In the last few years, the number of convicted criminals given communi

This question is based on Subject-Verb agreement and Modifiers.

The underlined portion ends in a verb – have/has. The subject of this verb is “the number of convicted criminals”. The subject is singular, so the plural verb ‘have’ is incorrect. On this basis, Options A, B, and C can be eliminated.

In Option D, the modifier “which allow them to remain unconfined in their performing of specific jobs beneficial to the public” provides extra information. However, extra information should be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. Since there are no commas separating the clause from the rest of the sentence, this option is structurally inappropriate. So, Option D can be eliminated.

In Option E, the participle modifier “allowing them to remain unconfined while performing specific jobs that benefit the public” is appropriate. A participle modifier modifies the word placed before it when there is no comma separating it from its subject.
Therefore, E is the most appropriate option.

Jayanthi Kumar.

OG 10 Reply:
At issue in this question is subject-verb agreement; the number ... has risen must be the kernel of the main
clause. Choice E, the best answer, uses a singular verb form, has, to agree with the singular subject, the
number. Choices A, B, and C mistake criminals for the sentence subject and so incorrectly use the plural verb
form have. In B and C the verb phrases (performing .. . ) do not clearly modify criminals, because another noun
(sentences) intrudes, nor do the verb phrases clearly establish temporal relationships among events. D is wordy and imprecise (in their performing of specific jobs).

+1 D ( if E is not modified in the end)
E(if sentence is as MBAhereIcome has written)
guys n gals, Kindly authenticate the sentence before posting)....

the number of requires has. and E looks incomplete.

The number is always Singular and requires singular verb . A,B,C --- eliminated

Among D and E , in option D which does not comma before it . D ---- eliminated .

Hence E

what is the role of "allowing them to remain unconfined while performing specific jobs that benefit the public "

In the last few years, the number of convicted criminals given community service sentences allowing them to remain unconfined while performing specific jobs that benefit the public has have risen dramatically.

The whole sentence with correct answer looks awkward.

Thanks

Hi kannu44, GMAT is basically using a pretty long modifier (participial phrase, to be precise) to make this sentence look awkward. In the sentence below, I have underlined the intermediate modifier:

In the last few years, the number of convicted criminals given community service sentences allowing them to remain unconfined while performing specific jobs that benefit the public has risen dramatically.

So, the core of the sentence is:

In the last few years, the number of convicted criminals has risen dramatically.

This clearly doesn't look awkward.

In the intermediate modifier, there are many constructs, most notably:

i) Past participle phrase: given community service sentences
ii) Present participle phrase: allowing them to remain unconfined while performing specific jobs
iii) Relative clause: that benefit the public

p.s. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses Participial phrase, its application and examples in significant detail. If someone is interested, PM me your email-id; I can mail the corresponding section.

Isn't it essential? Sentence is not talking about all convicted criminals; only those who were given community service sentences.

In any case, GMAT does not really test on essentials/non-essentials.

am i right in discarding option D for punctuation absence??
we need a "comma" before" which "

With POE, I can easily take A, B, C, D out, but still confused with option E: Whom 'performing specific job'? I think reasonably they are 'them'/criminals, but we dont have any precedent subject for that clause. It is usual to say that "I do A while doing B" (the precedent subject "I" applying for both clauses of the sentence), but when I re-write this clause as following, causing a little ambiguity:
Community service sentences {allow them to remain unconfined} while {performing specific jobs} that benefit the public.

Then, I tried to rewrite it in different way to make "them" a subject for the gerund "performing", it should be like this:
Community service sentences allow them {to remain unconfined} while {to perform} specific jobs that benefit the public.

Can someone help me out what is problem with my thought?

Duongluong , I'm not sure I understand your question. Actually, I'm sure I don't understand your question.

1) what bothers you?

2) what is it that you are trying to fix about the sentence? What is it that you want the sentence to say that it does not say?

Is is possible that you are over thinking this issue?

I am about to deploy too much jargon.

I need to do so because the focus seems to be grammar rules.

I understand the urge to find hard-and-fast rules. But you wrote that you could eliminate option D easily. Answer E is correct.

Here's a productive question: What rule or rules might you be incorrectly relying upon?

The subject is number.
The verb is has risen.

