Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 11:27 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 11:27
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
sukanyar
User avatar
Joined: 20 Apr 2013
Last visit: 20 Dec 2017
Posts: 113
Own Kudos:
126
Given Kudos: 19
Posts: 113
Kudos: 126
Can't 'which' modify an entire sentence?! 21 Jun 2016, 07:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
mikemcgarry


No. As with many grammar rules, it comes from the inherent logic of grammar, which the GMAT inerrantly follows.

The word "which" is a pronoun. The word "that" has many uses, but one of them is as a pronoun. A pronoun has one and only one legitimate grammatical use, and that is to represent an individual noun that appears elsewhere in the sentence. A pronoun can't represent anything other than a noun. This is fundamental to what a pronoun is. Like SVA, this is purely objective and not debatable in the least.

Does all this make sense?
Mike :-)
Show more
Hi Mike, I think HiLine wanted to ask whether "which" can refer to a "noun phrase" (I know that pronoun "it" can refer to noun phrase, but not sure about "which"). So, would the following be correct: Fighting corruption, which is not easy, requires guts.

So, here, does "which" modify the noun phrase "Fighting corruption"..or will "which" modify "corruption"?
User avatar
mikemcgarry
User avatar
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Last visit: 06 Aug 2018
Posts: 4,479
Own Kudos:
30,536
 [1]
Given Kudos: 130
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,479
Kudos: 30,536
 [1]
Can't 'which' modify an entire sentence?! 21 Jun 2016, 11:56
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
sukanyar
Hi Mike, I think HiLine wanted to ask whether "which" can refer to a "noun phrase" (I know that pronoun "it" can refer to noun phrase, but not sure about "which"). So, would the following be correct: Fighting corruption, which is not easy, requires guts.

So, here, does "which" modify the noun phrase "Fighting corruption"..or will "which" modify "corruption"?
Show more
Dear sukanyar,
I'm happy to respond. :-) I don't believe this was HiLine's question, but what you ask is an excellent question on its own.

There are three major grammatical forms that act as nouns:
1) gerunds (e.g. "fighting corruption")
2) infinitives (e.g. "to ask interesting question")
3) substantive clauses, a.k.a noun clauses (e.g. "that dogs make good pets")

Now, if we were to take a mathematically approach to grammar, then certainly anything that is true of a noun would be true of these as well. We can modify a noun with "which," so theoretically we could modify any of these with "which."

Theoretically, that is true. In practice, this is a rare and questionable construction. I have never seen it on any official question or on any reputable practice questions, and instinctually I would avoid it in writing my own questions. I don't recall ever seeing this construction in any sophisticated written material. It's exceedingly rare, and I am not aware of a grammar source that discusses it.

Your sentence is quite reasonable: Fighting corruption, which is not easy, requires guts. The pronoun "which" unambiguously modifies the gerund. This doesn't strike me as wrong, but I have never ever seen this on an official question. I could imagine sentences of this sort in colloquial speech, but I can't imagine them in formal academic writing, as we see on the GMAT.

That's my best guess on this very good and unusual question.

Mike :-)
User avatar
HiLine
User avatar
Joined: 27 Mar 2016
Last visit: 13 Jun 2018
Posts: 313
Own Kudos:
223
Given Kudos: 27
Location: United States (CO)
GMAT 1: 770 Q51 V44
GPA: 3.69
WE:Analyst (Consulting)
GMAT 1: 770 Q51 V44
Posts: 313
Kudos: 223
Can't 'which' modify an entire sentence?! 21 Jun 2016, 17:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Wasn't my question but a good question nevertheless, and Mike answered it well! :D

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
sukanyar
User avatar
Joined: 20 Apr 2013
Last visit: 20 Dec 2017
Posts: 113
Own Kudos:
126
Given Kudos: 19
Posts: 113
Kudos: 126
Can't 'which' modify an entire sentence?! 22 Jun 2016, 03:42
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Thanks for the wonderful explanation Mike!
User avatar
ccooley
User avatar
Manhattan Prep Instructor
Joined: 04 Dec 2015
Last visit: 06 Jun 2020
Posts: 931
Own Kudos:
1,642
Given Kudos: 115
GMAT 1: 790 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 790 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 931
Kudos: 1,642
Can't 'which' modify an entire sentence?! 24 Jun 2016, 15:04
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
"Actually wrong" is a bit of an absurd concept, I think! You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't use 'which' to modify whole sentences. It's a fairly preposterous grammar 'rule', and definitely doesn't describe how people actually write and speak.

