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

Think about how "each" operates in the example about Tim's cars. We have a larger group ("cars") and "each," a noun modifier, is giving us information about individual entities within this larger group. So really, when you see a similar construction, you're asking yourself whether there's a larger group that "each" could logically describe.

Let's go back to (A):


The moment I see "each," I recognize that I've got a noun modifier that will likely provide info about a larger group. Next, my eyes drift to the left to see if there's a larger group that "each" could be describing. And right next to it, I see the phrase in blue, so, "each" seems to be giving me information about these individual dwellings. And it makes perfect sense for "each" dwelling, or shade, to consist of a roof on poles.

No need to keep looking. "Each" works here and is reasonably close to what it's modifying, so I'm on to other issues.

I hope that helps!

comma+with+noun must work as adverb modifying the preceding clause. so, in choice c,d and e, with+noun dose not modify the preceding noun.

with+noun without comma can work as adverb or adjective.

regarding choice b.
"are being supported" is wrong. the context is in the past but not present. even if we use "were being supported", it is still wrong because:

if the event is a state like "support", continuous present show a temporary state, which dose not last long. so, "were being supported" is a temporary state. this is wrong. we need a state which exist indefinitely and this state is shown by a simple present tense .

I came across this question in my practice today, and I think I can see both sides here. I am not going to argue that (A) is not the best of the five answer choices, and I agree that omitting the exact words after each is beside the point, since the context allows us to figure them out within reason. But this each is indeed strange in that the information that follows does not seem to pertain to dwellings in general, as we would expect, but to a feature of each one, a roof. A word such as shelter would be no problem, but a roof...


I do not see a dwelling and a roof as one and the same, so the description flat-topped dwellings known as shades, each a roof is jarring. I cannot even say that perhaps a shade is another name for a roof, since it is clearly the dwellings themselves that can be called shades. The Manhattan Prep forum preserves the same phrasing, and if no Experts there or here, in this forum, think that there might have been a transcription error, then I suppose we have to accept that the paper test used the exact phrasing seen above. Still, I would have anticipated something more like either of the following (with the omitted word in brackets):

1) each [dwelling] with a roof of poles...

2) each [dwelling] having/consisting of a roof of poles...

The first iteration would introduce a nice transposition of what we see in answer choice (C)—with each—the sort of feature that can be seen in many sets of answer choices. I may be the only Expert who is just as confused as some of the other members, but I suppose that is okay. If my post can serve as a reminder not to chase answers, but to select the best of the five options presented, then it serves some purpose.

- Andrew

Besides the modifier issue, could this one be solved by only thinking about the verb? Should not be in the past since "they lived"? That is how i choose A that directly goes for "supported" instead of adding verbs that are not coherent with the meaning of the sentence (in the past) as each other option does

Hello Rail,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, your reasoning here is, indeed, correct.

Kudos.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team

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.

Option Elimination -

(A) each a roof of poles and arrow weed - "each" is a pronoun that further expands on "shades" sharing that each shade was a roof of poles and arrow weed. It highlights the individual nature of roofs in the context of Mojave dwellings.

(B) each a roof of poles and arrowweed that are being - "are being supported" is a present tense for something that happened in the past. Moreover, "a roof" is singular, and "that" refers to "a roof." SV issue. "are" is plurarl. Wrong.

(C) with each being a roof of poles and arrow weed - "being" as a modifier is generally wrong on GMAT because of a wrong meaning. It can be used when used as a noun/noun phrase such as Being punctual is an essential trait in the business world/The philosophy course explores the nature of being (here, the nature of being refers to the philosophical inquiry into existence and reality or as a passive continuous verb such as - The car is being repaired by the mechanic.

(D) with roofs of poles and arrowweed to be - "to be" is used to express a general idea or purpose. For example, My sister's daughter wants to be an astronaut. So here, are we talking about the purpose or intention of the roofs? Are we saying that roofs intend to consist of poles and arrow weed? Wrong. Moreover, a prepositional phrase can either modify a noun or a verb depending on the context. So here, "with roofs of poles and arrowweed" modifies "the Mojave lived" No. Or does it modify "shades." mikemcgarry explained this beautifully. So when you buy a Ferrari, will you say, "I bought a Ferrari, with red color" or "I bought a Ferrari in red." The second one? Right? Yes.

(E) with roofs of poles and arrowweed that are - the same "with" issue. Moreover, "are supported" is a present tense for something that just needs "ed" verbal. Wrong.