Last visit was: 22 Jun 2025, 20:44 It is currently 22 Jun 2025, 20:44
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.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Sub 505 Level|   Grammatical/Rhetorical Construction|                     
User avatar
BillyZ
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 14 Nov 2016
Last visit: 03 May 2025
Posts: 1,147
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 926
Location: Malaysia
Concentration: General Management, Strategy
GMAT 1: 750 Q51 V40 (Online)
GPA: 3.53
Products:
13
Kudos
Add Kudos
88
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
egmat
User avatar
e-GMAT Representative
Joined: 02 Nov 2011
Last visit: 21 Jun 2025
Posts: 4,597
Own Kudos:
32,287
 [15]
Given Kudos: 683
GMAT Date: 08-19-2020
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,597
Kudos: 32,287
 [15]
10
Kudos
Add Kudos
5
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
avatar
shubham1985
Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Last visit: 10 Oct 2019
Posts: 35
Own Kudos:
36
 [10]
Given Kudos: 16
Location: India
GMAT 1: 650 Q47 V33
GPA: 3
Products:
GMAT 1: 650 Q47 V33
Posts: 35
Kudos: 36
 [10]
10
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
varun4s
Joined: 07 Jul 2012
Last visit: 22 Jun 2025
Posts: 279
Own Kudos:
336
 [6]
Given Kudos: 71
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, Accounting
GPA: 3.5
Posts: 279
Kudos: 336
 [6]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
3
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Child development specialists believe that, in confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited.

(A) that, in confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited (Red portion do not show where muscle development can be inhibited)
(B) that, in their confinement much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited in babies (Usage of their is ambiguous also usage of passive should be avoided)
(C) that confining babies much of the time to strollers,high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development (Babies can inhibit muscle development not confining babies)
(D) that babies, if confined much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development (Correct)
(E) that strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can, if babies are confined to the much of the time, result in muscle development being inhibited (Babies can inhibit muscle development not strollers and high chairs)

Kudos please if you like my explanation!
User avatar
ayushi15
Joined: 14 Sep 2015
Last visit: 18 Mar 2020
Posts: 10
Own Kudos:
12
 [3]
Given Kudos: 72
Location: India
Posts: 10
Kudos: 12
 [3]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
hazelnut
The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review 2018

Practice Question
Question No.: SC 204
Page: 255
Child development specialists believe that, in confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited.

(A) that, in confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited- INCORRECT as ambiguous meaning is conveyed.
(B) that, in their confinement much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited in babies- INCORRECT as pronoun "their" does not correctly refer to babies.
(C) that confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development.-CORRECT as the sentence is grammatically correct and logically conveys the meaning that confining the babies most of the time to chairs.....etc inhibits their muscle development.
(D) that babies, if confined much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development.- INCORRECT as "babies" is the subject of this sentence and babies do not inhibit their muscle development.
(E) that strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can, if babies are confined to the much of the time, result in muscle development being inhibited
- INCORRECT as the sentence is awkward and does not convey the proper meaning.

So the correct answer should be C.
avatar
Jat
Joined: 20 Mar 2016
Last visit: 27 Jan 2020
Posts: 23
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 156
GMAT 1: 530 Q33 V28
GMAT 1: 530 Q33 V28
Posts: 23
Kudos: 11
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Can an expert explain the reason why option D is selected over option C?
User avatar
DmitryFarber
User avatar
Manhattan Prep Instructor
Joined: 22 Mar 2011
Last visit: 21 Jun 2025
Posts: 2,931
Own Kudos:
8,345
 [3]
Given Kudos: 57
GMAT 2: 780  Q50  V50
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
GMAT Focus 1: 745 Q86 V90 DI85
Posts: 2,931
Kudos: 8,345
 [3]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
C is the only sensible answer. Babies are definitely not what inhibits muscle development! :lol:
User avatar
arvind910619
Joined: 20 Dec 2015
Last visit: 18 Oct 2024
Posts: 851
Own Kudos:
598
 [4]
Given Kudos: 755
Status:Learning
Location: India
Concentration: Operations, Marketing
GMAT 1: 670 Q48 V36
GRE 1: Q157 V157
GPA: 3.4
WE:Engineering (Manufacturing)
Products:
GMAT 1: 670 Q48 V36
GRE 1: Q157 V157
Posts: 851
Kudos: 598
 [4]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Child development specialists believe that, in confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited.

