Last visit was: 29 Apr 2026, 11:40

It is currently 29 Apr 2026, 11:40

Toolkit

Practice Tests

Sentence Correction (SC - EA only)

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Back to Forum

Create Topic

Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of Sou

1 2

rishabhdxt

Joined: 27 Mar 2014

Last visit: 10 May 2020

Posts: 50

Own Kudos:

117

Given Kudos: 20

Schools: IIMA IIMB ISB '19

GMAT 1: 660 Q49 V30 Verified score

Schools: IIMA IIMB ISB '19

GMAT 1: 660 Q49 V30 Verified score

Posts: 50

Kudos: 117

28 Aug 2017, 19:41

Kudos

Bookmarks

daagh

Major Poster

Joined: 19 Feb 2007

Last visit: 16 Oct 2020

Posts: 5,262

Own Kudos:

42,465

[1]

Given Kudos: 422

Status: enjoying

Location: India

WE:Education (Education)

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 5,262

Kudos: 42,465

[1]

29 Aug 2017, 02:24

Kudos

Bookmarks

Quote:

Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegitated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold
(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding
(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding
(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding
(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

IMO, one does not need to break one's head on doubtful things or unknown things; After all, there is going to be no help in the Hall. Here is yet another quick fix. (This is just a last minute attempt)
For all it matters, either 'for holding' or 'to hold' might be a non-issue as Ninja said, because both express some degree of intent. It is prudent to look for other more 'visible' cracks.
1. The reference for 'they' in choice B is murky; it may refer to geologists, or the streams or an expletive to refer to the people in general. Therefore, B is out.
2. Similarly, 'it' also seems to have no genuine reference. It may refer to pattern or shape, but none is fitting. Therefore, let us dump C and D.
3. It is apparent that 'being found' is wrong in E.
4. Only A is left.

At some desperate point, it might be good enough to take A and get going.
However, my disclaimer is once again that this is only an additional way of cracking the nut. There is nothing as good as knowing the fundamentals thoroughly.

ankitmining

Joined: 08 Jan 2015

Last visit: 25 Mar 2022

Posts: 11

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 62

Location: India

GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V38 Verified score

Posts: 11

Kudos: 3

20 Oct 2017, 09:26

Kudos

Bookmarks

daagh

Hi Daagh,

Can you help in narrow down the type of structure followed in Option - A?

Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegitated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

1. Independent Clause +, Appositive modifier
2. Independent Clause +, Verb-ed modifier
3. Others (which I am missing here)

Thanks
-Ankit

Scorpi0n

Joined: 03 Jun 2017

Last visit: 02 Mar 2024

Posts: 46

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 597

Posts: 46

Kudos: 27

20 Oct 2017, 12:00

Kudos

Bookmarks

Don't you think

" ---- changed suddenly from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegitated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, "

would be better than the original? Is it OK to separate them that much?

energetics

Joined: 05 Feb 2018

Last visit: 09 Oct 2020

Posts: 294

Own Kudos:

974

Given Kudos: 325

Posts: 294

Kudos: 974

07 Jun 2019, 15:56

Kudos

Bookmarks

Geologists have found that ... streams ... changed ... , from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold
(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding
(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding
(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding
(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

1)from X to Y -B -C -D -E
Easiest way to eliminate is to see that only A has correct parallel structure from A found in X to B found in Y

Others I am not so sure about:
2) typically found in > typical in
-- going by ear here... adverb "typically" correctly modifies verb "found" and sounds like what where are trying to convey that 'the plant is commonly found here'
"typical in" just sounds weird, 'typical of' sounds better

3) to hold > for holding
-- going by ear here too but infinitive sounds way better

dcummins

Joined: 14 Feb 2017

Last visit: 16 Mar 2026

Posts: 1,021

Own Kudos:

