Scientists calculated that the asteroid, traveling at 46,000 miles an

Question

Scientists calculated that the asteroid, traveling at 46,000 miles an  hour, is on an elliptical path that orbits the Sun once a year and regularly brings it  back toward Earth.

(A) hour, is on an elliptical path that orbits the Sun once a year and regularly brings it

(B) hour, is orbiting the Sun once a year on an elliptical path that regularly brings it

(C) hour, once a year orbits the Sun, regularly bringing it on an elliptical path

(D) hour and orbiting the Sun once a year on an elliptical path, regularly bringing it

(E) hour, orbits the Sun on an elliptical path once a year and that regularly brings it

https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/20/us/big-asteroid-passes-near-earth-unseen-in-a-rare-close-call.html

Scientists later calculated that the asteroid, traveling at 46,000 miles an  hour, is orbiting the Sun once a year on an elliptical path that regularly brings it  back toward Earth.

kpadma · Accepted Answer

Thanks for your explanation. A kid who knows all aspects of grammar but no knowledge on Astronomy may interpret in different way. The rule is that the pronun should have a clear antecedent. The writer should not assume that the reader has knowledge to pick the correct antecedent. This is a tough question. The official answer is B E can be refuted as follows. Step1: Scientists calculated that the asteroid, traveling at 46,000 miles an hour, orbits the Sun on an elliptical path once a year and that regularly brings it back toward Earth. Let us ignore non-restrictive modifier "traveling at 46,000 miles an hour" Moreover, this part does not have any error. The simplified version. Step 2: Scientists calculated that the asteroid orbits the Sun on an elliptical path once a year and that regularly brings it back toward Earth. We are end up with following form. Scientists claculated that and that The trouble is that the does not have a subject. Moreover, can a object pronoun refer to a subject in a parallel clause? I doubt it can do that! That being said, B also has ,IMO, pronoun reference issue. It can either refer to Sun or Astroid. Finally, it does not matter if we get the question correct or not. What matters is what we have learned new from this exercise that can be used in the exam. Thanks folks for your participation.

Paul · Answer

E is best. Also had to change from B
A) "it" seems to refer to the sun and does not make sense
B) correctly links "it" back to "the asteroid" with the conjunction "that". However, "that" also refers back to "the path". "the path" cannot perform any action, not that of "bringing" the asteroid back to Earth
C) "it" is ambiguously refering to "the sun" or "the asteroid". Also "bringing it on an elliptical path" is grammatically faulty, no matter what "it" refers to
D) logically wrong since it seems like it is the asteroid which is "bringing it (the sun?!)" back toward Earth
E) With the introduction of the conjunction "and" it makes it clear that it is the orbiting action which brings the asteroid back to Earth. Also, "calculated that X orbits" is better and more concise than "calculated that X is orbiting" from B

Had to think it twice on this one :stupid

. I find this question rather tough.

ExpertsGlobal5 · Answer

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem: 
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of the sentence is that the asteroid orbits the Sun on an elliptical path, and this path regularly brings it back towards Earth.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Grammatical Construction

• The introduction of the “present participle (“verb+ing” – “bringing” in this sentence)” directly after a comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship.

A:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “path that orbits the Sun”; the construction of this phrase illogically suggests that it is   the path   that orbits the sun; the intended meaning is that   the asteroid   that orbits the sun.

B:   Correct.  This answer choice acts upon the independent noun phrase “the asteroid” with the active verb ohrase “is orbiting” to form a complete thought, leading to a complete sentence. Further, Option B uses the phrase “path that regularly brings it", conveying the intended meaning – that   the asteroid   orbits the Sun on an elliptical path, and   as a separate action  , this   path   regularly brings it back towards Earth.

C:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “regularly bringing it on an elliptical path”; the use of the “comma + present participle (“verb+ing” – “bringing” in this sentence)” construction incorrectly implies that the asteroid is regularly brought onto an elliptical path back towards the Earth   because   the asteroid orbits the Sun; the intended meaning is that the asteroid orbits the Sun on an elliptical path, and   as a separate action   this path regularly brings the asteroid back toward Earth; remember, the introduction of the “present participle (“verb+ing” – “bringing” in this sentence)” directly after a comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship.

D:  This answer choice fails to form a complete sentence; as “traveling”, “orbiting”, and “bringing” are all participles acting as modifiers, there is no active verb to act upon the subject noun “the asteroid”.

E:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “and that regularly brings it"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that   the act of orbiting   the Sun on an elliptical path once a year brings the asteroid back toward Earth; the intended meaning is that the asteroid orbits the Sun on an elliptical path, and   this path   regularly brings it back towards Earth.

Hence, B is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Comma Plus Present Participle for Cause-Effect Relationship", you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE9Vm8zCIO0

All the best!
Experts' Global Team

hallelujah1234 · Answer

B it is, for it is elliptical path that brings back the asteroid towards earth as told in the original choice

anandnk · Answer

B it is for me.

The choice is between B and E. The part of the sentence after the last  "that"  has no referent.

aspire · Answer

'it' refers to the asteroid. What can come back towards Earth? Not the sun. Not the elliptical path. B says that the the action of the elliptical path brings the asteroid back toward Earth.

Thats my understanding.

Praetorian · Answer

Wrong here... path does not orbit the sun. the asteroid does.

-- I would like to see ...orbits the Sun once a year. 
-- The orbiting does not bring it on an elliptical path. the path itself is elliptical. and this elliptical path brings the asteriod toward the earth

A good example of a run on sentence. Clearly Incorrect.

this is not right.

Unless we want the statement to mean that the scientists found two things, we dont need a conjuction before "that".

for example, the conjunction would be correct in this case.

Scientists said that there exists another planet and that other planets might exist.

So here scientists said TWO things... 1. existence of another planet.

2. other planets might exist.

Here, this is not at all what we want.

The "that" should clearly refer to elliptical path ..because the elliptical path is what brings the asteroid back to earth.

This is really the best answer. 

Scientists calculated that the asteroid, xxxxxx, is orbiting the sun once a year on an elliptical path that brings it back to earth.

Here "that" clearly refers to the closest noun elliptical path.

Some might say "it" does not have a clear referent. but then what else can it refer to .... "the sun"??? nope.. put it in there and laugh your heart out .

B is indeed best.

regards
praetorian

vivek123 · Answer

I think 'B' only is the best

(A) hour, is on an elliptical path that orbits the Sun once a year and regularly brings it 
 >> changes the meaning due to 'that' a restrictive clause. It suggests as if 'path' itself orbits!

(B) hour, is orbiting the Sun once a year on an elliptical path that regularly brings it 
 >> The Best! Though one can contend that 'it' can refer to the Sun too... but this is the best of the rest!

(C) hour, once a year orbits the Sun, regularly bringing it on an elliptical path 
 >> Awkward! Suggests, the asterois brings something (other than itself) on an elliptical path OR brings the Sun itself!

(D) hour and orbiting the Sun once a year on an elliptical path, regularly bringing it 
 >> Same as 'C'

(E) hour, orbits the Sun on an elliptical path once a year and that regularly brings it 
 >> This is totally faulty, changes the meaning totally by @#$^@ing the meaning of whole sentence.

bmwhype2 · Answer

i felt this question was fairly easy if you knew how to parse the sentence structure (which is why i always ask structure questions every now and then)

Scientists calculated that the asteroid,  traveling at 46,000 miles an hour , is orbiting the Sun once a year on an  elliptical path that  regularly brings it back toward Earth. 

Scientists calculated that the asteroid is orbiting the Sun once a year on an  elliptical path that  regularly brings it back toward Earth.

noboru · Answer

Nobody is going to help?
Could anybody explain the meaning? 
What is bringing what to the Earth? 
What is the antecedent of "it" in B?
Whats wrong with E?

Thanks in advance.

