Although swimming can cause cramps in a swimmer’s legs or feet, they c

options A,C and E have pronoun error
option D has incorrect usage of ' the fact ... cannot be avoided'
correct usage occurs in option B with a clear indication of intended meaning

Hi Experts,

I have question for choice C.

(C) Swimming can cause cramps in a swimmer’s legs or feet, which can usually be avoided if the swimmer avoids overexertion and performs stretching exercises before entering the pool.

is n't "in a swimmer's legs or feet" a prepositional phrase and with exception of touch rule (vital modifier can be placed before non-vital modifier"), can't "which" refer to "cramps"?

Thanks

(A) Although swimming can cause cramps in a swimmer’s legs or feet, they

(B) Cramps in a swimmer’s legs or feet caused by swimming

(C) Swimming can cause cramps in a swimmer’s legs or feet, which

(D) The fact that swimming can cause cramps in a swimmer’s legs or feet

(E) Swimming can cause cramps in a swimmer’s legs or feet, although they


A. Use of "they" is ambiguous as it may refer to legs, feet, or cramps.

B. Cramps....can be avoided. Correct

C. "which" is wrongly modifying "feet". Feet can't be avoided.

D. The fact......can be avoided. Nonsensical

E. Use of "they" is ambiguous as it may refer to legs, feet, or cramps.

IMO, it is possible that "which" here is an exception of touch rule. However, the main information of the sentence is that "Cramps can be avoided" (option B), not "Swimming can cause cramp" (option C). I use meaning to eliminate C.

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Step 1: Read the Original Sentence Carefully, Looking for Errors
It’s not enough to have a good sense of which noun an underlined pronoun refers back to; the
sentence has to be 100 percent clear about it. As you were reading, you might have instinctively
assumed that “they” refers back to “cramps,” but this isn’t good enough on the GMAT. Because
“they” could also refer to “legs” or “feet,” its use here is wrong.

Step 2: Scan and Group the Answer Choices
An initial scan doesn’t yield much in the way of splits, but it’s important to scan for the ways in
which the answer choices will deal with the all too common “they” problem.

Step 3: Eliminate Choices Until Only One Remains
(A) is incorrect because the pronoun “they” here is ambiguous; “they” could refer to “cramps,” “legs,”
or “feet.” Likewise, (E) is wrong, as is (C), although here the ambiguous pronoun is “which.” What
does “which” refer to in choice (C): the legs or feet, the cramps, or the entire preceding clause? (D)
is also wrong; a fact cannot be avoided. “The fact that” is another phrase that almost always signals
a wrong answer choice on GMAT Sentence Corrections. Finally, (B) is correct because it avoids
pronoun reference problems and makes it clear that “cramps” can be avoided.

is the "they" in A really ambiguous? Like it seems logical that the "they" is really only trying to refer back to cramps here. Seems non-sensical to consider legs or feet in its place.

I agree, even in E there is no ambiguity as they refer back to cramps obviously, so if we discard E or A it’s really not for pronoun ambiguity as it is not ambiguous. Why E is wrong though?

Posted from my mobile device

I would like to understand why options A or E are wrong. How can "they" here be ambiguous when the meaning of the sentence clearly points the pronoun to the cramps? feet of legs can't be avoided by doing some exercises right? So here "they" clearly refers to cramps right?

Hello, bumblebee9898. For the record, I agree that they is unambiguous in answer choices (A) and (E). The context of the sentence suggests one reasonable interpretation. Furthermore, pronoun ambiguity is not a death sentence against an answer choice. (Check out this response by GMATNinja to an official question.) However, I would argue that the pronoun that follows an introductory (dependent) clause is clearest when it refers to the subject of that clause, and in option (A), we have Although swimming... they. There should be a better way of expressing the idea that cramps may be avoided. Answer choice (E) is a bit different in that the dependent clause has been shifted to the end, and the gerund swimming is the subject of main clause. There is more flexibility in what a pronoun may refer to if it reaches back into the main clause, but there is still a mismatch between singular subject and plural pronoun: Swimming can cause cramps, although they... Between options (A) and (E), I would favor the latter, but out of these five answer choices, (B) is the clearest and sidesteps pronoun usage altogether, conveying, at a base level, that cramps can be avoided. Nothing could be more direct.

Perhaps the question makes more sense now. As you can see from my signature, I am not overly fond of questions by third parties. There is a reason.

Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew

There's nothing wrong with either version. So, this question has three correct answers.

So the question is poorly written ?

Hello, Arthurito. Marty may have his own views, but for my part, the question is so-so, on par with many questions I see from third parties. I do think the strongest case can be made for (B), as I have written above. It is the official explanation that I take issue with, since pronoun ambiguity is a non-factor.

- Andrew

Yes, it's poorly written.

Choices (A) and (E) are OK, even if it would be more ideal for the subject of the first clause to be the referent of "they" in the second clause.

(B) is a little off as well because it seems to suggest that cramps already caused by swimming can be avoided, but it's OK.

In fact, now that I look again, even (C) is arguably OK, because "which" can correctly refer to "cramps in a swimmer's legs or feet."

So, this question has four arguably correct answers rather than three.

Only (D), which conveys a nonsensical meaning, is unarguably incorrect.