Floating in the waters of the equatorial Pacific, an array of buoys co

A. atmosphere, interactions that affect
Absolute phrase tells more about interactions, so perfectly modifying the previous clause.
B. atmosphere, with interactions affecting
arrays collect and transmit..... with interactions affecting global climate=> awkward.
C. atmosphere that affects
It is not atmosphere but interactions 'that affects'
D. atmosphere that is affecting
Same as (C).
E. atmosphere as affects
Awkward.

Dear Friends,

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 an array of buoys collects and transmits data on long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, and these interactions affect global climate.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Verb Forms

• Habitual actions are best conveyed through the simple present tense.
• The simple present continuous tense is used to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature.

A: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase "interactions that affect", conveying the intended meaning - that an array of buoys collects and transmits data on long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, and these interactions affect global climate. Further, Option A correctly uses the simple present tense verb "affect" to refer to habitual action.

B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "with interactions affecting"; the construction of this phrase illogically implies that an array of buoys collects and transmits data on long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere by using a separate set of interactions that affect global climate; the intended meaning is that an array of buoys collects and transmits data on long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, and these interactions affect global climate. Further, Option B incorrectly uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "affecting" in this sentence) to refer to a habitual action; please remember, habitual actions are best conveyed through the simple present tense.

C: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "atmosphere that affects"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the atmosphere affects global climate; the intended meaning is that the long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere affect global climate.

D: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "atmosphere that is affecting"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the atmosphere affects global climate; the intended meaning is that the long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere affect global climate. Further, Option D incorrectly uses the simple present continuous tense verb "is affecting" to refer to a habitual action; please remember, habitual actions are best conveyed through the simple present tense, and the simple present continuous tense is used to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature.

E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "atmosphere as affects"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that an array of buoys collects and transmits data on long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, and these interactions affect global climate.

Hence, A is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



To understand the concept of "Simple Continuous Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

https://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/resump ... erterm.htm

Resumptive Modifier
Definition : A modifier that repeats a key word at the end of a sentence and then adds informative or descriptive details related to that word. E.g

That kind of agentless prose should send up a red flag, a signal that here's a candidate for revision.

Ruling out an option because of its ambiguity should, in my humble opinion, be the last resort of a test-taker.

Floating in the waters of the equatorial Pacific, an array of buoys collects and transmits data on tong- term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, [s]interactions that affect[/] global climate.

(A) atmosphere, interactions that affect
Although not the best answer, it still prevails over the others.
(B) atmosphere, with interactions affecting
with interactions modifies the wrong noun
(C) atmosphere that affects
that modifies atmosphere, conveying the wrong meaning
(D) atmosphere that is affecting
Same as C
(E) atmosphere as affects
The use of as is wrong.

Floating in the waters of the equatorial Pacific, an array of buoys collects and transmits data on long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, interactions that affect global climate.

Issue: Subject-Verb Agreement | Absolute Phrase

Analysis:
1. This is short underline and we need to make sure that "affect" agrees with plural "interactions" (non-underlined part) and that the meaning is clear


A. atmosphere, interactions that affect

B. atmosphere, with interactions affecting
- "affecting" incorrect tense. Changes the meaning

C. atmosphere that affects
- "affects" does not agree with plural "interactions"

D. atmosphere that is affecting
- "is affecting" incorrect tense. Changes the meaning

E. atmosphere as affects
- "as" incorrect
- "affects" does not agree with plural "interactions"

Answer: A.

A few GMAT sentences use a sophisticated modifier called an absolute phrase.

Absolute phrases are composed of a noun plus a noun modifier. These phrases do not have to modify what they touch; rather, they modify the main clause in some way.

The absolute phrase in this sentence, "interactions that affect global climate", is composed of the noun interactions and the noun modifier that affect global climate.

Notice that the noun interactions does not modify atmosphere, the closest noun in the main clause.

Answer : A

mikemcgarry , abhimahna

could you please explain why B is incorrect?

Hey prateek176 ,

You need to understand the usage of "with".

Here is the great article you can refer to.

Now, to answer your query:

Let's see what the sentence be once we replace the underlined portion with one given in B.

Floating in the waters of the equatorial Pacific, an array of buoys collects and transmits data on long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, atmosphere, with interactions affecting global climate.

Here, interactions aren't the sub component of interactions themselves or I can say interactions are not accompanid by interactions themselves. Hence, it is incorrect.

Does that make sense?

Could you elaborate on this point further.
Also, can we say that A is superior to B because it follows the absolute modifier structure noun+noun modifier?


