By the same techniques used for genetically enhancing plants, making

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that researchers employed the same techniques used to genetically enhance plants in order to make the plants disease- or pest-resistant.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Verb Forms + Grammatical Construction

• The "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "making" in this sentence)" construction requires an active verb to act upon.
• The infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb") is preferred over the present participle ("verb+ing)" for referring to the purpose/intent of an action.
• Information that is important to the core meaning should not be placed within two commas.
• “that” is used to provide information needed to preserve the core meaning of the sentence, and the “comma + which” construction is used to provide extra information.

A: This answer choice incorrectly modifies the prepositional phrase "By the same techniques used for genetically enhancing plants" with the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "making" in this sentence)" construction; this usage is incorrect, as "used" and "enhancing" are modifiers rather than active verbs; please remember, the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "making" in this sentence)" construction requires an active verb to act upon. Further, Option A uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "enhancing" in this sentence)" to refer to the purpose of the action "used"; please remember, the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb") is preferred over the present participle ("verb+ing" - "enhancing" in this sentence)" for referring to the purpose/intent of an action.

B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "techniques to genetically enhance plants"; the omission of the word "used" leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that researchers employed the same techniques that are used to genetically enhance plants in order to make the plants disease- or pest-resistant. Further, Option B incorrectly places information vital to the core meaning of the sentence - the fact that plants are genetically modified in order to make them disease- or pest-resistant - between commas; remember, information that is important to the core meaning should not be placed within two commas.

C: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase "the same techniques used to genetically enhance", conveying the intended meaning - that researchers employed those specific techniques that are used for the purpose of genetically enhancing plants for the purpose of making the plants disease- or pest-resistant. Further, Option C avoids the modifier error seen in Option A, as it does not use the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing") construction. Additionally, Option C avoids the grammatical construction error seen in Option B, as it places no information between commas. Moreover, Option C correctly uses "that" to refer to information vital to the core meaning of the sentence - that genetically enhancing plants through these techniques makes them disease- or pest-resistant. Besides, Option C uses the infinitive verb form (to + base form of verb" - " to + enhance" in this sentence) to refer to the purpose of the action "used".

D: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "same techniques to genetically enhance"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the researchers employed the same techniques for the purpose of genetically enhancing plants; the intended meaning is that the researchers employed those specific techniques that are used for the purpose of genetically enhancing plants. Further, Option D incorrectly uses the "comma + which" construction to refer to information that is vital to the core meaning of the sentence - the fact that genetically enhancing plants through these techniques makes them disease- or pest-resistant; remember, “that” is used to provide information needed to preserve the core meaning of the sentence, and the “comma + which” construction is used to provide extra information.

E: Trap. This answer choice uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "enhancing" in this sentence)" to refer to the purpose of the action "used"; please remember, the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb") is preferred over the present participle ("verb+ing" - "enhancing" in this sentence)" for referring to the purpose/intent of an action.

Hence, C is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Which" vs "That" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):



To understand the concept of "Infinitive" vs "Present Participle" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):



To understand the concept of "Extra Information between Commas" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

Making the discussion complete for readers. What is a split infinitive error ?

An infinitive verb form with an element, usually an adverb, interposed between to and the verb form, as in to boldly go.

