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Sub 505 Level|   Idioms/Diction/Redundancy|                     
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pi10t
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can Updated on: 25 Nov 2019, 10:34
Originally posted by pi10t on 06 Sep 2007, 14:48.
Last edited by Bunuel on 25 Nov 2019, 10:34, edited 4 times in total.
Edited the question.
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E
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can constantly change its genes to fashion a seeming unlimited number of antibodies. each specifically targeted at an invading microbe or foreign substance.

(A) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each specifically targeted at

(B) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically to

(C) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, all specifically targeted at

(D) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, all of them targeted specifically to

(E) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically at

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https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/13/science/mit-scientist-wins-nobel-prize-for-medicine.html

Dr. Tonegawa was cited by the Nobel committee at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm for discovering how the body can constantly change its genes to fashion a seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, each specifically targeted at an invading microbe or foreign substance.
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E
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beckee529
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 09 Sep 2007, 22:48
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pi10t
Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can constantly change its genes to fashion a seeming unlimited number of antibodies. each specifically targeted at an invading microbe or foreign
substance.

(A) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each specifically targeted at
(B) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically to
(C) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, all specifically targeted at
(D) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, all of them targeted specifically to
(E) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically at
Show more


E is correct. adjectives only modify nouns while adverbs can modify verbs, phrases, and other adverbs.

in this case, seemingly (an adverb) is modifying "unlimited number of antibodies"

"seeming" is an adjective and therefore wrong so we can eliminate A, B, and C. between D and E, "targeted.. at" is preferred over "targeted.. to"
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 18 Jul 2013, 05:49
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Carbon-14 dating reveals that the megalithic monuments in Brittany are nearly 2,000 years as old as any of their supposed Mediterranean predecessors.
(A) as old as any of their supposed
(B) older than any of their supposed
(C) as old as their supposed
(D) older than any of their supposedly
(E) as old as their supposedly
Here adjective is used. and can you tell me hw to identify whether it is modifying the adjective attached to it or the noun? here it modfies the noun but in the previous question it modifies the adjective.Am nt able to figure that out which one is being modified

B is answer here
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Once you eliminate A C E (because they use "2000 years as old as"), you have to choose between supposed and supposedly

(B) older than any of their supposed (adjective) Mediterranean predecessors.
(D) older than any of their supposedly (adverb)Mediterranean predecessors.

What can "supposedly" modify? ONLY "Mediterranean ": it's a adverb so cannot refer to a noun.
So D says supposedly Mediterranean

What can "supposed" modify? ONLY "predecessors": it's a adjective so MUST refer to a noun.
So D says supposed predecessors

What is the intended meaning ? The sentence tries to say that those monuments are older than the supposed predecessors, so B is correct.

"Here adjective is used. and can you tell me hw to identify whether it is modifying the adjective attached to it or the noun? "
It's an adj, so it MUST refer to the noun. In the above question the adjective refereed to another adjective, and that's why it was wrong.
In the previous question
seeming/seemingly===> unlimited number of antibodies
we had to choose how to modify "unlimited " (an adj), so an adverb was required.

Hope everything is clear
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 03 Dec 2008, 17:48
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255. Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can constantly change its genes to fashion a seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each specifically targeted at an invading microbe or foreign substance.
(A) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each specifically targeted at
(B) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically to
(C) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, all specifically targeted at
(D) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, all of them targeted specifically to
(E) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically at
Why A is wrong?
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2 clues

1. "seemingly" must qualify an adj Eliminate A, ¨B and C
2. "Targeted at" is idiomatic
3. Each is required to illustrate the importance of each and every single antibody

Choose E
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 10 Aug 2011, 11:34
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can constantly change its genes to fashion a seeming unlimited number of antibodies. each specifically targeted at an invading microbe or foreign
substance.

(A) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each specifically targeted at SEEMINGLY SHOULD APPLY TO DESCRIBE THE ADVERB. A, B, C ARE GONE
(B) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically to
(C) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, all specifically targeted at
(D) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, all of them targeted specifically to-TARGETED AT IS THE CORRECT IDIOM
(E) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically at
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 08 Mar 2012, 15:36
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I have chosen E for the answer:

A. Seemingly is the correct word here because we are trying to use a word to modify unlimited. Since an adjective cannot modify another adjective, an adverb must be used.

B. Seemingly is the correct word to be used, not seeming. "Targeted specifically at" is the correct form.

C. Seemingly is the correct word to be used, not seeming. The word "all" does not make sense in this case because it does not agree with the singular "an invading microbe or foreign substance."

D. The word "all" does not make sense in this case because it doesn't agree with "an invading microbe or foreign substance." Also, "targeted specifically to" is the incorrect form.

