Diabetes, together with its serious complications, ranks as the nation

Diabetes, together with its serious complications, ranks as the nation's third leading cause of death, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer

I wonder whether "COMMA + Verb-ED" at the end of the sentence can apply to the SUBJECT of the preceding clause?

Some experts say "COMMA + Verb-ED" can only modify the preceding NOUN.
So, "COMMA + SURPASSED" modifies the nation's third leading cause of death.
(I've seen this reasoning has been used to reject some incorrect answers)

On the other hand, some experts say "COMMA + Verb-ED" (just like "COMMA + Verb-ING") at the end of the sentence can modify the SUBJECT of the preceding clause.
So, "COMMA + SURPASSED" modifies Diabetes

In the OA, surpassed modifies cause of death, the preceding noun phrase.

A COMMA + VERBed modifier must refer to the immediately preceding noun or noun phrase; it cannot serve to modify the preceding subject.

in that sentence, you can still properly assign the modifier to the entire preceding clause: the modifier is describing the two causes of death that rank ahead of diabetes, and so can be legitimately interpreted as elaborating upon the statement that diabetes ranks as the nation's third leading cause of death.

--

note that any modifier that modifies a clause should also be fairly directly related to the subject of that clause -- so that, when a modifier refers to a clause, you can actually think of that modifier as referring to both the action and the subject of that clause.

I am not able to understand this.
To give an example , is there any difference in the following two sentences.

1. Diabetes ranks as the nation's third leading cause of death, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer.
2. Diabetes ranks as the nation's third leading cause of death, only surpassed by heart disease and cancer.

GMATNinja VeritasKarishma ChiranjeevSingh egmat

How a verb-ed modifier(surpassed) can modify far away noun diabetes in optionA

Posted from my mobile device

Help please,

Diabetes, together with its serious complications, ranks as the nation's third leading cause of death, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer

What is surpassed modifying here, as it's a past participle?

Hi Akhil,

Here's the difference in usage.

1. When "only" is placed before "surpassed", it modifies "surpassed".
2. When "only" is placed before "by heart disease and cancer", it modifies "by heart disease and cancer".

Where we place "only" depends on the intended meaning of the sentence. Let's look at a couple of examples before we address this question.

1. Yesterday, I went only to the museum.

Meaning: I didn't go anywhere else yesterday - only to the museum.

2. Yesterday, I only went to the museum.

Here, "only" modifies the action "went". So the meaning of this sentence is: I didn't do anything yesterday except go to the museum.

In this question, the writer means to say that diabetes is surpassed only by two other diseases in terms of the number of deaths it causes. So, we want "only" to refer to these two diseases, and not to "surpassed".

This is a fairly subtle differentiation in terms of meaning. In official sentences, there are usually other ways to eliminate options with such problems. For example, option C in this question can also be eliminated on the basis of wordiness.

I hope this helps to clarify your doubt.

Regards,
Meghna

Hi egmat

I am confused with the use of 'surpassed only' and 'only surpassed' in this construction.

When we say "A, Surpassed only by X and Y" , it meant X and Y only surpassed A.
and
When we say "A, only surpassed by X and Y" , it meant the same.

As both says X and Y come prior to A, How we can select the correct option when the difference between the two is subtle?

Thanks in Advance.

Hey Keshav1404

Thank you for the question.

The word "only" is an adverb, and the placement of adverbs in sentences is of utmost importance. One position to the left or right changes the meaning of the sentence drastically. Allow me to demonstrate with examples:

1. Only Mark is taller than Peter.
Meaning: Mark is the tallest, and Peter is second tallest.

2. Mark is only taller than Peter.
Meaning: Of all the qualities they possess, Mark is only/just taller. Peter is smarter, better looking, etc.

3. Mark is taller than only Peter.
Meaning: Peter is the shortest. Mark is second shortest.

So, I hope you see the importance of the placement of modifiers, especially adverbs such as 'only'. This is why a modifier must be placed as close as possible to the word it modifies in a sentence.

Now, let's look at this official question:

1. Diabetes is surpassed only by heart disease and cancer.
2. Diabetes is only surpassed by heart disease and cancer.

Now think about what we wish to convey? We wish to say that, in terms of rank as leading cause of death, heart disease and cancer are ahead of Diabetes. In other words, diabetes ranks third. So, where should we place "only"? The answer is sentence 1 above: diabetes is surpassed only by heart disease and cancer.

In sentence 2, "only" modifies "surpassed". This means that diabetes just surpasses HD and C. Diabetes doesn't do anything else. It just surpasses HD and C. And this is illogical.

So, there's a lot of difference between "only surpasses" and "surpasses only". I hope you see that difference now.


Please revert for further clarification, if required.


Happy Learning!

Abhishek

Thanks Abhishek egmat for a quick reply

Now i understand the meaning of both the structures as mentioned below. Please correct me if i am still deviating from the meaning of the sentences.

1. Diabetes is surpassed only by heart disease and cancer.
This point says that the HD & C, can be either the 1st or 2nd rank as leading cause of death. and The
Diabetes comes 3rd. These 3 causes tops the list.

2. Diabetes is only surpassed by heart disease and cancer
While this tries to say that rank as cause of death by Diabetes comes prior to the rank for the HD & C.
These 3 causes come at the lowest ranking.

Am i correct with the understanding?