VATutor · Answer

The elliptical path brings the asteroid back toward earth.

Good question. The antecedent is "the asteroid." If you're wondering why the "it" can't refer to "the Sun" or the "elliptical path", the answer is more logical than grammatical. The only thing moving in the sentence is the asteroid, both the sun and the orbit are stationary, so we are left to assume the asteroid is what will move "back toward earth."
"it" is not perfect, but it's better than....

E makes a big mistake by misplacing the modifier "once a year." This description should be placed after "orbits the Sun" to describe how often the asteroid goes around the Sun. Instead, "once a year" is placed after "on an elliptical path;" this makes the sentence incorrectly state that the asteroid is only on the path once a year, when in fact the asteroid is on that path all the time.

As alway, the "correct" answer isn't perfect, but it avoids the modifier mistakes of the other answers. Try to keep in mind what the question is testing. If the question starts with a modifier mistake, you need to make extra sure that your answer has no modifier mistakes -- that becomes a priority for that question.

daagh · Answer

(A) hour, is on an elliptical path ‘that orbits the Sun once a year and regularly brings it’…..  Wrong logic. It is not the elliptical path that is orbiting the sun but the asteroid which orbits and the placement of the relative pronoun ‘that’ is wrong 
 
(B) hour, is orbiting the Sun once a year on an elliptical path that regularly brings it ……..’ orbiting’ refers to the asteroid: correct choice

(C) hour, once a year orbits the Sun, regularly bringing it on an elliptical path ….  Ambiguous pronoun reference of ‘it’- can also refer to the sun implying that the orbit brings the sun in to an elliptical path,
. 
 
 (D) Hour and orbiting the Sun once a year on an elliptical path, regularly bringing it ------ T he subordinate clause is a fragment

(E) Hour, orbits the Sun on an elliptical path once a year and that regularly brings it ….  ‘And that' in the second part of the sentence turns it into a subordinate clause connected by a co-coordinator, making the clause ungrammatical.

AntrikshR · Answer

In my opinion, the demonstrative pronoun 'That' is referring to the whole action of 'orbiting the sun once a year on an elliptical path' and not just to an elliptical path in option B as many have mentioned in their reasoning. How can an elliptical path brings the astroid back toward's the earth? The action that the astroid is orbiting the sun yearly on an elliptical path is bringing the astroid back to the earth and not just the elliptical path.

A) is wrong as it says elliptical path is orbiting the sun.
C) and D) are wrong due to run on sentence error.
E) is wrong because it is giving the impression that scientists have calculated that regularly bring 'it' (don't know what) back toward's the earth. Illogical!

A) is wrong as it says elliptical path is orbiting the sun.
C) and D) are wrong due to run on sentence error.
E) is wrong because it is giving the impression that scientists have calculated that regularly bring 'it' (don't know what) back toward's the earth. Illogical!

ChiranjeevSingh · Answer

Here's the   official explanation   provided by the GMAC for this question:
 
There is no doubt that this sentence is supposed to communicate certain facts about an asteroid: the asteroid is traveling at 46,000 miles an hour, it is orbiting the Sun, it takes a year to complete the orbit, the orbit is elliptical, and the asteroid regularly returns toward Earth. When these facts are all communicated in a single concise sentence, the structure needs to be grammatically correct and to indicate the relationships precisely and logically.
 
 Option A:  There is little doubt about the intended meaning of  an elliptical path that orbits the Sun . But this is an imprecise and nonstandard way of expressing the idea, and this wording is vulnerable to a joking or uncooperative reading whereby the path, rather than the asteroid, is claimed to be traveling on an orbit around the sun. One might guess that  it  refers to the asteroid, but it could, for example, refer—nonsensically—to the Sun .

Option B:  Correct. This is grammatically correct and clearly expresses the fact that the asteroid orbits the Sun and that the elliptical path regularly brings the asteroid back toward Earth.