Usage Note: The split infinitive has been present in English ever since the 14th century, but it was not until the 19th century that grammarians labeled and condemned the usage. The only rationale for condemning the construction is based on a false analogy with Latin. The thinking is that because the Latin infinitive is a single word, the equivalent English construction should be treated as if it were a single unit. But English is not Latin, and distinguished writers have split infinitives without giving it a thought. Noteworthy splitters include John Donne, Daniel Defoe, George Eliot, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, William Wordsworth, and Willa Cather. Still, those who dislike the construction can usually avoid it without difficulty. The sense of the sentence To better understand the miners' plight, he went to live in their district is just as easily expressed by To understand the miners' plight better, he went to live in their district. However, one must take care not to ruin the rhythm of the sentence or create an unintended meaning by displacing an adverb. · When choosing to retain split infinitives, one should be wary of constructions that have more than one word between to and the verb. The Usage Panel is evenly divided on the one-adverb split infinitive. Fifty percent accept it in the sentence The move allowed the company to legally pay the employees severance payments that in some cases exceeded $30,000. But only 23 percent of the panel accepts the split infinitive in the sentence We are seeking a plan to gradually, systematically, and economically relieve the burden. In some contexts, the split infinitive is unavoidable, as in the sentence We expect our output to more than double in a year. · Excessive zeal in avoiding the split infinitive may result in an awkward placement of adverbs in constructions involving the auxiliary verbs be and have. Infinitive phrases in which the adverb precedes a participle, such as to be rapidly rising, to be clearly understood, and to have been ruefully mistaken, are not split and should be acceptable to everybody. By the same token, there are no grounds for objecting to the position of the adverb in the sentence He is committed to laboriously assembling all of the facts of the case. What is "split" here is not an infinitive but a prepositional phrase.

The real meaning intended here is that the techniques used to genetically enhance plants were also used to increase the amount of protein in potatoes etc....

D,E give you the impression that there are multiple techniques for genetically enhancing plants and that the same techniques were used in the genetic enhancement which, IMO is not the real intent., So D, E are out.

C is the only remaining answer that is grammatically right and captures the meaning, even though a little wordy.

You need a verb which modifies "researches" , so options A and B are out. What are researches doing ? "Employing the same techniques..."
What are researches doing ? "By the same techniques used to...making them.." Does not sign right, does it ?

Option D is out because it is not clear what "which makes them" modifies. The technique or the plants ?
Option E is out for the same reason as D is out - modifying issue.

Kudo me if I was helpful

By the same techniques used for genetically enhancing plants, making them disease- or pest-resistant, researchers have been able to increase the amount of protein in potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tobacco.

A. By the same techniques used for genetically enhancing plants, making them
B. With the same techniques to genetically enhance plants, so that they are
C. Employing the same techniques used to genetically enhance plants so that they are
D. Employing the same techniques to genetically enhance plants, which makes them
E. Employing the same techniques for genetically enhancing plants that make them

Researchers have been able to increase the amount of protein in potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tobacco. How did they do it?
By the same tech/ With the same tech/ Employing the same tech?
=>Employing the same tech.

C/D/E
D. Employing the same techniques to genetically enhance plants, which makes them

C. Employing the same techniques [used to genetically enhance plants so that they are disease- or pest-resistant]
E. Employing the same techniques for genetically enhancing plants [that make them disease- or pest-resistant]
C is the intended meaning.

One good thing about this topic is that it does not depend upon the split infinitive to reject any given choice. The consensus is that split infinitive is not a head-chopper. As one may see, the three choices that use the split –infinitives are less awkward than the other two choices that use the unidiomatic ‘for generating”’
That aside, while choices D and E do deserve to be kicked out for using the relative pronouns to refer to wrong items, even C, one can allege that is not beyond suspicion because the pronoun ‘they’ may refer to wrongly the researchers rather than plants. After all, human beings are as much disease or pest - prone as plants, aren’t they? This may be a weird deduction, yet the essence of a modifier is to ascribe directly to the noun it touches.
Doesn’t Pompeii, Caesar’s wife have to be above suspicion?

Only error i could think of usage of used to
used for is wrong idiom.

verb-ing /present participle correctly modifies researchers have been able to increase. in correct in ans choice.
But again, By the same also correctly modifies clause ... so only error which i can think of is usage of used for instead of used to

Plzz tag me , if u find any other error

Reading the sentence gives us an indication that the problem is going to test the concept of modification. If we look at the sentence after comma we see that the part before the comma should be something that modifies researchers.

Split: C,D and E starts with word employing that modifies researchers. Option A doesn't modify researches and is thus out, similarly B is out due to absence of verbing to denote action performed by researchers.

