Although appearing less appetizing than most of their round and red su

I've a sister who can solve difficult math and whose friend can easily make clear verbal part.
I think, my sentence is perfectly fine and also the two modifier modifies the same noun "sister", isn't it? Perhaps, you are talking about ''that modifier'' will be separated by comma and will in a row, then i can cross out the option if THE two modifier modifies the same noun and their position is in a row separated by comma, isn't it?
Thanks...

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Hi sayantanc2k,
I got a sentence correction today where the ''consecutive modifiers'' can modify the same noun.
here is given that SC.

Originally developed for detecting air pollutants, a technique called proton-induced x-ray emission, which can quickly analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance without destroying it, is finding uses in medicine, archaeology, and criminology.

(A) Originally developed for detecting air pollutants, a technique called proton-induced x-ray emission, which can quickly analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance without destroying it,

(B) Originally developed for detecting air pollutants, having the ability to analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance without destroying it, a technique called proton induced x-ray emission

(C) A technique originally developed for detecting air pollutants, called proton-induced x-ray emission, which can quickly analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance without destroying it,

(D) A technique originally developed for detecting air pollutants, called proton-induced x-ray emission, which has the ability to analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance quickly and without destroying it,

(E) A technique that was originally developed for detecting air pollutants and has the ability to analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance quickly and without destroying the substance, called proton-induced x-ray emission,
Here, A is the correct answer.
in A, two consecutive modifiers modify the same noun ('A technique')
two consecutive modifiers are:
1/ ''called proton-induced x-ray emission''
2/ ''which can quickly analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance without destroying it''
Am I correct?
Thanks for your help.

The above post by RzS4v explains your query well. The noun phrase “a technique called proton-induced x-ray emission” is the subject - "technique" is the noun and "called proton-induced x-ray emission" is an adjectival phrase. The modifier "which can quickly analyze ..." modifies the complete noun phrase (noun+noun modifier).

Nonetheless your observation is valid. Technically there ARE two consecutive modifiers referring to the same noun. This is actually an exception to the modifier touch rule (ideally "which can quickly..." should refer to "emission") - the following excerpt from Manhattan SC guide explains this exception:


In general, noun modifiers must touch their nouns. However, there are a few exceptions to the Touch Rule.
1. A “mission-critical” modifier falls between. This modifier is often an of phrase that defines the noun. The less important modifier refers to the noun plus the first modifier.
Right: He had a wav OF DODGING OPPONENTS that impressed the scouts.
Here, the “mission-critical” modifier of dodging opponents defines the noun way.

First Glance

The underline is long, with multiple commas, and the sentence even includes dashes. Look for Structure, Meaning, Modifier, or Parallelism issues.

Issues

The core of the sentence is heirloom tomatoes & heirlooms are.

The core of this sentence would be equivalent to "Bob Anne are in town," as opposed to "Bob and Anne are in town." In other words, there are two subjects without any kind of connecting word in between - illegal move! Eliminate answer (A).

Scan the other answers to see whether any repeat this error.

(B) Although W, grown from X, appear Y, heirlooms are Z ...
(C) Although W, heirloom tomatoes, grown from X, heirlooms are Z
(D) Grown from X, heirloom tomatoes appear Y, heirlooms are Z ...
(E) Heirloom tomatoes, grown from X, although W, heirlooms are Z ...

While answer (D) does not repeat the exact error, it does introduce a different structural error. The core here is heirloom tomatoes appear Y heirlooms are Z. This is the equivalent of saying "Bob appears happy Bob is tall." This is a run-on sentence. Eliminate answer (D).

The Correct Answer

Correct answer (B) changes the sentence structure by placing heirloom tomatoes in the subordinate clause, leaving the later heirlooms as the sole subject of the sentence:

Although heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds, appear less appetizing - they are often green - heirlooms are more flavorful and thus in increasing demand.

Although appearing less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year – they are often green and striped, or have plenty of bumps and bruises – heirlooms are more flavorful and thus in increasing demand.

(A) Although appearing less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year - "heirloom tomatoes" wrongly placed

(B) Although heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins - CORRECT

(C) Although they appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year - "they" refers to what, is not clear + "heirloom tomatoes" wrongly placed

(D) Grown from seeds saved during the previous year, heirloom tomatoes appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins - "heirloom tomatoes" wrongly placed

(E) Heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, although they appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins - what is "they" referring to us unclear

This is one question said to be from official sources according to the LINK given below (in its attached file.)
https://gmatclub.com/forum/the-most-com ... 40372.html



This is another from OG sources.
https://gmatclub.com/forum/although-app ... 87-60.html

Which one is the correct official version?