2,379

Given Kudos: 368

Location: Australia

Concentration: Technology, Strategy

Schools: INSEAD Sept'21 Intake (WA$$$) Melbourne (A$$$$) AGSM (A$$$$) Kellogg '23 (WL) Said '22 (A$$$$) CBS '23 (D) Booth '23 (WA) Anderson '23 (WA) Cambridge '22 (WL) LBS '23 (D) Stern '24 (WA)

GMAT 1: 560 Q41 V26 Verified score

GMAT 2: 550 Q43 V23 Verified score

GMAT 3: 650 Q47 V33 Verified score

GMAT 4: 650 Q44 V36 Verified score

GMAT 5: 600 Q38 V35 Verified score

GMAT 6: 710 Q47 V41 Verified score

WE:Management Consulting (Consulting)

Products:

Schools: INSEAD Sept'21 Intake (WA$$$) Melbourne (A$$$$) AGSM (A$$$$) Kellogg '23 (WL) Said '22 (A$$$$) CBS '23 (D) Booth '23 (WA) Anderson '23 (WA) Cambridge '22 (WL) LBS '23 (D) Stern '24 (WA)

GMAT 6: 710 Q47 V41 Verified score

Posts: 1,021

Kudos: 2,379

08 Jun 2019, 00:40

Kudos

Bookmarks

Was thrown off on the commas here.

NandishSS

Joined: 06 Jan 2015

Last visit: 28 Jan 2021

Posts: 700

Own Kudos:

1,789

Given Kudos: 579

Location: India

Concentration: Operations, Finance

GPA: 3.35

WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)

Posts: 700

Kudos: 1,789

01 Jul 2020, 01:54

Kudos

Bookmarks

Quote:

Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

HI GMATNinja, EMPOWERgmatVerbal, generis, GMATRockstar, MentorTutoring

Can you help with options D & E. It is true that comma + shifting in Choice D and E is the comma + verb-ing modifier that modifies the preceding action.

In this case, the action that precedes comma + shifting is changed. And should make sense with Subject but here it doesn't make sense with subject.(Geologists)

AndrewN

Volunteer Expert

Joined: 16 May 2019

Last visit: 29 Mar 2025

Posts: 3,490

Own Kudos:

7,670

[2]

Given Kudos: 500

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 3,490

Kudos: 7,670

[2]

01 Jul 2020, 06:56

Kudos

Bookmarks

NandishSS

Quote:

Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

Hello, NandishSS. Although it is true that the subject of the main clause is geologists, the subject of the embedded clause, the one that begins with that and acts as the direct object of the main clause, is streams. The -ing phrase connects logically to this subject:

streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, shifting from the meandering shape...

I will admit that the question took me a minute and a half to work out, in part because I thought, based on your query, that (D) or (E) might be the answer and you simply did not understand the justification. There were other issues in each of those choices that prevented me from choosing them: it and being, respectively. I ultimately settled on (A) because I knew it was the one that I had the hardest time arguing against.

I hope that helps. Thank you for bringing the question to my attention.

- Andrew

NandishSS

Joined: 06 Jan 2015

Last visit: 28 Jan 2021

Posts: 700

Own Kudos:

1,789

Given Kudos: 579

Location: India

Concentration: Operations, Finance

GPA: 3.35

WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)

Posts: 700

Kudos: 1,789

01 Jul 2020, 19:41

Kudos

Bookmarks

MentorTutoring Thank you for your wonderful explanation

GMAT0010

Joined: 17 Sep 2019

Last visit: 08 Dec 2022

Posts: 104

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 516

GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V38 Verified score

GMAT 2: 680 Q49 V33 Verified score

Posts: 104

Kudos: 56

02 Jul 2020, 06:45

Kudos

Bookmarks

Idiomatically:
From X to Y

So it appears that only A holds this, while the other options fail to do so.
Also the meaning is clear in A.
Hope this helps

Basshead

Joined: 09 Jan 2020

Last visit: 07 Feb 2024

Posts: 905

Own Kudos:

323

Given Kudos: 431

Location: United States

Posts: 905

Kudos: 323

19 Nov 2020, 04:15

Kudos

Bookmarks

Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold -- Correct

(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding -- should be 'to hold'; not clear what 'it' is referring to here.

