In an effort to determine whether changes in diet and exercise can rev

Could someone please help me with this question.Found it in Kaplan GMAT Premier and the OA there is E, but I cannot arrive at E in any way. I believe that E has comepletely done away with the opening phrase in the question, "In an effort to determine whether changes....".. So how can it be correct?

what i could think in this problem that ....
"In an effort to determine whether changes in diet and exercise can reverse coronary heart disease" for this modifier Medicare is doer of action, hence it cannot modify elderly or any thing else .. hence reach left with only D and E .. out of these two E is better..
please correct me If i am wrong or missing something

Agree with this. "Spend...to reduce" sounds better than "spend...for reducing" to me.

Hi Experts, is OA correct? Option E seems to suggest that risks will be reduced in 1,800 elderly patients.

Yes, that is the conveyed meaning in Option E - the program is about reducing life related risk factors in 1800 elderly people. The cost of the program is $12,960,000 - this money will be spent for reducing risk of ONLY those participating 1800 people.

As you have correctly noticed this meaning does not seem quite logical: The correct meaning required to be conveyed seems to be as follows:
1800 People will participate in a program. The program (costing $12,960,000 ) is to reduce reduce lifestyle-related risk factors (IN GENERAL - NOT JUST FOR THOSE 1800 PEOPLE).

the answer should be E
A is wrong as 1800 patients can't be the subject rather should be object and here in option E the medicare is sub.

Hi sayantanc2k,

B is wrong because ".....over the next three years in a program to reduce.."
Is my understanding correct?

In an effort to determine whether changes in diet and exercise can reverse coronary heart disease, 1,800 elderly heart patients will participate in a Medicare program costing $12,960,000 over the next three years to reduce lifestyle-related risk factors.

POE:
Eliminate (B) - passive voice
Eliminate (C) - modifier error
Eliminate (D) - wrong tense
Down to two (A) and (E).
(E) is more clear and short.

(A) 1,800 elderly heart patients will participate in a Medicare program costing $12,960,000 over the next three years to reduce lifestyle-related risk factors

(B) $12,960,000 will be spent by Medicare over the next three years in a program to reduce lifestyle-related risk factors in 1,800 elderly patients

(C) over the next three years $12,960,000 will be spent on 1,800 patients by Medicare on a program to reduce lifestyle-related risk factors

(D) Medicare is to spend $12,960,000 over the next three years on a program for reducing lifestyle-related risk factors in 1,800 elderly heart patients

(E) Medicare will spend $12,960,000 over the next three years on a program to reduce lifestyle-related risk factors in 1,800 elderly heart patients - CORRECT

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Step 1: Read the Original Sentence Carefully, Looking for Errors
The intended meaning of this sentence is clear enough: Medicare is making an effort to determine
whether lifestyle changes can reverse coronary heart disease. However, the modifying phrase at
the beginning of the sentence that describes this effort is followed by the subject of the sentence,
“1,800 elderly heart patients.” Grammatically, a modifying phrase modifies whatever is nearest to
it in the sentence. So, according to the grammar of this sentence as written, it is the heart patients
who are trying to figure out whether lifestyle changes can reverse coronary heart disease—but that’s
not the intended meaning. The correct answer would have to either place “Medicare” next to the
opening modifying phrase or use a different construction.

Step 2: Scan and Group the Answer Choices
(A), (B), and (C) place something other than “Medicare” next to the opening modifying phrase. (D)
and (E) start with “Medicare.”

Step 3: Eliminate Choices Until Only One Remains
(A), (B), and (C) can be eliminated because none of them fixes the misplaced modifier. The only
difference between (D) and (E) is the verb phrase: “is to spend” versus “will spend.” Because the
program will occur over “the next three years,” we need the future tense, and “will spend” is correct.
That makes (E) the correct answer.

Answer E

The Non Underlined part talks about a study - which doesn't seem to go with 1800 Elderly Hear Patients.

The Sentence is Meaning wise also Unclear.

We should place the Modifier close with the Entity it modifies which E only Corrects.

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