Hello Sahil01,


Although you arrived at the correct answer choice for this rather official question, you reasons to reject incorrect answer choices is not correct.

Following are the errors in the incorrect answer choices.:

Choice A: Incorrect because there is no verb for the subject heirloom tomatoes.

Choice B: Correct Answer.

Choice C: Incorrect because there is no verb for the subject heirloom tomatoes.

Choice D: Incorrect.
1. There is no contrast word in this choice. So the intended contrast between the two types of tomatoes is missing per this choice.
2. There is no connector to join two independent clauses are heirloom tomatoes appear... and they are often green and striped....

Choice E: Incorrect because there is no verb for the subject heirloom tomatoes.


Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha

Dear Experts,
Just so that i understand this correctly, —they are often green and striped, or have plenty of bumps and bruises— is a modifier modifying Heirloom tomatoes ...... does it not need to be close to the noun it modifies?
Here it's kinda spaced very far and there are other possible (but less probable) subjects such as supermarket cousins which this modifier could still potentially point to.

Dear grsm,

I'm not an expert here, but more than happy to respond on this issue of use of dash(-).
The dash (—) is a flexible punctuation mark that you would encounter on GMAT occasionally.
It is flexible because of multiple reasons:
Reference: Manhattan GMAT Sentence Correction.
I hope this helps.

please explain the difference between a and b as in both the case there is a Dependent clause followed by a Independent clause

Option A is:

Although appearing less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year—they are often green and striped, or have plenty of bumps and bruises—heirlooms are more flavorful and thus in increasing demand.

or, if we remove some of the additional information:

Although appearing ABC, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year—they are often green and striped, or have plenty of bumps and bruises—heirlooms are more XYZ.

The problem here is that there are two nouns ("heirloom tomatoes" and "heirlooms") in the subject position for the verb are.

Hello Experts:
MartyTargetTestPrep, GMATNinja, GMATGuruNY, AjiteshArun, MentorTutoring, EducationAisle, generis

So, the correct sentence (B) is:

Although heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins – they are often green and striped, or have plenty of bumps and bruises – heirlooms are more flavorful and thus in increasing demand.
The core is:
Although heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins – they are often green and striped, or have plenty of bumps and bruises – heirlooms are more flavorful and thus in increasing demand.

Although heirloom tomatoes appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins heirlooms are more flavorful and thus in increasing demand.
In this version, why we did not use the pronoun of 'heirloom tomatoes' in the 2nd highlighted part?
What if I say:
Although Mr. Robert is a member of GMAT Club, Mr. Robert did blah blah blah....
Should I use 'Mr. Robert' for the 2nd time? Shouldn't we use the pronoun of 'Mr. Robert'?
Thanks__

Hello, Asad. There is no problem with referring to a variety of tomato, the heirloom, by its truncated form heirlooms later in the sentence. It is no different from shortening the adjectival form of the item to its nominative form in the following sentence shells:

1) Although the hooded sweatshirt... hoodies have made a comeback in recent years.

2) Although the convertible top on some earlier models of automobiles... convertibles continue to roam the streets year after year.

If the noun clearly refers back to the earlier adjective-noun iteration, even if, as in the second sentence above, that phrase is stretched out quite a bit, then there is no issue to speak of. In that second sentence, no one is going to misinterpret it as saying that convertible tops are roaming the streets, but that, logically, it must be cars or autos with convertible tops, commonly known as convertibles, that are doing the roaming instead.

I hope that helps. If you have further questions, feel free to ask.

- Andrew

So B states "Although heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins".

I agree that P.O.E leaves us with B here but i am not able understand that the usage of 'their' in this sentence. I actually forgot the rule of possessive pronouns on GMAT. Can someone please brush up on that topic. So possessive pronoun (after the noun is addressed) can refer to that particular noun? And that same rule wouldnt work if possessive pronoun appears before the noun?

Hi Krishchamp, I don't believe there is any such rule (worth remembering).

Possessive pronouns can refer to both possessive nouns and to non-possessive nouns.

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Can I say that E is wrong because 2 consecutive modifiers (1/grown from seeds saved during the previous year; and 2/although they appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins..) CAN'T modify one thing (noun)!

Hi TheUltimateWinner, notice the structure of E:

Heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, although they appear less appetizing...

Does't that sound absurd? It's basically saying:

Heirloom tomatoes (are) grown from seeds saved during the previous year, although they appear less appetizing...

This suggests that despite the fact that Heirloom tomatoes appear less appetizing, they are grown from seeds saved during the previous year!

However, that doesn't make sense. The fact that Heirloom tomatoes appear less appetizing is independent of the fact that they are grown from seeds saved during the previous year!