That said, I think we should be grateful that the GMAC considers it to be a rule. It gives you a very quick, smart way to eliminate answers that otherwise sound good to your ear. The 'which rule' is a very commonly tested concept on tough SC problems, and people who realize that the GMAC doesn't like it, have a leg up on people who solely use their ears for SC.
User avatar
HanoiGMATtutor
User avatar
Joined: 24 Jun 2016
Last visit: 25 Sep 2019
Posts: 333
Own Kudos:
142
Given Kudos: 21
GMAT 1: 770 Q60 V60
GPA: 4
GMAT 1: 770 Q60 V60
Posts: 333
Kudos: 142
Can't 'which' modify an entire sentence?! 25 Jun 2016, 07:26
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ccooley
"Actually wrong" is a bit of an absurd concept, I think! You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't use 'which' to modify whole sentences. It's a fairly preposterous grammar 'rule', and definitely doesn't describe how people actually write and speak.

That said, I think we should be grateful that the GMAC considers it to be a rule. It gives you a very quick, smart way to eliminate answers that otherwise sound good to your ear. The 'which rule' is a very commonly tested concept on tough SC problems, and people who realize that the GMAC doesn't like it, have a leg up on people who solely use their ears for SC.
Show more

Do you have an example to show that the GMAC considers this to be a rule? I kinda have a hunch it is, but have no proof or evidence. :|
User avatar
ccooley
User avatar
Manhattan Prep Instructor
Joined: 04 Dec 2015
Last visit: 06 Jun 2020
Posts: 931
Own Kudos:
1,642
Given Kudos: 115
GMAT 1: 790 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 790 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 931
Kudos: 1,642
Can't 'which' modify an entire sentence?! 26 Jun 2016, 13:43
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
HanoiGMATtutor
ccooley
"Actually wrong" is a bit of an absurd concept, I think! You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't use 'which' to modify whole sentences. It's a fairly preposterous grammar 'rule', and definitely doesn't describe how people actually write and speak.

That said, I think we should be grateful that the GMAC considers it to be a rule. It gives you a very quick, smart way to eliminate answers that otherwise sound good to your ear. The 'which rule' is a very commonly tested concept on tough SC problems, and people who realize that the GMAC doesn't like it, have a leg up on people who solely use their ears for SC.

Do you have an example to show that the GMAC considers this to be a rule? I kinda have a hunch it is, but have no proof or evidence. :|
Show more

Sure thing! In the OG16, check out the official explanation for SC46, particularly answer choice A. The GMAC says that 'the referent of which is ambiguous'. But if the referent of 'which' could be a full clause, then it would clearly modify the entire preceding clause, 'alter the saline content of the bay'.

Another example is in the explanation for SC84. If the antecedent of 'which' could be "touch each exhibit" (i.e. a clause), then there wouldn't be any 'ambiguity'.

By the way, I can't stand how heavily the GMAC leans on the term 'ambiguous'. Ironically, they aren't very clear about what that means! It would make much more sense to phrase it in terms of grammar rules.
User avatar
mikemcgarry
User avatar
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Last visit: 06 Aug 2018
Posts: 4,479
Own Kudos:
30,536
 [1]
Given Kudos: 130
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,479
Kudos: 30,536
 [1]
Can't 'which' modify an entire sentence?! 27 Jun 2016, 11:07
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ccooley
"Actually wrong" is a bit of an absurd concept, I think! You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't use 'which' to modify whole sentences. It's a fairly preposterous grammar 'rule', and definitely doesn't describe how people actually write and speak.

That said, I think we should be grateful that the GMAC considers it to be a rule. It gives you a very quick, smart way to eliminate answers that otherwise sound good to your ear. The 'which rule' is a very commonly tested concept on tough SC problems, and people who realize that the GMAC doesn't like it, have a leg up on people who solely use their ears for SC.
Show more
Dear ccooley,

With all due respect, my intelligent colleague, I am going to disagree with you. I admit this mistake runs rampant in colloquial speech, as does "less"/"fewer" confusion, as does "lie"/"lay" confusion. Of course, the language is always evolving, and those constructions that are technically wrong but widely used are likely to become accepted at some point. Nevertheless, as the English language now exists, in 2016, there is a more colloquial side and a more sophisticated, well-spoken side. The latter, and only the latter, is the standard to which the GMAT conforms. The GMAT even gives deference to the "old-fashioned" rules concerning split infinitives and ending with a preposition: the folks at GMAT don't test these things directly, but such mistakes appear only in incorrect answer choices on official questions. The question of whether any construction is common in colloquial speech is immaterial: what matters is how structures are used in formal contexts, such as professional and academic writing. In such contexts, I submit it would be relatively unlikely to find the pronoun "which" referring to an entire clause. Furthermore, the word "which" is a pronoun, a relative pronoun, and therefore we can expect the formal rules for it to conform to those of all other pronouns. Pronouns refer to nouns. Insofar as we agree that this is a "rule," we would have to admit the corollary with the word "which."

Mike McGarry
User avatar
VerbalBot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 18,829
Own Kudos:
986
Posts: 18,829
Kudos: 986
Can't 'which' modify an entire sentence?! 14 Jul 2021, 05:51
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.

Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Verbal Questions Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block above for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
   1   2 
Moderators:
miag
189 posts
u1983
Current Student
710 posts
MikeScarn
Current Student
275 posts