Despite its covering the entire planet, Earth has a crust that is not

capsguy2018

Both "despite" and "although" indicate contrasts, but they are not interchangeable because they require different structures.

DESPITE should be followed by a noun, and is basically interchangeable with "in spite of." With the noun attached, it creates an adverbial modifier for some action that occurred.

Despite the rain, we went for a walk.
Despite my blinding headache, I finished the lecture.

ALTHOUGH is generally used to compare full clauses with their own subjects and verbs:

Although it was raining, we went for a walk.
Although I had a blinding headache, I finished the lecture.

Occasionally, ALTHOUGH is also used without a full clause, but the phrase it's in will still modify a full clause:

The book, although written hastily, became the most trusted resource on the topic for the next 20 years.

Notice that this is still different from DESPITE. If we wanted to use despite in the sentence above, we'd need to rewrite with a noun phrase: "despite THE HASTE with which it was written."

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 this sentence is that although the Earth's crust covers the entire planet, the crust is neither seamless nor stationary, rather it is fragmented into mobile semirigid plates.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Modifiers + Idioms

• In a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction.
• “neither A nor B” and “either A or B” are idiomatic uses and are only used when referring to two elements; A and B must be parallel.

A:
1/ This answer choice incorrectly uses "Despite its covering the entire planet" to modify "Earth", illogically implying that the planet Earth covers the entirety of itself; the intended meaning is that the Earth's crust covers the entirety of the planet Earth; remember in a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun.

B:
1/ This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between A ("seamless") and B ("is it stationary") in the idiomatic construction "neither A nor B"; remember, “neither A nor B” and “either A or B” are idiomatic uses and are only used when referring to two elements; A and B must be parallel.

C:
1/ This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between A ("seamless") and B ("is it stationary") in the idiomatic construction "neither A nor B"; remember, “neither A nor B” and “either A or B” are idiomatic uses and are only used when referring to two elements; A and B must be parallel.

D: Correct.
1/ This answer choice correctly uses "Although it covers the entire planet" to modify "Earth's crust", conveying the intended meaning - that the Earth's crust covers the entirety of the planet Earth; remember in a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun.
2/ Option D correctly maintains parallelism between A ("seamless") and B ("stationary") in the idiomatic construction "neither A nor B".

E:
1/ This answer choice incorrectly uses "Although covering the entire planet" to modify "Earth", illogically implying that the planet Earth covers the entirety of itself; the intended meaning is that the Earth's crust covers the entirety of the planet Earth; remember in a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun.

Hence, D is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Phrase Comma Subject" and "Subject Comma Phrase" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



To understand the concept of "Neither-Nor" and "Either-Or" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

hi,
i rejected D & E bcoz although(subordinator) and but(coordinating conjunction) can't go together.
pls help in this.

br//
suryav

Despite its covering the entire planet. Earth has a
crust that is not seamless or stationary, rather it is
fragmented into mobile semirigid plates.
(A) Despite its covering the entire planet, Earth has
a crust that is not seamless or stationary,
rather it is
(B) Despite the fact that it covers the entire planet,
Earth's crust is neither seamless nor is it
stationary, but is
(C) Despite covering the entire planet, Earth's crust
is neither seamless nor is it stationary, but
rather
(D) Although it covers the entire planet, Earth's
crust is neither seamless nor stationary, but
rather
(E) Although covering the entire planet, Earth has a
crust that is not seamless or stationary, but

I understand that there is a dangling modifier in this sentence and hence D would be the most appropriate option. However, isn't "but rather" redundant?

Hi e-gmat,

Hi understood your examples and logically they are correct. However, I have read many explanations of OG12/13 and it seems that GMAC is a strong advocate of the idea of a CLAUSE, not any modifier, following conjunction "Although" . And many times this is the sole ground on which GMAC rejects an option as INCORRECT.

Hi TGC,

Well, yes. In most of the official sentences, we see "although" followed by a clause. But I do not quite agree that even if "although" is followed by correct phrase that clearly shows the contrast, GMAC will eliminate it as INCORRECT. There has to be usage error in order to reject it as incorrect.

We can analyze a sentence if you have any to instantiate your claim.

Thanks.
Shraddha

Hi,I have a doubt in Choice D as comma +FANBOYS("BUT" in this case ) is used when you connect two ICs.But in choice D after "comma+ But" we have a Dependent clause. ?

Please clarify..

hello, I want to ask about the idiom despite.
How can I know which idiom of despite is used properly in gmat?

"Despite" can be used with a concrete noun or a present participle. A gerund is not a good fit for "despite".

"Despite covering the entire planet"... correct ( present participle).
"Despite ist covering the entire planet".. wrong ( gerund)

You will find standard usages of "despite" (and "in spite of") here:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar ... nd-despite

Is usage of "but rather" not redundant?

Hi, the first "it" does not have a clearly mentioned precedent, is the option still considered correct?

Although [u]it[/u] covers the entire planet, Earth's crust is neither seamless nor stationary, but rather

Hi AjiteshArun AndrewN EducationAisle EMPOWERgmatVerbal



While solving this question, I had question in mind :
I would like to enquire :
1.) which conjunctions need clause - although? ( Although it is cold outside, I feel warm)
Other examples: even though, though, because, therefore, until, whether, thereby?
2.) which conjunctions need only words or phrases or clause- but? ( It is cold outside but not snowing.
Other examples: Until , because ,etc?
I think replacing 'but' with 'although' will not work.

Question1: How can I know that such constructions would be wrong .
Question2:What are other conjunctions? - Where can I learn such a list?
Question3: Despite, In spite of - are these prepositions ? But In a sentence there placement is similar as conjunctions? How can differentiating Propositions with conjunctions can make difference? Do you have some examples?
E.g. Although it is cold outside, I feel warm
E.g.: In spite of cold outside, I feel warm
(IN other words, do you have some scenarios in which such knowledge made the difference when I need to choose between conjunction or propositions due to some rule)

Option D has "it" in it. Isn't it describing "Earth's" which is an adjective making it wrong? Pronouns should always describe a noun and not an adjective.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Well pls see the link and pls clarify if although and though or any subordinate markers can be followed by a noun? This link explicitly states that it has rto be followed by a clause. https://www.englishgrammar.org/spite-or ... epositions.

Hi ag153, I think you mean to ask:

can any subordinate markers be followed by an Adjective

The answer is yes. This is (what's called as) verb-less clause. For example, following is correct:

Although intelligent, Peter gets nervous in the exam.

Notice that "subordinating conjunction" although is followed by the "adjective" intelligent. The above can be interpreted as:

Although (he is) intelligent, Peter gets nervous in the exam.

Notice that he is intelligent is a clause.

Although it covers the entire planet, Earth's crust is neither seamless nor stationary, but rather IS fragmented into mobile semirigid plates.

The verb after the but is missing in the option D. How is the part after but rather a clause? SHouldnt it be a clause?

Hey,

But and rather together in a sentence is redundent.