E. Seemingly is used correctly here and "each targeted specifically at" makes sense.
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 18 Jul 2013, 05:27
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skamal7
Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can constantly change its genes to fashion a seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each specifically targeted at an invading microbe or foreign substance.
(A) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each specifically targeted at
(B) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically to
(C) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, all specifically targeted at
(D) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, all of them targeted specifically to
(E) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically at

I always get wrong when there is a construction like [adverb/adjective] [adverb/adjective] [noun]

Please some one help me to identify correctly in these type of constructions.
As per the meaning of sentence how the body can constantly change its genes to a antibodies . So it should be a adjective to modify the antibodies .Asusual i ended up wrongly with these constructions
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This is form the OG's solution:
"Choices A, B, and C incorrectly use the adjective form seeming to modify the participial adjective unlimited. "
This means that "seeming (adj)unlimited (adj)number of antibodies" two adjectives cannot modify each other.
With this you are left with D and E only. I personally cannot find any difference between "targeted specifically" and "specifically targeted".
D is wrong because uses a wrong idiom "targeted TO"

Adjectives modify nouns.
Adverbs modify verbs, a clause, an adjective or an another adverb.
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 19 Apr 2017, 08:58
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Hello Guys,

Shall somebody explain me why ''target at'' and not ''target to''?

Does not ''Each'' or ''All of them''need an explicit subject?, Would it be better ''That''?

Regards,


Kind regards,

Manuel
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 23 Oct 2019, 17:43
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Can I just say that when we are using verb related to aim, mark, fix, point, target etc. it is idiomatically correct to use "at"?
Look, when we are hitting at particular point or raising finger at specific person, we use "at". "At" normally talks about something specific.
What are your views over this?

beckee529
pi10t
Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can constantly change its genes to fashion a seeming unlimited number of antibodies. each specifically targeted at an invading microbe or foreign
substance.

(A) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each specifically targeted at
(B) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically to
(C) seeming unlimited number of antibodies, all specifically targeted at
(D) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, all of them targeted specifically to
(E) seemingly unlimited number of antibodies, each targeted specifically at

E is correct. adjectives only modify nouns while adverbs can modify verbs, phrases, and other adverbs.

in this case, seemingly (an adverb) is modifying "unlimited number of antibodies"

"seeming" is an adjective and therefore wrong so we can eliminate A, B, and C. between D and E, "targeted.. at" is preferred over "targeted.. to"
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 18 Feb 2020, 23:53
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The trick is to quickly realize that seeming is an adjective and not an adverb.
What we need in the right answer/option is an adverb that modifies unlimited number of antibodies.

As soon as you see seemingly in the options you can disregard that others.

Eliminate Options A, B, and C.

Now the choice is between Options D and E.

You might be tricked into choosing Option D if you are in a hurry and don't read the option completely. Because, at the end the preposition used is to, which is unidiomatic when used with targeted. We can eliminate D

The last Option E has both seemingly and the correct idiom.

Option E is the best option.

Hope this helps!
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 14 Sep 2020, 05:38
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egmat, VeritasKarishma : can you please provide a proper explaination why we have to choose seemeingly . as per my understanding unlimited number of antibodies , is it acting as prepositional noun ?
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 17 Sep 2020, 00:05
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PrashantK0099
egmat, VeritasKarishma : can you please provide a proper explaination why we have to choose seemeingly . as per my understanding unlimited number of antibodies , is it acting as prepositional noun ?
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'unlimited' is a modifier for number and 'seemingly' modifies 'unlimited'. Only adverbs can modify other modifiers so you need to use 'seemingly', an adverb.
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 13 Feb 2022, 23:05
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KarishmaB - Can you pls review my 2nd reason listed below and confirm if it's the right one.

Option D is wrong for 2 reasons -

1. Idiom error - Targeted at is needed
2. All of them changes the meaning. All of the antibodies target at an invading microbe vs each of the antibodies specifically target at an invading microbe.
For eg - let us say an microbe enters the body so one specific antibody will target at the microbe instead of all the antibodies, and that's why option D is wrong as we want to convey that only specific antibody will function based on invading microbe.

Thanks,
Anshul P
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 13 Feb 2022, 23:52
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PanpaliaAnshul
KarishmaB - Can you pls review my 2nd reason listed below and confirm if it's the right one.

Option D is wrong for 2 reasons -

1. Idiom error - Targeted at is needed
2. All of them changes the meaning. All of the antibodies target at an invading microbe vs each of the antibodies specifically target at an invading microbe.
For eg - let us say an microbe enters the body so one specific antibody will target at the microbe instead of all the antibodies, and that's why option D is wrong as we want to convey that only specific antibody will function based on invading microbe.

Thanks,
Anshul P
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Yes, this is correct Anshul. A specific type of antibody will target one specific microbe. All will not target one specific microbe.
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 14 Feb 2022, 05:48
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PanpaliaAnshul
KarishmaB - Can you pls review my 2nd reason listed below and confirm if it's the right one.

Option D is wrong for 2 reasons -

1. Idiom error - Targeted at is needed
2. All of them changes the meaning. All of the antibodies target at an invading microbe vs each of the antibodies specifically target at an invading microbe.
For eg - let us say an microbe enters the body so one specific antibody will target at the microbe instead of all the antibodies, and that's why option D is wrong as we want to convey that only specific antibody will function based on invading microbe.

Thanks,
Anshul P
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Hello PanpaliaAnshul,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, your reasoning is indeed correct on both points.

Kudos.

All the best!
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Dr. Tonegawa won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the body can 02 Jan 2024, 10:16
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Please explain all vs each and targeted at vs to. Above explanation didn't help.
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