Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
marine wrote:
The 32 species that make up the dolphin family are closely related to whales and in fact include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and is famous for its aggressive hunting pods.
(A) include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and is
(B) include the animal known as the killer whale, growing as big as 30 feet long and
(C) include the animal known as the killer whale, growing up to 30 feet long and being
(D) includes the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow as big as 30 feet long and is
(E) includes the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and it is
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that the 32 species that make up the dolphin family include the animal known as the killer whale, and the killer whale can grow to be 30 feet long and is famous for its aggressive hunting pods.
Concepts tested here: Subject-Verb Agreement + Meaning + Verb Forms + Parallelism• The introduction of the present participle ("verb+ing"- “growing” in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship.
• “being” is only to be used when it is part of a noun phrase or represents the passive continuous verb tense; the use of passive continuous must be justified in the context.
• Any elements linked by a conjunction ("and" in this sentence) must be parallel.
A: Correct. This answer choice correctly refers to the plural noun "32 species" with the plural verb "include". Moreover, Option A correctly refers to the singular noun "the killer whale" with the singular pronoun "its". Further, Option A uses the phrase "which can grow to be 30 feet long", conveying the intended meaning - that the 32 species that make up the dolphin family include the animal known as the killer whale, and as a separate action, the killer whale can grow to be 30 feet long and is famous for its aggressive hunting pods. Additionally, Option A maintains parallelism between "can grow to be 30 feet long" and "is famous for its aggressive hunting pods". Besides, Option A is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "growing as big as 30 feet long"; the use of the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "growing" in this sentence) incorrectly implies that the 32 species that make up the dolphin family include the animal known as the killer whale, and
as a result, the
32 species can grow to be up to 30 feet long and are famous for their aggressive hunting pods; the intended meaning is that the 32 species that make up the dolphin family include the animal known as the killer whale, and
as a separate action the
killer whale can grow to be 30 feet long and is famous for its aggressive hunting pods; please remember, the introduction of the present participle ("verb+ing"- “growing” in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship. Further, Option B incorrectly refers to the plural noun "32 species" with the singular pronoun "its". Additionally, Option B uses the needlessly wordy phrase "as big as 30 feet long", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
C: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "growing as big as 30 feet long"; the use of the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "growing" in this sentence) incorrectly implies that the 32 species that make up the dolphin family include the animal known as the killer whale, and
as a result, the
32 species can grow to be up to 30 feet long and are famous for their aggressive hunting pods; the intended meaning is that the 32 species that make up the dolphin family include the animal known as the killer whale, and
as a separate action the
killer whale can grow to be 30 feet long and is famous for its aggressive hunting pods; please remember, the introduction of the present participle ("verb+ing"- “growing” in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship. Further, Option C incorrectly refers to the plural noun "32 species" with the singular pronoun "its". Additionally, Option C is awkward and needlessly wordy due to its use of the word "being"; please remember, “being” is only to be used when it is part of a noun phrase or represents the passive continuous verb tense; the use of passive continuous must be justified in the context.
D: This answer choice incorrectly refers to the plural noun "32 species" with the singular verb "includes". Further, Option D uses the needlessly wordy phrase "as big as 30 feet long", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
E: This answer choice incorrectly refers to the plural noun "32 species" with the singular verb "includes". Further, Option E fails to maintain parallelism between "can grow to be 30 feet long" and "it is famous for its aggressive hunting pods"; please remember, any elements linked by a conjunction ("and" in this sentence) must be parallel.
Hence, A is the best answer choice.To understand the concept of "Comma + Present Participle for Cause-Effect Relationship" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~3 minutes):
To understand the use of "Being" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team