GMATNinja

In choice (B), "with interactions affecting global climate" seems to modify the entire preceding clause: "... an array of buoys collects and transmits data WITH interactions affecting global climate."). This makes it sound like there are some interactions that result from or are related to the collection and transmission of the data.

But that's not what we want. As described in this post, "with interactions affecting global climate" is meant to give us more information about the previously mentioned interactions (the "long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere").

So, yes, in choice (B) we have a noun and then, after the comma, some additional information modifying that noun.

I hope that helps!

This question is based on Modifiers and Construction.

Option B has a prepositional phrase as the modifier - with interactions affecting. This modifier conveys the meaning that interactions are affecting global climate along with an array of buoys collects and transmits data…… This is a distortion of the intended meaning of the sentence. The purpose of the modifier is to give more information about the interactions. The modifier in Option B changes the meaning, So, B can be eliminated.

Option C has a subordinate clause beginning with the relative pronoun ‘that’. The relative pronoun refers to the noun immediately before it or in certain cases, to the first noun in a compound noun phrase, which is made up of a noun/pronoun + preposition + noun/pronoun. In this sentence, the phrase would be – data on long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere. So, the relative pronoun would have to refer to data, but there are entirely too many nouns (interactions, ocean, atmosphere) between the noun and pronoun. So, Option C can be eliminated.

Option D contains the same error as Option C with a change in the tense after the relative pronoun. The tense change doesn’t contribute anything to the sentence. So, Option D can also be eliminated.

Option E contains the phrase “as affects”. The conjunction ‘as’ is used either to convey reason or to make a comparison, in which case, it must be followed by another ‘as’. So, Option E can be eliminated.

An absolute modifier is the combination of a noun and noun modifier. This type of modifier is generally used at the end of the sentence to give more information about some noun used in the former part of the sentence in the case of sentences in which a relative pronoun cannot be used without ambiguity. Option A contains such an absolute modifier to provide more information about the noun “interactions”.

Therefore, A is the most appropriate option.

Jayanthi Kumar.

Request Expert Reply:
Hi Honorable Experts,
MartyTargetTestPrep, GMATNinja, GMATGuruNY, AjiteshArun, VeritasPrepHailey, AnthonyRitz, BrightOutlookJenn, DmitryFarber, EducationAisle,
Can I say that there is no subject-verb agreement issue in choice C and D? I mean: can I think that 'the ocean and the atmosphere' is a single word, which plays role as 'singular'?
Thanks__

The intent (from a meaning perspective) is to convey that interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere affect global climate.

So, in that sense, if we understand that that in C and D is intended to modify interactions (a plural noun), then there is certainly subject-verb agreement issue in choice C and D.

experts, why does answer choice A not require a conjunction in between the commas?

Check out this post.

The same thing applies in (A): there is no need to use a conjunction with such comma-separated modifying info ("interactions that affect global climate").

Also, as discussed in this long-winded video, the GMAT doesn't really test comma usage that deeply, so I wouldn't get hung up on this sort of thing when making your eliminations.

Hi GMATNinja,

just before this question , I did another question - https://gmatclub.com/forum/the-commerce ... 68571.html

in which you rejected the the choice on the basis of usage as with-
Maybe I'm missing something, but I can think of two major uses of the word "with":

1. To indicate that one thing or person is accompanied by another: "Tim went with Ron to see a nine-hour documentary about weiner dogs."
2. To modify or describe an action: "Milena ate an entire pizza with great enthusiasm." The phrase "with great enthusiasm" just describes the action, "Mila ate."

As per second point with can be used to describe/modify an action, however , here you've mentioned that 'with...' seems to modify the preceding clause.

Can you help me gain clarity regarding usage of with?

In the second example above ("Milena ate an entire pizza with great enthusiasm."), the "with" phrase tells us how Milena completed the action. How did Milena eat the pizza? With great enthusiasm.

But in choice (B), the action is: "collects and transmits data on long-term interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere." So, does "with interactions affecting global climate" tell us how the array of buoys collects and transmits data? In other words, would it make any sense to say, "The array of buoys collects and transmits data with interactions affecting global climate."? It wouldn't, because "with interactions affecting global climate" doesn't directly describe the action of collecting/transmitting data -- it doesn't tell us how the array of buoys collects and transmits data.

Here's a similar example where "with" would make sense:

"The array of buoys collects and transmits data with impeccable accuracy and reliability."

In this case, the "with" phrase does in fact tell us how the array of buoys completes the action.

But I certainly wouldn't recommend trying to memorize a set of rules governing when you should (or shouldn't) use a "with" phrase. As long as you understand why (A) makes more sense that (B) in this question (as explained here), you should move on!