betterscore wrote:
A mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets will typically invest that money in hundreds of
companies, rarely holding more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation.
(A) companies, rarely holding more than one percent
(B) companies,
and it is rare to hold at least one percent or more
(C) companies
and rarely do
they hold more than one percent
(D) companies, so that
they rarely hold more than one percent
(E) companies; rarely do
they hold one percent or more
The underline contains a comma; because the answers are short, glance down at the differences surrounding the comma. There's a split between "
comma -ing" and a
participle modifier (
holding) and
and. Also, one answer has a semicolon. Look for Structure, Meaning, and Modifier issues.
Issues(1) Meaning: andCompare the beginnings of each answer vertically. Answers (B) and (C) insert the conjunction
and, turning the "comma -ing" into an independent clause.
In the original sentence, the fact that the mutual fund invests in so many different companies results in the fact that the fund holds only a very small share of each company. When answers (B) and (C) insert the word
and, they change what used to be a modifier into a separate clause. Two independent clauses should be read as two independent pieces of information unless some word exists to create a cause-effect relationship.
For example: Yesterday, Xiying visited the shoe store and she bought some milk. Those are two separate pieces of information (She probably didn't buy milk at the shoe store!); the only connection is that she did both things yesterday.
The sentence should contain a cause-effect relationship. Eliminate answers (B) and (C).
(2) Pronoun: theyMeaning: itContinue to compare the answers vertically. Answer (B) introduces a pronoun,
it; answers (C), (D), and (E) contain the pronoun
they. Which nouns do these pronouns refer to?
They is a plural pronoun, but in all three cases, the pronoun is meant to refer to the singular noun mutual fund. Eliminate answers (C), (D), and (E).
In answer (B), the pronoun
it does not refer to the
mutual fund, rather, it is a dummy pronoun, as in the sentence "It is raining outside." Is there anything wrong with that? yes. The second half of answer (B) never clearly indicates that it is talking about the mutual fund. Eliminate answer (B) for faulty meaning.
The Correct AnswerCorrect answer (A) uses a
participle modifier to convey a cause-effect meaning. It avoids the pronoun issues by not using a pronoun at all.
I only have one doubt with option A. I know holding is acting as a modifier and would take up the subject from adjoining sentence, that is A mutual fund.
Comma+adverb usually refer back to the previous noun which is companies in this case.
But in most of the answers here in forum, we consider rarely as non-existent.
I know it might be a silly question but is there something wrong with my supposition for comma + adverbs ?
Any help would be appreciated .
13 Feb 2021, 02:21
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