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Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband inspired her

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chetan2u
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Re: Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband inspired her [#permalink] New post   23 Feb 2016, 22:51
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EducationAisle wrote:
Hi Chetan, you can refer to #109 in OG13 (Among the objects found...), where object pronoun is referring back to possessive noun.

Since this seems to be an unofficial question, I would be interested in knowing the OE. Theoretically, it can be argued that the travels did not inspire her to write; it was the experience she gained because of her travels that gave her the content for her novels.

However, as I mentioned, it's not an official question and so, one would be distinctly unfortunate, if one has to choose between A and E on the actual exam:).

p.s. This fact (object pronouns can refer to subject nouns) has been known for quite some time (at least since OG13, if not earlier); however, many people continued to believe that the subject pronoun can still not refer to possessive pronoun. An example in OG16 (can't remember off the top of my head, but can look it up) busted that myth as well!


Hi Ashish,
thanks for the prompt reply..
1) I agree with you the Q is not an official Q and from a source.
2) I did go through the example from OG and felt that the meaning could be conveying that her is refering back to the goddess
Quote:
109) Among the objects found in the excavated temple were small terra-cotta effigies left by supplicants who were either asking the godess Bona Dea's aid in healing physical and mental ills or thanking her for such help.

here the portion after EITHER tells us that people are asking the godess BONA DEA's aid in... and after OR, thanking HER for SUCH help..
so first portion talks of the help asked and second portion talks of thanking for that help. It UNAMBIGUOUSLY refers to the SAME help. so logically HER should be standing for the godess..

But thats not the case in the sentence in the question..
A's travels with her husband inspired her to write several mystery novels..
this HER could be Agatha or Mrs X, Mrs Y, who have been inspired by A's travels..

3) ( I may be slightly biased in my thinking), But may I request you to give some more examples if you come across, where the object is not literally related to the possessive noun as in this case.
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Re: Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband inspired her [#permalink] New post   25 Feb 2016, 23:06
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Hi Chetan, as you've rightly mentioned, in the official question, her is referring back to the goddess (though technically goddess is not present in the sentence in the subject form). Hence my suggestion earlier that absence of subject noun antecedent should not be a criterion for dismissing the usage of an object pronoun (or a subject pronoun).

As for pronoun ambiguity, GMAT has had a rather liberal view on this, and hence the general recommendation that pronoun ambiguity should not be the first reason for us to eliminate an answer choice.

In view of this, and since the question on this thread is an unofficial question, it's bit of a moot point taking this question as the basis of discussing pronoun ambiguity.

p.s. Yeah sure, if I come across any other official question, would highlight it here.
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Re: Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband inspired her [#permalink] New post   03 Mar 2016, 14:34
getting confused between choices a and e still inclined more towards choice a
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Re: Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband inspired her [#permalink] New post   03 Mar 2016, 22:11
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rhine29388 wrote:
getting confused between choices a and e still inclined more towards choice a


Choice A: A Personal pronoun (subject or object) must have a noun as an antecedent. Possessive nouns function as adjectives and hence cannot act as antecedents of personal pronouns. In this option her is a personal pronoun (object) and hence Agatha Christie's, a possessive noun, cannot be its antecedent.

Choice E: However possessive adjectives [my, your, his, her, its, our, your (plural), their] may refer to possessive nouns, both being (or functioning as) adjectives. In this option her is a possessive adjective and therefore can refer to Agatha Christie's.
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Re: Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband inspired her [#permalink] New post   03 Mar 2016, 22:55
sayantanc2k wrote:
rhine29388 wrote:
getting confused between choices a and e still inclined more towards choice a


Choice A: A Personal pronoun (subject or object) must have a noun as an antecedent. Possessive nouns function as adjectives and hence cannot act as antecedents of personal pronouns. In this option her is a personal pronoun (object) and hence Agatha Christie's, a possessive noun, cannot be its antecedent.

Choice E: However possessive adjectives [my, your, his, her, its, our, your (plural), their] may refer to possessive nouns, both being (or functioning as) adjectives. In this option her is a possessive adjective and therefore can refer to Agatha Christie's.


Agatha Christie's travels,with her archaeologist husband, inspired to write several of her mystery novels - Is this sentence correct? Here "HER" is used as a adjective which refers to Chirste (Possessive noun).

Agatha Christie's travels,with her archaeologist husband, inspired her to write mystery novels - Here the usage of "HER" is wrong. Since HER used here is a personal pronoun and it cannot refer a possessive noun. So the usage here is wrong.

Is my understanding correct?
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Re: Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband inspired her [#permalink] New post   11 Jul 2021, 09:12
Given Gmat itself doesn't withhold the object pronoun can't refer possessive noun ,can any expert please let me know if the original explaination for E over A still holds.

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Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband inspired her [#permalink] New post   08 Nov 2022, 10:11
KarishmaB egmat RonTargetTestPrep

I always falter while evaluating meaning in SC. Do you have any suggestion of improving it?

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(A) Agatha Christie's (adjective) travels with her archaeologist husband (phrase) inspired her to write several mystery novels
>> How can travel inspire? Eliminate!

(B) Agatha Christie used her travels with her archaeologist husband to inspire several mystery novels
>> This seems correct. Eg. I used my keyboard to type this doubt. So it is not keyboard by itself typing similarly it is not that travel by itself inspiring but Agatha using her travel (memory) inspired her.


(E) Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband served as inspiration for several of her mystery novels
Same logic as A + Novels cannot be inspired
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Re: Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband inspired her [#permalink] New post   05 Jan 2024, 23:31
Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

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Re: Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband inspired her [#permalink]
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