Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as

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Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and as a result, emitted dazzling radiation.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Verb Forms + Awkwardness/Redundancy

A: This answer choice fails to form a complete sentence; as "exploding" and "emitting" are noun modifiers, there is no active verb to act upon the subject noun "star".

B: Correct. This answer choice acts upon the independent noun "star" with the active verb "exploded" to form a complete thought, leading to a complete sentence. Further, Option B uses the phrase "emitting dazzling radiation", conveying the intended meaning - that astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and as a result, emitted dazzling radiation; please remember, the introduction of the present participle ("verb+ing" - "emitting" in this sentence) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship. Additionally, Option B is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.

C: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "and that it emitted"; the use of "and" incorrectly implies that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and as a separate action, emitted dazzling radiation; the intended meaning is that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and as a result, emitted dazzling radiation. Further Option C uses the needlessly wordy phrase "of a star that was as bright as the full moon", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.

D: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "exploding into view 340,000 years ago and emitting"; the use of the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "exploding" and "emitting" in this sentence)" construction illogically suggests that astronomers have uncovered evidence of a star that is currently as bright as the full moon, and as a result, the astronomers exploded into view 340,000 years ago and emitted dazzling radiation; the intended meaning is that astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and as a result, emitted dazzling radiation; please remember, the introduction of the present participle ("verb+ing" - "exploding" and "emitting" in this sentence) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship.

E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "and that emitted"; the use of "and" incorrectly implies that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and as a separate action, emitted dazzling radiation; the intended meaning is that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and as a result, emitted dazzling radiation.

Hence, B is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Comma + Present Participles for Cause-Effect Relationships" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~3 minutes):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

E.
Because I need a parallelism btw "sunburned" and "emitted".
I think "sunburned" can not parallel with "emitting" in A, B, D, so all of these out
C confusal "it"

To start with I am assuming it is the star that exploded , not the moon.
So, 'that' in E is modifying moon.(and incorrectly saying that moon exploded)
Same problem with A.
In C, no clear referrent for 'it'. (moon or star?)
In D, Astronomers have uncovered evidence of X, exploding...(you see something wrong here.Did Astronmers exploded?)

B clearly says, Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star(as bright as full moon) exploded...,emitting...
Clearly star exploded, and star is emitting.

Answer B :

1) Correct Idiom :- evidence that

2) You have only two choices left now A, B . In A using exploding was a verb error. It should have been exploded

The error which I can identify is “exploding” which modified “full moon” and there is no verb there.

So on the basis of that, I have eliminated Options A) , C) . Option D) has comma + verbing modifier so should either present “How” or results – both are not applicable from context.

Now in Option E) I have a doubt what “that” modifies.

I guess “that” modified star and not full moon as “as bright as the full moon” modifies the star and as per the article noun-modifiers-can-modify-slightly-far-away-noun-135868.html, it should modify the star.

In that case, the Option E) looks ok. Can you please clarify?

Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340.000 years ago, emitting dazzling radiation that could have disrupted Earth's protective ozone layer and sunburned our Stone Age ancestors.


First of all lets understand the role of that in a sentence , That plays two function in a sentence
1. that is used to join two clauses ( Subject+ working verb...) i.e. that simply works as connector and nothing else
for example - Astronomers have found an evidence that earth is blue in color
Subject + working verb .... that..subject+ working verb...
here that is used to join two clauses
2.second role of that - that is used to modify the preceding noun , i.e. gives additional information about the preceding noun . Here that play the role of the subject

for example , Astronomers use telescope that is highly complicated.
in this clause "that is highly complicated" modifies telescope , in other words gives additional information about the telescope . here That plays the role of the subject .

In above example 1 and 2 that precedes clause , i.e. after that you will see a clause (subject+ working verb..). This is always true in GMAT

Now , how will you use this information in sentence correction -simply check for clause after [b]that [/b]

lets see how it work on the original sentence
Clauase-1 Astronomers have uncovered evidence that ( presence of that means another clause will come )
a star (but we did not find the verb for the above that )
Clause -2 that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340.000 years ago,
( Here additional that is modifying a star i.e. giving additional information that star was as bright as full moon )
emitting dazzling radiation that could have disrupted Earth's protective ozone layer and sunburned our Stone Age ancestors.
(V-ing provides the result of the preceding clause or the How part of the preceding clause)

Error analysis - you can see in above sentence there is no verb for “ a star “ and we have to provide the verb for this subject

A. that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago, emitting - ERROR pointed out as above
B. that a star as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago, emitting - error is corrected by providing verb -exploded
C. of a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago and that it emitted - V-ING ,Exploding incorrectly modifying full moon , it gives sense that full moon is exploding in to...
D. of a star as bright as the full moon, exploding into view 340,000 years ago and emitting - as per the original sentence exploding and emitting has casual relationship and not independent of each other as in this option
E. of a star as bright as the full moon that exploded into view 340,000 years ago and that emitted- as per the original sentence exploding and emitting has casual relationship and not independent of each other as in this option

Don't you think the modifier, "exploding" can also modify astronomers"?

Why in (B), "explored" is a verb? Isn't it a modifier?

Hello lakshya14,

Thank you for the query.

The word exploded is NOT a modifier in Choice B. It is a verb because the full moon performed the action of exploding or appeared into view. The action of exploding was not done on the full moon.

Please read our very popular article in the following link that explains how to distinguish between the simple past tense verb and the verb-ed modifier:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/ed-forms-verbs-or-modifiers-134691.html


Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha

Hello lakshya14,

I am not sure if your doubt still persists, but here is my reply to the same.

The verb-ing modifier is ALWAYS a noun modifier that modifies the preceding noun, and the comma + verb-ing modifier that is placed after a clause acts as an action modifier and modifies the action in the preceding clause. While modifying the action, the modifier must also logically associate with the subject of the modified action.

This official sentence uses the verb-ed modifier exploding without any comma before it. So, it is a noun modifier that modifies the preceding noun the full moon.

Please read our following articles that explain all about the correct usages of the verb-ing modifiers:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/usage-of-verb-ing-modifiers-135220.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/verb-ing-modifiers-part-2-in-our-first-article-on-verb-ing-135567.html


Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha

Question. About the subordinating conjunction here. ‘That’ in b is preceded by a noun, doesn’t that make the whole phrase a modifier and not a a born in conjunction? The impact of this would mean that astronomers have uncovered is the only clause which emitting can refer to. That would make b incorrect.

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Hi,

After that in b, we have a clause- a star is the subject and exploded is the verb. Thus modifier beginning with emitting is describing the result of the action exploded.

Thanks

(A) that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago, emitting
exploding is the right usage since it has already happened therefore out

(B) that a star as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago, emitting
The maning is perfect therefore let us hang on to it

(C) of a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago and that it emitted
Similar reasoning as A therefore out

(D) of a star as bright as the full moon, exploding into view 340,000 years ago and emitting
exploded is the right usage therefore out

(E) of a star as bright as the full moon that exploded into view 340,000 years ago and that emitted
This gives us a meaning as though the full moon is what exploded therefore out

Therefore IMO B

What is emitting relating to? I've been taught that -ing form would relate to the subject of the previous sentence. The subject of the previous sentence is "Astronomers". Any expert opinion?

I saw so many official questions where that x that format is always wrong. Can you share any official questions where that x that makes sense, expert? I appreciate your help.

Generalizations might not be appropriate. You might want to look at the correction answer (option E) in this question.

EducationAisle
Sorry to say that I should clear my issue again. In your official SC it says: that xy that. I wanted to mean either X or Y.




^^ In this official example, choice A says that X that. From my study experience, this types of choice is wrong!