After suffering a stroke, some patients must relearn seemingly simple

Hi egmat.
Could you please help me with this question.
If training is modifying the clause, it should make sense with the subject of the previous clause, that is 'some patients'
So are some patients training themselves?
What I understand from the question is that the act of relearning is training.

Imo C
Correct modifier
It is not walking or speaking it is the act of doing these activities that helps .
D suggests the brains are in the process of getting damaged
E is wrong for using which


Sent from my ONE E1003 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

IMO there is an error in underlined part as well, it should be such as walking and speaking, instead of like walking ....

I couldn't understands two points about the question.
1. How come we can use "like" to give examples.
2 ing modifiers should modify the whole sentences or at least object of the clause. But here?

daagh VeritasPrepKarishma GMATNinja sayantanc2k



why can not that and which - both noun modifiers jump over two nouns walking / speaking to modify other noun - tasks?
Can you please explain role of verb-ing modifier training in OA?

Hi Daagh,

Seems like question itself is wrong using like for showing examples.
like walking or speaking

Here the verb-ing is used to give more information about how some patients must relearn seemingly simple tasks.

So this is how it will be - some patients must relearn seemingly simple by training the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that have been damaged.

egmat could clarify this though

sanpreetsaini, like is correct here. "like" is not used to show examples, but it is used to show similarity between simple tasks and walking/speaking.

sachinpoovanna, in my opinion verb+ing modifier in above SC is not used to show extra information but it is used to show result of previous clause.

Learn simple tasks to train brain.

can someone explain why in A the relative pronoun modifier cannot modify a slight far away entity "simple tasks" since "like walking or speaking" describes those tasks only?

egmat GMATNinja

also, can someone point out the difference b/w using a relative pronoun modifier with & without a comma?

This sentence follows the clause "some patients must relearn....speaking" with a modifying phrase. This phrase is meant to modify or describe the entire clause that came before it (i.e. the task of relearning). The answer choices that use the relative clause modifier construction illogically suggest that it is just speaking that trains the healthy areas (rather than the whole relearning process), and can be eliminated (A, B, E). Answer D incorrectly suggests that certain areas of the brain are still being damaged after the stroke, and can be eliminated for this Illogical Meaning error. Only correct answer C accurately expresses the time-frame of the injury while grammatically modifying the entire 'must relearn' clause through use of the participial phrase "training the...areas..."

Hello sir, can you please explain when 'that' and 'which' can modify noun away from them?

In the above question trains refer to singular subject causing subject verb agreement error.

After suffering a stroke, some patients must relearn seemingly simple tasks like walking or speaking, which trains the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that have been damaged.

A) speaking, which trains the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that have been damaged

B) speaking that trains the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that have been damaged

simple tasks ... trains is incorrect, tasks is plural. So eliminate A & B.

C) speaking, training the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that have been damaged - Correct.

being damaged is incorrect with respect to meaning. So eliminate D & E.

D) speaking, training the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that are being damaged

E) speaking, which trains the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that are being damaged

It's not speaking or walking being modified "trained the healthy areas" but the relearning the simple tasks" . - ing is a clause modifier for the correct usage.

Have been vs are being damaged
At the beginning of the sentence, "after the stroke", can see that the damage has already been done.
thus --> Have been is right

Official solution

Correct Answer: C

This sentence follows the clause "some patients must relearn....speaking" with a modifying phrase. This phrase is meant to modify or describe the entire clause that came before it (i.e. the task of relearning). The answer choices that use the relative clause modifier construction illogically suggest that it is just speaking that trains the healthy areas (rather than the whole relearning process), and can be eliminated (A, B, E). Answer D incorrectly suggests that certain areas of the brain are still being damaged after the stroke, and can be eliminated for this Illogical Meaning error. Only correct answer C accurately expresses the time-frame of the injury while grammatically modifying the entire 'must relearn' clause through use of the participial phrase "training the...areas..."

A humble request – Please give KUDOS if you like the response.
Let us first dissect the sentence.
After suffering a stroke, - After is a conjunction used to connect the two clauses. This is a dependent clause.
some patients must relearn seemingly simple tasks like walking or speaking, - here we have a parallel list of two nouns walking and speaking. This is an independent clause.
which trains the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas
,which modifies the list of two nouns preceding which is incorrect. Instead a use of ing modifier is more appropriate which modifies the complete preceding clause.
There is used to refer to the patients.
that have been damaged. - That is used to modify the preceding noun areas.

A) speaking, which trains the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that have been damaged
This choice is incorrect for the aforementioned reasons.

B) speaking that trains the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that have been damaged
Speaking that – the use of that to modify the preceding nouns is incorrect.

C) speaking, training the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that have been damaged

This choice is correct.
If you are still reading my post please hit the KUDOS button.

D) speaking, training the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that are being damaged
Use of being is incorrect in this choice. The areas are not in present being damaged.

E) speaking, which trains the healthy areas of their brains to take over the functions of the areas that are being damaged
Use of being is incorrect in this choice. The areas are not in present being damaged. ,which modifies the list of two nouns preceding which is incorrect.

Thank you for reading the post. Request you to please hit the KUDOS button.
Answer is C.