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As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  Updated on: 04 Jun 2021, 07:55
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As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee.

(A) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which

(B) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which

(C) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when

(D) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when

(E) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which
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Originally posted by USADream on 18 Aug 2013, 21:27.
Last edited by Bunuel on 04 Jun 2021, 07:55, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  07 Jan 2014, 03:27
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USADream wrote:
As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee

a) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which
b) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which
c) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when
d) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when
e) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which.



My reasoning is as follows, please chime in if you have any questions/comments:

present participles, after commas, modify the WHOLE preceding clause.. Thus, "using" in A/B/D modify the whole preceding clause, which distorts the intended meaning. You don't want to modify the preceding clause, you want to explain HOW people avoid toll charges.. Therefore, A/B/D are gone.

E distorts meaning by giving us a conditional "when", as if to imply that the only times they find how to avoid toll charges is WHEN using mobile phones...

C, on the other hand, clearly tells us WHAT ACTION leads to people finding how to avoid charges.. "they avoid X... by doing Y.." makes sense..

So this question is partly a modifier question, and partly a logical predication question..
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  18 Aug 2013, 21:59
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gpsao wrote:
As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee

a) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which
b) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which
c) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when
d) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when
e) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which.


If you read original sentence..there is wrong usage of WHICH...we need WHEN to describe TIME.Hence options A/B/E =>WRONG

c) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when
CORRECT

d) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when
WRONG
PHONES USING MOBILE PHONES =>THIS IS WRONG
FOR MAKING is unidiomatic HERE.

HENCE C
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  12 Feb 2014, 16:59
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a) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which Wrong - "which" cannot be a relative pronoun for time. Time must be "in which", "that", or "when".

b) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which Wrong - "instead using" is an idiom not used correctly; "during which" is redundant and imprecise.

c) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when Correct

d) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when Wrong - "using" cannot modify phones

e) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which. Wrong - "when" cannot describe phones; "which" cannot modify a time.

IMO C
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  21 Sep 2017, 23:06
In Option C, if we change this highlighted portion
phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when

and convert this option into the following sentence(this change taken from option D)
phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when

Will both the versions be correct?
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  27 Sep 2017, 01:35
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gaitbhu wrote:
In Option C, if we change this highlighted portion
phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when

and convert this option into the following sentence(this change taken from option D)
phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when

Will both the versions be correct?



Hello gaitbhu,

I will be glad to help you with this one. :-)

IMHO, the modified version of the sentence would also present the same meaning.

However, I wonder what could be the significance of this modification.


Hope this helps. :-)
Thanks.
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  22 Apr 2020, 23:46
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When you see the phrase ‘at a time which’ you should realise that this is incorrect.
‘When’ is the correct preposition of time that’s to be used here.

(A) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which

(B) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which

(C) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when

(D) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when

(E) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which

For this reason, we can eliminate Options A, B and E.

Option D is incorrect for ‘phones using mobile phones’ which is not the intended meaning.
Plus, there is also the unidiomatic ‘for’ used in this option. Eliminate.

Option C is the best option.

Hope this helps!
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  09 Aug 2020, 09:02
GMATNinja Just want to be crystal clear, but can "which" NOT be used to refer to time? Also, if time permits, would you please provide some feedback on my analysis? :please:

(A) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which
(1) “which” can’t be used for time; (2) “for making” is unidiomatic – should be “to make”

(B) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which
(1) “which” can’t be used for time; (2) is there anything wrong with "instead" here? Experts please help

(C) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when
(1) “which” can’t be used for time;

(D) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when
(1) “…on their home phones using mobiles phones…” – this is illogical and therefore, incorrect; (2) “for making” is unidiomatic – should be “to make”

(E) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which
(1) “when” needs to modify a time, not “phones”; (2) “which” can’t be used for time;
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  06 Oct 2020, 14:24
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samgyupsal wrote:
GMATNinja Just want to be crystal clear, but can "which" NOT be used to refer to time? Also, if time permits, would you please provide some feedback on my analysis? :please:

