During the nineteenth century Emily Eden and Fanny Parks journeyed throughout India, sketching and keeping journals forming the basis of news reports about the princely states where they had visited.

(A) forming the basis of news reports about the princely states where they had - Runon

(B) that were forming the basis of news reports about the princely states - wrong tense

(C) to form the basis of news reports about the princely states which they have - wrong tense

(D) which had formed the basis of news reports about the princely states where they had - wordy & tense error

(E) that formed the basis of news reports about the princely states they - Correct

"sketching and keeping journals" is a participle adjective modifying Emily Eden and Fanny Parks (strange surnames though)

In A "forming' incorrectly modifies jourrnals + incorrect usage of "past perfect" in sentences where actions in the past follow one by one, Simple past is used

In B not parallel construction

In C incorrect usage of present perfect (whole sentence must be in past simple tense

In D incorret usage of non esssential modifier "which" requring comma

In E all is correct (though one question i have "that" refers to the word next to it i.e. to "journals" how should i prove that "that" refers this phrase "sketching and keeping journals" is there a rule ?


Preparing for GMAT is like hoovering the desert

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

• In choice A it is not immediately clear whether forming modifies journals or parallels sketching and keeping.

Also, where they had visited is wordy and inappropriate for a simple reference to past events.

• Choice B does not establish who visited the princely states, and
that were forming should be that formed.

• Choice C is unclear because to form could be read as either
in order to form or so as to form,
and the present perfect have visited does not agree with the past tense journeyed.

• In choice D, as in choice A, where they had is [too verbose for simple past tense]
and
had formed suggests that the journals and news reports existed before the journey.

• E is best for this question.

-------------------------------
That OE is pretty good.

Takeaway: most of the time, if simple past sets the tone in the non-underlined
portion, look for a narrative of chronological events.

If you see such a narrative, stay with simple past.
Yes, GMAC likes to test past perfect, but if the narrative is sequentially sound,
simple past tense is better.
The writing is better. Simple past does not need auxiliary verbs such as have, was, have been . . .
Auxiliary verbs slow things down. They create a passive voice. Such a voice is not needed in a story
about two independent and spirtited women traveling through a vast country in search of
information to share.



dave13 , I had to read that one a few times.
I thought, "Hoovering?"
"Does he mean hovering? Why would anyone hover . . . and where is the prep-o . . . wait a minute.
He means vacuuming."

Prateekj05 wrote


True. Why?
Answer: because the tone is set in the non-underlined portion of the sentence.
Eden and Parks journeyED.
Simple past tense.

This sentence contains linear events.
They traveled throughout India. They sketched and kept journals about the princely states
they visited, sources from which subsequent news reports were published.

The explanation of (B) in the OE is easier to see when the option is inserted, thus:
During the nineteenth century Emily Eden and Fanny Parks journeyed throughout India,
sketching and keeping journals that were forming the basis of news reports about the princely states visited.
...princely states visited by whom?

If time sequence is not an issue, as dave13 points out,


dave13 also notes correctly

(D) should say . . . THAT had formed the basis . . .
If "which" is involved as a modifier, it is preceded by a comma. See below for a link to an article about that and which.

Finally, daagh wrote:

daagh first argues that the logic of the sentence requires that "journals" be modified by the THAT clause.
Those journals are the basis for subsequent news reports. This example is one of "logical predication" to which OEs often refer.
His second argument turns on the "restrictive or essential" modifier rule:

Details that are crucial to the core meaning of a sentence must
(1) NOT be set off by commas
(2) and in a that/which choice, if the modifier is essential, the pronoun is that.

This post, HERE, explains the difference between that and which (essential and non-essential modifiers)

Kudos go to Prateekj05 and dave13
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Please explain that how "that" in the option E is correct. I think that refers to journal and instead of that those should be come.