(A) Believed to originate from a small area on their foreheads, elephants emit low-frequency sounds that may be used - Modifier error. Believed to originate.... must modify low frequency sounds and not elephanths

(B) Elephants emit low-frequency sounds that are believed to originate from a small area on their foreheads, and they may use this - We are not about the antecedent for 'this'

(C) Elephants emit low-frequency sounds, believed to originate from a small area on their foreheads, that they may use - Correct.

(D) Originating, it is believed, from a small area on their foreheads; elephants emit low-frequency sounds they may use - Same error as A + ';' is incorrectly used to connect a dependent clause with independent clause

(E) Originating, it is believed, from a small area on their foreheads, low-frequency sounds are emitted by elephants that may be used - 'that' illogically refers to elephants

Answer: C

My main doubt is that in option E, what does 'that' refer to.

Elephants or sounds?

Please help. Thank you.

Sent from my SM-T285 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Ideally 'that' should refer to low frequency sounds. But, in option E 'that' is referring to elephants.

Thanks Vaishak. That helps.

Is there some guideline or conceptual material also that you can recommend for this?

I generally get confused in these of, by, from phrases.

Thanks.

Elephants emit low-frequency sounds, believed to originate from a small area on their foreheads, that they may use
please tell here "that" refers to foreheads or low frequency sound?

“That” refers to the sounds in option E. There’s no valid reason to use “that” right after the word elephants In option E if wanted to refer to the elephants again.

Makes no sense to me.

On the other hand, among other reasons, I think D and E are not the best answers because of the sheer complexity of the sentences and the lack of brevity.


Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum

Hi D and E indeed wrong answer but in C if you notice 'that" refers to the forehead of elephant rather it should modify " Sounds".Are you satisfied with this? if so then can can you explain?

I understand your query. I’ll put my explanation this way :

Option A cannot be the answer because of SV disagreement.

Option B - towards the end of the sentence the word “this” indicates a singular noun but when the noun is plural “sounds” , “these” would have been more correct

Option C - Ignore the second clause and try to read the sentence without it. It’ll still make logical sense. Although I’m not entirely sure if that’s the right way to go about it.

Options D and E- look rubbish to me because of the way they’re drafted


Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum

I am not convinced with the Option 'C'

Believed to originate from a small area on their foreheads, elephants emit low-frequency sounds that may be used as a secret language to communicate with other members of the herd.


(A) Believed to originate from a small area on their foreheads, elephants emit low-frequency sounds that may be used The initial clause must modify the sounds and not elephants. Eliminate.

(B) Elephants emit low-frequency sounds that are believed to originate from a small area on their foreheads, and they may use this Singular pronoun "this" at the end refers to plural noun "sounds". Eliminate.

(C) Elephants emit low-frequency sounds, believed to originate from a small area on their foreheads, that they may use Correct answer. SV and modifier errors are corrected and no new errors are introduced.

(D) Originating, it is believed, from a small area on their foreheads; elephants emit low-frequency sounds they may use ';' is incorrectly connecting a dependent and independent clauses. Eliminate.

(E) Originating, it is believed, from a small area on their foreheads, low-frequency sounds are emitted by elephants that may be used "that" refers to elephants when it should refer to "sounds". Eliminate.

Hope this helps.
_________________

A: Elephants does not originate from their foreheads. Maybe as a metaphor in a very stretched sense (=their brains decide when to mate, and thus they "originate from their foreheads". Long shot.

B: Sounds dont have foreheads. Their is ambiguous.

E: Sounds still have not grown foreheads. I am not sure though how musicians speak about the musical notes.

Posted from my mobile device

Disagree with OA. Poor quality question. Option "C", reads as if the forehead is responsible for the low frequency comms.