For protection from the summer sun, the Mojave lived in open-sided,

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 core meaning of this sentence is that the Mojave lived in open-sided, flat-topped dwellings known as shades, and each shade a roof of poles and arrowweed supported by posts set in a rectangle.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Tenses

• In a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction.
• The simple past tense is the correct tense used to refer to actions that concluded in the past.
• The simple present tense is used only to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, and state universal truths.
• “being” is only to be used when it is part of a noun phrase or represents the passive continuous verb tense.

A: Correct. This answer choice correctly modifies “shades” with “each a roof of poles and arrowweed”, conveying the intended meaning- each shade is itself a roof of poles and arrowweed. Further, Option A correctly uses the past participle "supported" to refer to an action that concluded in the past. Additionally, Option A is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.

B: This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple present continuous tense verb “are being supported” to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the simple present continuous tense is used to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature.

C: This answer choice is needlessly wordy due to the use of the phrase “with each being”; please remember, “being” is only to be used when it is part of a noun phrase or represents the passive continuous verb tense.

D: This answer choice incorrectly modifies “shades” with “with roofs of poles and arrowweed”, incorrectly implying that each shade possessed roofs of poles and arrowweed; the intended meaning is that each shade is itself a roof of poles and arrowweed; in a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun. Further, Option D incorrectly uses the infinitive verb form construction “to be supported” to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past.

E: This answer choice incorrectly modifies “shades” with “with roofs of poles and arrowweed”, incorrectly implying that each shade possessed roofs of poles and arrowweed; the intended meaning is that each shade is itself a roof of poles and arrowweed; in a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb “are supported” to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the simple present tense is used only to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, and state universal truths.

Hence, A is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):



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



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

In "that" and "which" modifies immediate noun/pronoun before them. In this case "that" is modifying "arrowweed" and I do not think logic of sentence requires just arrowweed to be supported rather whole roof supported. Moreover "arrowweed" is singular and cannot be referred as that are rather that is.

IMO D. Please confirm the answer.

Should be A.

What referes to "that"? a roof of poles and arrowweed? nope. arrowweed? yup but thats not correct use of "that".

In general, I have found modifying phrase with "with" is normally incorrect.

For c/d/e, "with" implies that that Mojave lived with roofs of poles, not flat-topped dwellings with roofs of poles. So with a and b left, b is awkward with 'being' and the best choice is A

308. For protection from the summer sun, the Mojave lived in open-sided, flat-topped dwellings known as shades, each a roof of poles and arrowweed supported by posts set in a rectangle.
(A) each a roof of poles and arrowweed correct
(B) each a roof of poles and arrowweed that are being usage of are changes the tense
(C) with each being a roof of poles and arrowweed incorrectly modifies shades
(D) with roofs of poles and arrowweed to be incorrectly modifies shades
(E) with roofs of poles and arrowweed that areusage of are changes teh tense

_____________________________________
Could anyone please explain why C is wrong?

Hi,

Prepositional modifiers have always been onne of the most controversial modifiers, as they can modify a NOUN, a VERB or a complete Clause. In situations like the ones posed by option C, it is best to use Logic and meaning clarity to judge the use of the prepositional modifier.
Another thing to keep in mind that a prepositional modifier when modifies a NOUN, it may reflect either a sense of belonging or copanionship.
Ex:
Ram went to park, with Ravi. (companionship)
Ram painted with a pen. (Belonging)

With option C in place, the sentence becomes :-
For protection from the summer sun, the Mojave lived in open-sided, flat-topped dwellings known as shades, with each being a roof of poles and arrowweed supported by posts set in a rectangle.

"with each..." can modify a NOUN ( "shades" ) or the complete independent clause.
Assuming it is modifying the NOUN ( "shades" ), we can logically conclude that this makes no logical sense. Shades "with" (either companion or belonging) "their being blah blah...".
Again, assuming "with each..." modifies the preceding independent clause, we can see that the meaning of the sentence becomes more nonsensical.

So, the option C is definitely a NO GO.

Answer should be A.
Hope this Helped..

comma + "with" explains how the action in the previous clause was performed.
Here, from the context it is clear that we have describe "shades" and not explain how they "lived" (action in the previous clause)
So, B, C and E are out.

A. each a roof of poles and arrowweed
This explains that each shade had a roof of poles and arrowweed (i dont know what "arrowweed" means, but it could possibly be a noun because it is connected to poles by "and") and retains the past tense by just using "supported"

B. each a roof of poles and arrowweed that are being
The 1st part of the sentence is in the past tense, so past tense is preferred.
It should have been "that were supported" and not "that are being supported"

For protection from the summer sun, the Mojave lived in open-sided, flat-topped dwellings known as shades, each a roof of poles and arrowweed supported by posts set in a rectangle.

