However, in passive forms of sentences, the subject is optional. So the below two forms, if given, would also have been correct:
optional. You might be referring to the
. Even then, the issue is debatable: optional from a structural perspective or from a meaning perspective?
chaudhurysr wrote:
Friends,
I would like to discuss about a question that I came across. Its an SC question, using modifiers.
Q1. Using a seismic survey, hydrocarbons can be located even though they are buried far beneath Earth's surface.
a) Using a seismic survey, hydrocarbons can be located even though they are buried far beneath Earth's surface
b) Hydrocarbons can be located even though they are buried far beneath Earth's surface, using a seismic survey
c) Locating hydrocarbons that are buried far beneath Earth's surface, a geophysicist can use a seismic survey
d) Buried far beneath Earth's surface, hydrocarbons can be detected using a seismic survey
e) Using a seismic survey, a geophysicist can locate hydrocarbons even though they are buried far beneath Earth's surface
Ans: Clearly the statement is missing the subject that the modifier "Using a seismic survey" is modifying. So a) is incorrect. e) is the best option here.
However, in passive forms of sentences, the subject is optional. So the below two forms, if given, would also have been correct:
1. Hydrocarbons can be located using a seismic survey even though they are buried far beneath Earth's surface (re-shuffled option b)
2. Hydrocarbons, buried far beneath Earth's surface, can be detected using a seismic survey (re-shuffled option d)
Do you agree?
Thanks,
Saurabh
Dear
chaudhurysr,
I'm happy to respond.
I saw your report. Rather than delete that thread, I merged it into this one.
This is a spectacularly bad practice question. The question writer seems to have been entirely unfamiliar with everything about the GMAT's standards except the basic directions of the the SC section. There are a number of major violations of the norms of Sentence Correction in this particular problem.
First of all, the introduction of the words "
a geophysicist." Yes, the SC sometimes does introduce a new word in the answer choices, a word that is structural and derives from context. I have never seen something as specific the name of a scientific profession to appear only in the answer choices, let alone the OA. How is any reader supposed to know, without outside knowledge, that geophysicists are the ones to do this work (as opposed, say a seismologist)? How are we supposed to know whether the introduction of the this word changes the meaning or not?
In this question, (A) is clearly wrong. (B) and (C) are passable, not ideal, but not entirely wrong. (D) is fine. (E) is fine, except for the bizarre introduction of a new word.
investing energy into low quality verbal questions does not prepare one for the GMAT.
Here's a high quality GMAT Verbal practice question:
What the eye seesDoes all this make sense?
Mike
in is not a problem. Test takers are expected to take such meaning calls, and past GMAT questions have done exactly this.
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