[aras82]

Guys, I have a different issue with this item.

I agree that 'that' does not always refer back to immediate previous noun.

But here my question is regarding A and C?

Why C is incorrect?

C says: The use of lie detectors is based on the assumption that lying produces emotional reactions in an individual creating, in turn, unconscious physiological responses.

Here creating, in turn, unconscious physiological responses is a present participle clause without comma which correctly modifies immediately preceding noun or noun phrase, which in this case is emotional reactions in an individual.

So why C is incorrect?

OG explanation: This construction is less successful at clarifying the chain of events because creating seems to refer back to lying; if used as a participial, creating would have to be preceded by a comma.
My questions: 1. how come creating seems to refer back to lying?
2. On the contarary, If preceded by a comma, then creating would refer back to lying.

This explanation is giving me jitters. Any guru please comment and clarify the doubt.

[arindambanerji]

In C it means that the individual is creating the unconcious physiological responses

where as it is the "emotional reactions in an individual" that is creating the unconcious physiological responses


also i think in A "that" is not modifying "individual" but rather the phrase "emotional reactions in an individual"