(A) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which
(1) “which” can’t be used for time; (2) “for making” is unidiomatic – should be “to make”

(B) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which
(1) “which” can’t be used for time; (2) is there anything wrong with "instead" here? Experts please help

(C) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when
(1) “which” can’t be used for time;

(D) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when
(1) “…on their home phones using mobiles phones…” – this is illogical and therefore, incorrect; (2) “for making” is unidiomatic – should be “to make”

(E) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which
(1) “when” needs to modify a time, not “phones”; (2) “which” can’t be used for time;

I wouldn't make the blanket statement that "which" CANNOT be used to refer to time. It depends on the context. Here are a few examples with "which..." clauses that modify "time":

    "Tim has some free time, which he feels guilty about wasting."
    "Time, which was thought to be constant, is actually relative, according to some guy named Albert."
    "The meeting will be postponed to a later time, which will be determined by the boss."

And here are some with "when..." clauses that modify "time":

    "The meeting will be held at a time when all participants will be in town."
    "I look forward to a time when pizza can be 3D-printed at home."
    "I remember a time when pizza cost 10 cents a slice."

That said, you can kill both (A) and (B) for logic problems.

Quote:
(A) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee.

At first glance, it looks like the companies are providing time itself. This is nonsense, and it makes the subsequent phrase confusing, at best. A company can provide airtime, but not the abstract notion of moments passing. So while "which" can theoretically refer to time, in (A) it produces a problematic meaning. This is enough to get rid of (A).

Quote:
(B) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which

I'm not sure what a "night of weekends" is, but it sounds pretty fun. Are we cramming multiple weekends into a Thursday night? College students certainly try, but on the GMAT, this phrase is illogical.

I hope that helps!
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  22 May 2021, 00:03
USADream wrote:
As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee.

(A) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which

(B) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which

(C) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when

(D) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when

(E) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which


Hi VeritasKarishma GMATNinja EducationAisle, given none of the post mentioned about the usage of 'ing' participle in option A here, I wanted to check if the 'ing' modifier is used here correctly and if yes what does it modifies?
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  23 May 2021, 22:47
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RohitSaluja wrote:
USADream wrote:
As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee.

(A) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which

(B) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which

(C) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when

(D) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when

(E) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which


Hi VeritasKarishma GMATNinja EducationAisle, given none of the post mentioned about the usage of 'ing' participle in option A here, I wanted to check if the 'ing' modifier is used here correctly and if yes what does it modifies?


No, I don't like the comma+ing in (A).
comma + ing is used to provide cause-effect relation or additional information about the previous subject/clause.
The sentence here intends to tell you that people are avoiding toll charges on home phones by using their mobile phones at opportune times. With a comma + ing that meaning is lost.

When adverbial phrases are used after the verb, we normally do not use a comma.

... many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones by using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends ...

The reason most people have ignored it is that "which/when" decision point is obvious. For a point in time, we use "when", not "which".
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  Updated on: 25 May 2021, 00:53
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VeritasKarishma wrote:
RohitSaluja wrote:
USADream wrote:
As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee.

(A) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which

(B) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which

(C) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when

(D) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when

(E) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which


Hi VeritasKarishma GMATNinja EducationAisle, given none of the post mentioned about the usage of 'ing' participle in option A here, I wanted to check if the 'ing' modifier is used here correctly and if yes what does it modifies?


No, I don't like the comma+ing in (A).
comma + ing is used to provide cause-effect relation or additional information about the previous subject/clause.
The sentence here intends to tell you that people are avoiding toll charges on home phones by using their mobile phones at opportune times. With a comma + ing that meaning is lost.

When adverbial phrases are used after the verb, we normally do not use a comma.

... many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones by using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends ...

The reason most people have ignored it is that "which/when" decision point is obvious. For a point in time, we use "when", not "which".



