Gian wrote:
In the search for alien life, astronomers have recently begun studying a promising region, a solar system that is populated by a number of potentially life-friendly planets formed by fragments of an exploding star some 7 million years ago and features many of the geological and climatic prerequisites for the evolution of life.
a) features
b) featured
c) had featured
d) featuring
e) feature
This one boils down to meaning and parallelism (//m). The //m can be a bit tricky.
In the search for alien life (modifier) ,
astronomers (subject/noun)
have recently
begun (main verb) studying a promising region,
a solar system that is populated by a number of potentially life-friendly planets formed by fragments of an exploding star some 7 million years ago and features many of the geological and climatic prerequisites for the evolution of life. (long modifier)
a solar system that is populated by a number of potentially life-friendly planets formed by fragments of an exploding star some 7 million years ago and featuring many of the geological and climatic prerequisites for the evolution of life.
Here the confusion could be whether the author intends to say the solar system ....features/featuring OR the life-friendly planets.....feature/featuring?
If the author intended to say the solar system...features then you would need THAT to make the two clauses parallel. A solar system THAT is populated .....AND THAT features..... But this is not the case. The author here means the Planets.
Planets
formed by fragments of an exploding star some 7 million years ago AND
featuring many of the .... (past participle FORMED BY // Present participle FEATURING).
Also,because "the geological and climatic prerequisites " are something that are still featured by the planets, the modifier should take the form of a present participle (featuring)
Quote:
Blueseas,
To the best of my knowledge, only ing form cannot make a word verb, we need to be + ING form to make it a verb and then also we cannot always call it a verb.
e.g. Playing football makes a person fit.
The bouquet of flowers WAS a giving of love.
Here playing and giving are not verbs.
Also we are discussing about Planets not solar systems so featureS is wrong.
"Formed by .." is modifying planets so it's an adjective.
So to maintain strict parallelism, we need another adjective for feature.
"feature" will alone act as a verb; however, "featuring", will act as an adjective.
Please correct me if you think my explanation is not well inclined with that of yours/GMAT.