Option C:  This could be read as saying that the asteroid regularly brings the asteroid on an elliptical path back toward Earth. The wording also oddly suggests that the asteroid may not be on the elliptical path except when it is on its way back toward Earth. The wording  once a year orbits the Sun  is awkward;  a year  could be uncharitably taken as the subject of  orbits . The pronoun  it  can be read as referring to  the Sun , but this reading is not likely to be what is intended.

Option D:  With this wording, the part of the sentence following  Scientists calculated that  is ungrammatical; it has three participles (the verb forms ending in  -ing ) but no main verb.

Option E:  This is ungrammatical. If  that  is intended as a relative pronoun (equivalent to  which ), it has no clear referent and the structure of the sentence does not make sense. It is plausible to think that  that  is intended as a demonstrative pronoun, referring either to the path or to the asteroid’s orbiting the Sun on an elliptical path. If so, there should be a comma after  year  to clarify the intended grammatical structure.
 
The correct answer is B.

Please note that I'm not the author of this explanation. I'm just posting it here since I believe it can help the community.

Basshead · Answer

Scientists calculated that the asteroid, traveling at 46,000 miles an  hour, is on an elliptical path that orbits the Sun once a year and regularly brings it  back toward Earth.

Scientists calculated that the asteroid,  traveling at 46,000 miles an  hour , is on an elliptical path that orbits the Sun once a year and regularly brings it  back toward Earth.

(A) hour,  is on an elliptical path that  orbits the Sun once a year and regularly brings it

-- The elliptical path is NOT orbiting the sun; the asteroid is orbiting the sun on an elliptical path. Wrong meaning.

(B)  hour, is orbiting the Sun once a year on an elliptical path that regularly brings it

-- Correct.

(C) hour, once a year orbits the Sun, regularly bringing  it  on an elliptical path

-- No clear antecedent.

(D) hour and orbiting the Sun once a year on an elliptical path, regularly bringing  it

-- No clear antecedent.

(E) hour, orbits the Sun on an elliptical path once a year and that regularly brings  it

-- No clear antecedent.

sssanskaar · Answer

In option B, can't 'it' refer to Sun and the Asteroid? I rejected B and chose C only for this reason.

How to deal with such questions in which there is a pronoun but the sentence contains two nouns? And why do we have to assume here that the Sun is stationary and its path won't come in the way of Earth's?

Also, why for a universal fact, a present continuous tense has been preferred in B instead of a simple present tense in C ?

EducationAisle · Answer

Oh yes! Why just Sun and Asteroid ; it can also refer to elliptical path

. Such pronouns (pronoun it here, wherein a pronoun has multiple eligible antecedents) are called ambiguous pronouns. The thing about ambiguous pronouns is that ambiguous pronouns should normally be the last reason for you to eliminate an answer choice; in other words, GMAT shows reasonable tolerance for pronoun ambiguity. If you are referring to the original sentence, it seems to nonsensically suggest that elliptical path orbits the Sun! p.s. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses Pronoun ambiguity , its application and examples in significant detail. If you or someone is interested, PM me your email-id; I can mail the corresponding section.

sssanskaar · Answer

Thanks EducationAisle for coming to the rescue as always!

So, okay fine, the pronoun ambiguity should be my last resort to use while eliminating an option. But, can you kindly explain - why for a universal fact, a present continuous tense has been preferred in B instead of a simple present tense in C ? This was also a big deal while weighing options B and C.

EducationAisle · Answer

Well, I am sure you would agree that following sentence is correct:

Sanskaar  is learning  new things every day.

Same is the case here:

The asteroid  is orbiting  the Sun once a year.

C is illogical since it says:

...the asteroid...orbits the Sun, regularly bringing it on an elliptical path..

Nothing is  bringing  the asteroid on an elliptical path; asteroid already  is  on an elliptical path and this elliptical path brings the asteroid back toward Earth.

Scientists calculated that the asteroid, traveling at 46,000 miles an

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Scientists calculated that the asteroid, traveling at 46,000 miles an

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards