Entomologists studying the parched grasslands and savannahs

Question

Entomologists studying the parched grasslands and savannahs of Africa, South America, and Asia have found that termite mounds in these regions storing nutrients and moisture, and allowing water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting in flourishing vegetation in ecosystems that are otherwise highly vulnerable to desertification.

A. have found that termite mounds in these regions storing nutrients and moisture, and allowing water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting

B. have found that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture, and allow water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting

C. and finding that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture and allow water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting

D. have found that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture, which allows water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting

E. and finding that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture, which allows water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, result

Abhishek009 · Answer

IMHO (B) -

Entomologists studying the parched grasslands and savannahs of Africa, South America, and Asia have found that 
termite mounds in these regions 
 store nutrients and moisture, and
allow water  – through internal tunnels   – to better penetrate the soil, 
resulting in flourishing vegetation in ecosystems that are otherwise highly vulnerable to desertification.

daagh · Answer

We can undoubtedly dislodge A, C, and E for their fragmentation. D has a grave error. The relative pronoun 'which' modifies both nutrients and moisture and hence should be followed by a plural verb rather than the singular 'allows.' If D wants the relative pronoun to modify only moisture, then it should be, moisture, which allows water and nutrients. B is the choice

arun6765 · Answer

Imo B

A. have found that termite mounds in these regions  storing nutrients and moisture, and allowing water  – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting
  wrong tense should be store, allow.

B. have found that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture, and allow water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting
 Correctly illustrates the various functions termite mounds serve.

C.  and finding  that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture and allow water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting
  A fragment doesn't contains main verb.

D. have found that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture,  which  allows water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting
  illogically signifies moisture allows water to penetrate.

E.  and finding  that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture,  which  allows water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, result
 Combines error of C & D.

Blazethrough14 · Answer

My vote is B. For people saying D, if “mounds” is plural, how are you suggesting to use “allows” and not “allow”?

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Arro44 · Answer

Is not the "mounds" that "allows" in that case but rather the fact that they "store nutrients and moisture" .... this fact then allows ....

varmashreekanth · Answer

In my opinion B
According to the sentence meaning, termite mounds are performing 2 actions, 
1)storing nutrients and moisture
2)allowing water
These to actions should be parallel to each other. So the parallelism marker 'and' should be presents. So the proper intent of the sentence is maintained in B
However , in D the parallelism is off. It appears that 'allows water' is modifying moisture and also the parallelism marker is not there. So it is changing the intent of the original sentence. Therefore D is out.
Please let me know if my analysis is wrong.

vaibhav1221 · Answer

I'd go with B. D is has absolutely wrong - which  allows . C and E are out because they do not have any verb for the subject. Between A and B, B is better.
Hence B

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ryanchow92 · Answer

IMO B
I don't think comma+which in D is correct
However, I remember Ron once said that comma+resulting is not accepted in GMAT

madhukaramar · Answer

Hello  daagh  ..

Could you please explain.. Why "which" can't refer to moisture only . Is this a rule that in format .. A and b ,which, which will only refer to a and b.

Kindly help

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daagh · Answer

madhu 
I do not know whether there is any rule, but I know D is wrong for the same reason I stated. probably, you can see whether there are any such examples in GMAT official questions.

GMAT215 · Answer

aa008 · Answer

B. have found that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture, and allow water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting

i feel something is wrong with B

Termite mounds store nutrients and moisture
Termite mounds allow water

how you will create a single sentence?
Type 1: Termite mounds store nutrients, store moisture and allow water.

Type 2: Termite mounds store nutrients and moisture, and they allow water.

according to my under standing Option B is constructed like Type 2 ie. 2 independent clause are joined using comma+and.

so both independent clause should have subject + Verb ,however subject seems to missing in 2nd independent clause in option B

can somebody help!

daagh · Answer

@aa088 wrote

Before we go further, the basic point that one has to keep at the back of the mind is that a coordinate conjunction such as 'and' can

1. join two full-fledged clauses with a subject of and verb of each own'( as in a compound sentence as in your type 2 )

2. have one subject and two compound predicates, as in your type 1, in which case it will be only a simple clause with two compound predicates. (in my opinion, this is a better sentence than type 2 sentences)
3. join just two words (either verbs or nouns or adjectives or predicate objects or prepositional phrases or whatever on the earth provided they are equal and parallel in meaning and structure 
All of the above are equally acceptable and any preference for one type over another may be purely a matter of personal taste but have nothing to do with grammar or style.
(sorry for the sermon)

Now, on to this question. The choice B per se

The sentence is a complex sentence, wherein

1. Entomologists studying the parched grasslands and savannahs of Africa, South America, and Asia have found -- This is the main clause.

2. that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture, and allow water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting in flourishing vegetation in ecosystems that are otherwise highly vulnerable to desertification.

This is a subordinate clause with subordiante connector 'that' followed by the subject 'the termite mounds. The termite mounds do two functions namely storing and allowing. Now there is no need to mention the subject again as the subject of the first clause is also the subject as of the second. Store xxx and allow yyy are the two predicates of the single subject mounds. Then there is is a long modifier starting with a present particle, but irrelevant to the discussion here.

This a perfectly licit presentation. Why should we prefer a long-winded complex sentence, when we can do the same in a crisper way.

Any reason why only full-fledged compound sentences (your type2) should be used in these contexts?

aa008 · Answer

daagh 
thanks for the prompt reply.

this is very much according to the grammar.

but the option B says  Store xxx , and allow yyy . Only 2 items in the list should be joined using  AND  not by  Comma+AND .

this is my main confusion. Sorry for asking many questions...

daagh · Answer

True; A comma is an irritant between two predicates. But we don't decide the correct choice on a comma in GMAT. Therefore, it is okay.

apovit · Answer

Hello all,

In this sentence why can't the modifier "resulting in flourishing vegetation in ecosystem...." modify the "to better penetrate the soil" action 
is it because the doer of the action of "to verb" water does not make sense with "resulting in flourishing vegetation..."
Please clarify

KanishkM · Answer

Intent: Entomologists studying xxxxxxx , have found that termite mounds xxxxxxxx store and allow, to result something

A. have found that termite mounds in these regions storing nutrients and moisture, and allowing water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting
Incorrect tense

B. have found that termite mounds in these regions  store  nutrients and moisture,  and allow  water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting
Correct as per our intent, maintains ||ism

C. and finding that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture and allow water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting
Eliminated as per intent

D. have found that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture, which allows water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting
moisture is not allowing something, not the intent, incorrect reference

E. and finding that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture, which allows water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, result
Eliminated as per intent

swatihod123 · Answer

+1 for B.

have found that termite mounds in these regions store nutrients and moisture, and allow water – through internal tunnels – to better penetrate the soil, resulting- store and allow are correct verb form and maintain the parallel structure. ,verb+ing form (resulting) correctly conveys the result, modifying the previous clause.

Entomologists studying the parched grasslands and savannahs

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Entomologists studying the parched grasslands and savannahs

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