(A) that, in confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited
(B) that, in their confinement much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited in babies
(C) that confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development
(D) that babies, if confined much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development
(E) that strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can, if babies are confined to the much of the time, result in muscle development being inhibited

IMO C
option A has wrong preposition In
Option B Again repeats the same error , it also makes the sentence passive which is not desirable.
Option D suggests that babies inhibit muscle development.
Option E suggests that strollers high chairs etc inhibit muscle development but it is confinement to these things that inhibit muscle development.
User avatar
adkikani
User avatar
IIM School Moderator
Joined: 04 Sep 2016
Last visit: 24 Dec 2023
Posts: 1,238
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 1,207
Location: India
WE:Engineering (Other)
Posts: 1,238
Kudos: 1,315
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi GMATNinja generis GMATNinjaTwo

Can you explain why (D) is incorrect when we have subject - babies - and
verb - can inhibit muscle development - too far with a conditional clause / modifier in between (if confined to ... walkers)

We have much clearer - can be inhibited - verb closer to subject - babies in (B)

Is it because the noun modifier - in their confinement much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers,
does not make sense with muscle development?
User avatar
sayantanc2k
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Last visit: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 2,395
Own Kudos:
15,454
 [5]
Given Kudos: 26
Location: Germany
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
WE:Corporate Finance (Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)
Expert
Expert reply
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
Posts: 2,395
Kudos: 15,454
 [5]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
3
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
adkikani
Hi GMATNinja generis GMATNinjaTwo

Can you explain why (D) is incorrect when we have subject - babies - and
verb - can inhibit muscle development - too far with a conditional clause / modifier in between (if confined to ... walkers)

We have much clearer - can be inhibited - verb closer to subject - babies in (B)

Is it because the noun modifier - in their confinement much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers,
does not make sense with muscle development?

First, the part "in their confinement much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers" is not a noun modifier, but a verb modifier. A prepositional phrase may work as a noun modifier or a verb modifier:
1. A bird in hand worth two in bush: "in hand" = noun modifier ( acting as adjective - referring to "bird")
2. I kept the book in the bag: "in the bag" = verb modifier ( acting as adverb - referring to "book")
In option B, "in their confinement..." refers to the verb "can be inhibited". (Similar to the second example above.)

Now, coming to your question:
The part "in their confinement much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers" is by itself grammatically wrong. The part "much of the time" is an adverbial phrase and hence must refer to a verb / verbal. e.g., They are confined much of the time. However in option B, "much of the time" does not have a verb / verbal to refer to - it erroneously refers to the noun "confinement" - an adverb/adverbial phrase cannot refer to a noun. Hence option B is wrong.
avatar
viviolivia
Joined: 01 Apr 2018
Last visit: 10 Jun 2019
Posts: 6
Given Kudos: 112
Posts: 6
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
can we delete other choices because "specialist believe that ....." , that should be followed by a clause and no comma should be used ?
User avatar
EducationAisle
Joined: 27 Mar 2010
Last visit: 22 June 2025
Posts: 3,867
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 158
Location: India
Schools: ISB
GPA: 3.31
Expert
Expert reply
Schools: ISB
Posts: 3,867
Kudos: 3,570
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
viviolivia
can we delete other choices because "specialist believe that ....." , that should be followed by a clause and no comma should be used ?
Only options A and B have comma after that. All the options do have a clause after that.
User avatar
sriramsundaram91
Joined: 12 Mar 2018
Last visit: 18 Mar 2025
Posts: 48
Own Kudos:
89
 [3]
Given Kudos: 110
GMAT 1: 630 Q49 V27
GPA: 4
Products:
GMAT 1: 630 Q49 V27
Posts: 48
Kudos: 89
 [3]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I was left out with options A and C; however, I chose A. Can anyone tell me, why A is incorrect?
User avatar
thangvietnam
Joined: 29 Jun 2017
Last visit: 09 Mar 2023
Posts: 771
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 2,198
Posts: 771
Kudos: 410
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
we have to choose between choice A and C.
in choice A, it is unclear what inhibit the muscle develepment. in choice C, confining inhibit muscle development. this is good.

choice A is in passive voice, which do not show the agent making action. passive voice is used when agent performing action is not important. but inhere, it is important that confining perfoming inhibition.