An unusually long prepositional phrase follows:

of convicted criminals / given community service sentences / allowing them to remain unconfined while performing specific jobs / that benefit the public

Within the prepositional phrase we have:

1) essential participial modifier = of convicted criminals

2 past participle + nouns = given community service sentences

3) present participle + pronoun + infinitive phrase = allowing them to remain unconfined while performing specific jobs

4) that clause (relative clause modifer) = that benefit the public

Where did you get the idea that the object of a preposition could not be the antecedent of a pronoun? (IS this issue the one that bothers you? )

Or that a pronoun must refer to a noun that is a subject of the sentence?

This is correct:
The object of a preposition CAN be the antecedent of a pronoun.

This is correct:
A pronoun does NOT have to refer to the subject of the sentence.

The object of a preposition cannot be the subject of a clause or sentence.

The object of a preposition cannot simultaneously be the object of a verb.

But the object of a preposition certainly CAN be an antecedent for a pronoun.

The subject of the sentence is not criminals.
But "criminals" IS the antecedent of "them."

Look at the structure of the participial phrases. The pronoun-noun relationship is logical.

Criminals are people. Sentences are not people. Sentences cannot perform jobs. The only logical antecedent of them in the long prepositional modifier is "criminals."

I admire your tenacity. Keep your eyes on the bigger picture, too. You may well be doing so and I just cannot see that you are doing so because I do not understand your question.

Hope that reply helps.

What is wrong with D?

Please don't reply with 'in their performing' is awkard.

GMATNinjaTwo MikeScarn GMATNinja hazelnut generis @drcummins Bunuel VeritasKarishma

himanshurajawat the word "which" lacks a comma before it.

Many people believe that GMAT will abandon the THAT/which distinction.
I am not so sure.
I have never seen an officially correct answer with "which" not offset by commas.

The example below is one that I recall offhand in which the question explicitly tests THAT/which and the use of commas.

OG 2020 #824 (C) The OE writer: "[Because] which was quite tense [is set off by] commas [and the information is essential to the meaning of the sentence and should be in a that-clause without commas] . . . this version fails rhetorically."

In British English, which and that are used interchangeably.
Not so in U.S. English or on the GMAT.
That is an essential modifier. No commas.
Which is a nonessential modifier. It should be set off by commas.
People trained in B.E. just need to be a little careful; your eyes are used to seeing which without a comma before it.

Hope that helps.

Dear Experts, could you pls review my logic?

I guess "them" refers to criminals
their = criminals as well

In (E) "them" also refers to criminals.
Subject in "while" -clause is omitted. I guess the subject of the clause is supposed to be criminals.

I eliminate (D) because GMAT usually prefers "Verb" rather than "Noun", and (E) contains both performing (verb form) and benefit (verb form) while (D) contains performing of (noun/gerund form -> I guess it should be "performance") and beneficial is an adjective. Thus, (E) wins

Can someone explain the proper usage of "which" and the "participle -ing" ?

I mean between D & E, I eliminated D because "in their performing" sounds awkward and could simple be replaced with "performing" as in choice E.

someone pointed out that "which" when used as a modifier must be preceded by a comma.

so if choice D were " sentences which allow..." it would be correct?

I know that the use of both "which" and "participle -ing" is to modify the subject, but is there anything else?

Hello expert,
Would you like yo throw some light on this question? I saw some people said there needs to be a comma before WHICH clause, but this explanation can not convince me.
Also, I feel there is a problem on E: “sentences allowing them to remain unconfined WHILE performing specific jobs”, there is an omission of subject in WHILE clause, so this means the subject will be the same as the preceding sentence, so the subject should be “community service sentences”. But if so, the meaning is illogical: while community service sentences perform specific jobs.
Eg: Tim is reading while eating. Here the omitted subject in WHILE clause should be “Tim”: Tim is reading while (Tim) is eating.
So confused...Pls help on this expert, and much thanks.

First, let's eliminate (D):

(D) sentences which allow them to remain unconfined in their performing of specific jobs beneficial to the public has

The main issue with this choice is the wording "remain unconfined in their performing of specific jobs."

That wording doesn't effectively convey a logical meaning. After, the idea that someone would remain unconfined in performing a job doesn't make sense since there's no way to be unconfined or confined in performing a job. A person could be confined or unconfined WHILE performing a job, but not IN performing a job.

Now, let's consider (E).

(E) sentences allowing them to remain unconfined while performing specific jobs that benefit the public has

The reduced clause "while performing ..." in (E) modifies "them to remain unconfined," and thus, "them" is the agent of "performing."

So, the meaning conveyed by the (E) version makes sense.