Among CDE, in D word "which" modifies plants rather than techniques and is thus out. E has wrong usage of that (that is supposed to modify techniques but is wrongly placed). Thus C is the correct answer.

Hi sayantanc2k,

I do not think there is a relative modifier modification problem in option E.
'That' correctly refers to the techniques. This option is wrong for change in the meaning. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, that is correct. Moreover, "techniques for" is not a preferred usage - an infinite is better to express an intent.

By the same techniques used for genetically enhancing plants, making them disease- or pest-resistant, researchers have been able to increase the amount of protein in potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tobacco.

A. By the same techniques used for genetically enhancing plants, making them
Should be a complete sentence for V-ing modifier.

B. With the same techniques to genetically enhance plants , so that they are "


C. Employing the same techniques used to genetically enhance plants so that they are :
D. Employing the same techniques to genetically enhance plants, which makes them

genetically enhancing plants doesn't make (genetically enhancing plants: them) disease- or pest-resistant
Also "Makes" is wrong.

E. Employing the same techniques for genetically enhancing plants that make them

Meaning change, author wants to convey that the same techniques that was used for genetically enhancing plants were used to increase the amount of protein in potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tobacco.

in A, "by..." and "making..." are both modifiers. 2 modifier never stand side by side because they can not modify each other. they need a noun modified, which is in between.

in B, "so that" must be preceded by a clause not a preposition phrase.

in D, "which" as not logic referent because "makes" is singular.

in E, 'that" refers to "plants" before to " technics".

C is correct answer here.

By the same techniques used for genetically enhancing plants, making them disease- or pest-resistant, researchers have been able to increase the amount of protein in potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tobacco.

(A) By the same techniques used for genetically enhancing plants, making them Verb+ing modifier ("making them...") is not modifying a clause. Eliminate.

(B) With the same techniques to genetically enhance plants, so that they are Usage of just "to" instead of "used to" gives the impression that the intent is to genetically enhance plants, whereas the intended meaning is that these techniques have already been used. Eliminate.

(C) Employing the same techniques used to genetically enhance plants so that they are Correct answer. Both above errors are eliminated and no new errors are introduced.

(D) Employing the same techniques to genetically enhance plants, which makes them "which" incorrectly modifies plants when it should modify "techniques". Eliminate.

(E) Employing the same techniques for genetically enhancing plants that make them "that" incorrectly modifies plants when it should modify "techniques". Eliminate.

Hope this helps.

Hi experts

Regarding option E, I went through all the explanations on the this thread but couldn't conclusively determine why is option E incorrect

Is it because of incorrect referent 'that' - which refers to plants instead of techniques
or incorrect usage of 'for' instead of 'to'?

In my opinion - 'that' is not referring to plants, it refers to techniques only if we go by the structure of the sentence. Please help clarify

Regards, Devansh

Indeed quite subtle. Look at E:

Employing the same techniques for genetically enhancing plants.., researchers have been able to…

So, this seems to suggest that researchers have been employing the same techniques for genetically enhancing plants.

But this is wrong. Researchers are not employing techniques for genetically enhancing plants; researchers have been using these techniques to increase the amount of protein in potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tobacco.

Hello devansh18,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, the use of "that" in Option E indeed leads to awkwardness in meaning that makes Option E inferior to Option C.

Further, the use of "for" also makes Option E inferior; E uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "enhancing" in this sentence) to refer to the intent of the action "Employing the same techniques", whereas C uses the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb" - "to + enhance" in this case) to refer to the intent of the action "used"; remember, for referring to the purpose/intent of an action, the infinitive verb form is preferred over present participles.

To understand the concept of "Infinitive" vs "Present Participle" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

in (C) Employing the same techniques used to genetically enhance plants so that they are

please help me identify different elements of structure i.e subject/verb/object

to me '' Employing the same techniques used to genetically'' is a modifier

'they' obeject
are' verb of the object

what is the main subject? is it the gerund ing construction?