Hi Karishma,

Joe called his parent, using his new phone.

I think the above sentence is perfectly fine because the verb ing presents the additional information: How did Joe call? He called using his new phone.

And I think same is the case with the question's A part.


Main Qn: many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends

How can they avoid toll? By using....

My question is would you reject an option SOLELY on this usage of verb-ing? I am just comparing it with the example I gave and it seems like verb-ing here is not a deterministic error. Can you please help me?

Thank you in advance!

VeritasKarishma GMATNinja

Originally posted by ashmit99 on 23 May 2021, 23:33.
Last edited by ashmit99 on 25 May 2021, 00:53, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  24 May 2021, 23:29
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ashmit99 wrote:

My question is would you reject an option SOLELY on this usage of verb-ing? I am just comparing it with the example I gave and it seems like verb-ing here is not a deterministic error. Can you please help me?

Thank you in advance!

VeritasKarishma


You don't need a comma before "using" in your example. We usually do not put a comma in such situations.
As for what constitutes a deterministic error, that depends on what options you have. Language and "rules" are flexible depending on what you want to convey and the best possible way available to convey it. That is why I often use words such as "usually", "often" etc when spelling out what is acceptable usage and what is not.
You have an added constraint of limited options in GMAT questions. Use them to your advantage. If a list of rules were all that were needed to ace SC, this type of questions would not have been tested on GMAT.
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  04 Jun 2021, 07:48
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RohitSaluja wrote:
USADream wrote:
As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee.

(A) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which

(B) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which

(C) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when

(D) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when

(E) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which


Hi VeritasKarishma GMATNinja EducationAisle, given none of the post mentioned about the usage of 'ing' participle in option A here, I wanted to check if the 'ing' modifier is used here correctly and if yes what does it modifies?

When we see an "-ing" modifier following a full clause and a comma, we can assume that the "-ing" is describing the previous clause, giving us either a consequence of the previous action or context for that action.

Take another look at the relevant portion of (A):

Quote:
many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home [u]phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends

Here "using" appears to give us context for the previous action, informing us how people are avoiding toll charges. Makes sense to me. So I wouldn't eliminate (A) for this usage. (But, as others have noted, there's a problem with the phrase "at a time which," and this is the reason to get rid of the option.)

I hope that clears things up!
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Re: As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last [#permalink] New post  04 Jun 2021, 09:37
GMATNinja wrote:
RohitSaluja wrote:
USADream wrote:
As the cost of wireless service has steadily dropped over the last year and as mobile phones have become increasingly common, many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which many wireless companies provide unlimited airtime for a small monthly fee.

(A) phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends, at a time which

(B) phones, instead using mobile phones to make long-distance calls during the night of weekends, during which

(C) phones by using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when

(D) phones using mobile phones for making long-distance calls during the night or weekends, when

(E) phones when using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, a time which


Hi VeritasKarishma GMATNinja EducationAisle, given none of the post mentioned about the usage of 'ing' participle in option A here, I wanted to check if the 'ing' modifier is used here correctly and if yes what does it modifies?

When we see an "-ing" modifier following a full clause and a comma, we can assume that the "-ing" is describing the previous clause, giving us either a consequence of the previous action or context for that action.

Take another look at the relevant portion of (A):

Quote:
many people are finding that they can avoid toll charges on their home [u]phones, using their mobile phones for making long-distance calls at night or on weekends

Here "using" appears to give us context for the previous action, informing us how people are avoiding toll charges. Makes sense to me. So I wouldn't eliminate (A) for this usage. (But, as others have noted, there's a problem with the phrase "at a time which," and this is the reason to get rid of the option.)

I hope that clears things up!


Thanks a lot GMATNinja for the clarification, can you confirm if option B would have dropped "by" and put a comma instead, phones, using their mobile phones to make long-distance calls at night or on weekends, when it would have still be correct?
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