choice A suffer unclear meaning error.

what is the agent of an action, "confining" is logically the agent of "inhibiting", but not "babies" or "chairs, strolleys".
User avatar
thangvietnam
Joined: 29 Jun 2017
Last visit: 09 Mar 2023
Posts: 771
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 2,198
Posts: 771
Kudos: 410
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
we can normally have 2 types of errors. illogic meaning and unclear meaning. illogic meaning is more easy to see than unclear meaning.
avatar
MAnkur
Joined: 30 Dec 2018
Last visit: 17 Oct 2020
Posts: 26
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 68
Posts: 26
Kudos: 6
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
egmat
Jat
Can an expert explain the reason why option D is selected over option C?


Hello Jat,


Thank you for the query. :-)

Let's read what choice D has to say: ...babies, if confined much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development (I have struck out the modifier to focus on the Subject-Verb pair).

According to this choice, the babies can inhibit muscle development. This certainly is illogical. The babies do not inhibit the muscle development. The sentence intends to say that because they are confined to certain objects, the muscle development in babies can be inhibited.

Choice C does convey this meaning by saying: ...confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development.


Hope this helps. :-)
Thanks.
Shraddha

Hi Expert
Kinldy, explain why option A is wrong?
I felt that "in confining" has been incorrectly used and "confining" would have been a better usage. Is this analysis correct?
Some posts wrote that option A makes "muscle development" the subject and thereby "muscle development" confine babies, but I could not understand this analysis. Kindly, assist.
User avatar
vishumangal
Joined: 27 Jun 2015
Last visit: 22 Dec 2021
Posts: 93
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 57
GRE 1: Q158 V143
GRE 1: Q158 V143
Posts: 93
Kudos: 48
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi generis,

I need your help in this Question.

Although the Right option is C but In option C don't you think that we need babie's instead of babies as it is the time of baby which is confined to stroller, chairs......
avatar
abhi017
avatar
Current Student
Joined: 09 Jun 2016
Last visit: 08 Jun 2021
Posts: 10
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 16
GMAT 1: 700 Q50 V35
GMAT 1: 700 Q50 V35
Posts: 10
Kudos: 11
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi GMATNinja generis GMATNinjaTwo egmat

Can any of you please explain why in option C "babies much of time" is correct? Shouldn't it be babies' ? Why is missing an apostrophe fine here?
User avatar
ravigupta2912
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 26 May 2019
Last visit: 16 Feb 2025
Posts: 726
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 84
Location: India
GMAT 1: 650 Q46 V34
GMAT 2: 720 Q49 V40
GPA: 2.58
WE:Consulting (Consulting)
Products:
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
(A) that, in confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited -- Incorrect. We don't need "confining babies as a non-restrictive modifier". If we slash and burn here, the sentence appears completely illogical.

(B) that, in their confinement much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited in babies -- Incorrect. Same as A.

(C) that confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development -- Correct.

(D) that babies, if confined much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development -- Incorrect. Reverses meaning. Babies can inhibit muscle development? (Apply slash and burn to test)

(E) that strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can, if babies are confined to the much of the time, result in muscle development being inhibited -- Incorrect. Incomplete meaning. We don't need the non-restrictive modifier usage.
User avatar
apoorvsingh
Joined: 04 Mar 2020
Last visit: 15 Jun 2020
Posts: 20
Own Kudos:
25
 [1]
Given Kudos: 71
Location: India
Posts: 20
Kudos: 25
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
varun4s
Child development specialists believe that, in confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited.

(A) that, in confining babies much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited (Red portion do not show where muscle development can be inhibited)
(B) that, in their confinement much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers, muscle development can be inhibited in babies (Usage of their is ambiguous also usage of passive should be avoided)
(C) that confining babies much of the time to strollers,high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development (Babies can inhibit muscle development not confining babies)
(D) that babies, if confined much of the time to strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can inhibit muscle development (Correct)
(E) that strollers, high chairs, playpens, and walkers can, if babies are confined to the much of the time, result in muscle development being inhibited (Babies can inhibit muscle development not strollers and high chairs)

Kudos please if you like my explanation!


How is this community's most helpful answer when this is incorrect?
 1   2   
Moderators:
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7332 posts
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
235 posts