(A) each a roof of poles and arrowweed
(B) each a roof of poles and arrowweed that are being
(C) with each being a roof of poles and arrowweed
(D) with roofs of poles and arrowweed to be
(E) with roofs of poles and arrowweed that are

Hi mikemcgarry,

Can you please explain why options C, D and E are wrong. I am not clear with these 3. Though I have tried to explain these 3 options below.

My Understanding :

(A) each a roof of poles and arrowweed
each here refers to shades correctly and provides further information what these dwellings are comprised of. Sounds OK

(B) each a roof of poles and arrowweed that are being
The usage of that are being means that the arrow weeds are currently supported by posts set in a rectangle. That is not the intended meaning. So, incorrect.

(C) with each being a roof of poles and arrowweed
Usage of 'with each' sounds awkward to me, using only each instead serves the purpose. Usage of being is also not correct in this sentence because it is neither used as a passive progressive verb or as a noun.

(D) with roofs of poles and arrowweed to be
this suggests that dwellings are with roofs of poles and arrowweed. This meaning is non sensical. Instead the intended meaning is that dwellings each consist of a roof and arrowhead.

(E) with roofs of poles and arrowweed that are
similar issue as option D.

Thanks.
-Varun

Dear aceGMAT21 Varun,

I'm happy to respond.

This is a great question, and clearly (A) is the best answer.

(B) each a roof of poles and arrowweed that are being
It may be that the present tense is implied, but the big problem is that this is very awkward. Introducing the word "being" more often than not produces very awkward-sounding constructions. This one sounds so bad that it should be taken out back and shot.

(C) with each being a roof of poles and arrowweed
Again, the appearance of "being" makes this very awkward-sounding. Also, in (C)-(E), the "with" introduction is awkward: these dwellings aren't "with" a roof--they are a roof! The appositive phrase, in (A), is so much more natural.

(D) with roofs of poles and arrowweed to be
This also has the problematic "with" and the "to be supported" implies some kind of imperative, as if God has commanded these roofs to be set on poles. The entire connotation is very strange and very different from the descriptive tone of the prompt.

(E) with roofs of poles and arrowweed that are
This also has the problematic "with" and it is simply clumsy and awkward. This is the opposite of elegance.

All four of these are clearly wrong, and (A) is superb. This is such a great question. As someone who rights practice questions for a living, I am always in awe of the official question.

Does all this make sense?
Mike

Thanks for the explanation Mike. Though I have one question here.

The prepositional modifier "with...." can be used as a verb modifier to depict the meaning "accompanied by".

For example, I came here with a lot of hope.... ( "with a lot of hope" modifies "came" correctly).

So, similar to this usage in the question at hand,
For protection from the summer sun, the Mojave lived in open-sided, flat-topped dwellings known as shades, with roofs of poles and arrowweed that are ......

here, "with roofs of poles and arrowweed" modifies the verb "lived" which is NON SENSICAL and is not the implied meaning. mikemcgarry, is this reasoning of elimination correct? What do you say?

Thanks.
-Varun

After Mike's odyssey into the adverbial and adjectival use of the propositional modifier ''with', the genuine intention of GMAT Prep's topic could be to see, whether we could solve it in less arduous terms.
My road to Rome, therefore, would be
(A) each a roof of poles and arrow weed-- correct
(B) each a roof of poles and arrow weed that are being - "that are being" is wrong here to denote something that happened long ago.
(C) with each being a roof of poles and arrow weed---" being" is used neither as a part of a subject or subject phrase nor as a part of a passive voice verb. Hence, wrong.
(D) with roofs of poles and arrow weed to be -- "to be" means the roofs or the poles are still to be supported --- This is absurd.

(E) with roofs of poles and arrow weed that are--- Same tense error as in B

What remains is just A, which avoids all the errors found in the other four choices. More importantly, we have somehow scuttled the hassle of the 'with'

Thanks to Mike for his elucidation of the concept of 'with" and a deserving kudos to him.

Hi, can anyone please tell me the main verb of the sentence/option A?

Posted from my mobile device

lived is the only verb in the original sentence.

I have a lame question: Why is there no "and" between "open-sided" and "flat-topped"? How do we know when to put "AND" and when not? Can someone please throw some light on this.
Example:
"I have apples and oranges." is correct.
"I have apples, oranges." is wrong.

For protection from the summer sun, the Mojave lived in open-sided, (AND) flat-topped dwellings known as shades, each a roof of poles and arrowweed supported by posts set in a rectangle.

Hi! open-sided and flat-topped are adjectives, while apples & oranges are nouns. So, this is not an apples to apples comparison

GMAT sometimes uses this structure, when using adjectives. Hence, this structure is definitely considered acceptable on GMAT.

Another recent sentence that is similar:

Sartre, an inadvertent guru, had an opinion on everything, painfully considered, elaborately reasoned, often changed.

GMATNinja I am a little confused with the usage of 'Each' in A as modifier. Can this be used? Also "each a roof of poles and arroweed" does not make sense, somethings is kind of missing with the sentence.

Gagan