(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding -- should be 'to hold'; not clear what 'it' is referring to here.

(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding -- should be 'to hold'; not clear what 'it' is referring to here.

(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold -- 'that is' is unnecessary'

ravigupta2912

Current Student

Joined: 26 May 2019

Last visit: 16 Feb 2025

Posts: 717

Own Kudos:

299

Given Kudos: 84

Location: India

Schools: Said '23 IESE '24 LBS '24 (D) ISB '23 (WA) INSEAD Aug 22 intake (D) Judge '23 (D)

GMAT 1: 650 Q46 V34 Verified score

GMAT 2: 720 Q49 V40 Verified score

GPA: 2.58

WE:Consulting (Consulting)

Products:

Schools: Said '23 IESE '24 LBS '24 (D) ISB '23 (WA) INSEAD Aug 22 intake (D) Judge '23 (D)

GMAT 2: 720 Q49 V40 Verified score

Posts: 717

Kudos: 299

19 Nov 2020, 08:02

Kudos

Bookmarks

Can someone please explain the parallelism between X and Y here. I am not able to understand why are elements X (meandering..) and Y (braided pattern) not parallel in answer choices B, C, D and E. All of them are structurally nouns.

Is it the fact that (in choice B for example) when we add "that" after a noun (braided pattern), then we are comparing a noun entity (meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones) with a full clause (braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding)?

Similarly, in C, when we use "meandering shape typical in well vegetated zones" (noun) with "braided pattern found in areas where" (noun). I'm confused what's the issue with parallelism here. IF there is any. :-/

Please ignore the pronoun and other errors for now since I just want to understand the elimination on purely parallelism issue. Struggling with analysing the parallel entities in various idioms from a "structurally parallel" lens.

daagh IanStewart AndrewN mikemcgarry

IanStewart

GMAT Tutor

Joined: 24 Jun 2008

Last visit: 24 Apr 2026

Posts: 4,143

Own Kudos:

11,286

[1]

Given Kudos: 99

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 4,143

Kudos: 11,286

[1]

19 Nov 2020, 09:13

Kudos

Bookmarks

You can't really use parallelism alone to get the right answer here. But I think you're only focusing on the start of each phrase ("meandering shape" and "braided pattern"), which are certainly parallel in isolation. But the units the sentence is comparing are not always parallel. We have one unit:

"the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones"

For perfect parallelism, you'd want the second unit to have the same structure as the first:

"the braided pattern typically found in areas without vegetation"

say, is almost perfectly parallel. You don't often find this perfect parallelism in real GMAT questions, and it's not a grammatical requirement -- there are lots of minor deviations from strict parallelism that don't affect the clarity of a sentence. But if you changed the second unit to, say:

"the braided pattern areas without vegetation typically contain"

the comparison then becomes confusing (and "contain" is a strange word choice, but I won't concern myself with finding the perfect word just to illustrate the point), and you'd generally prefer clearer wording on a GMAT SC question. In this question though, you need to investigate the pronouns and the meaning of the second half of the sentence to decide among the answer choices; parallelism alone doesn't get you there.

ashmit99

Joined: 20 Feb 2019

Last visit: 09 Apr 2025

Posts: 91

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 192

Location: India

Schools: Oxford Said'25 (II) LBS '26 (A)

GPA: 3.2

Products:

Schools: Oxford Said'25 (II) LBS '26 (A)

Posts: 91

Kudos: 38

18 Aug 2021, 07:45

Kudos

Bookmarks

ksung84

Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

Show Spoiler

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg16722563-900-wipe-out/

IN BRIEF
16 September 2000
Wipe out

TRACES of ancient river beds in the Karoo basin of South Africa show that land plants took a heavy hit during Earth’s greatest mass extinction.

At the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, 95 per cent of species were wiped out and Europe became a desert (New Scientist, 4 December 1999, p 17). Now geologists have found that streams in the Karoo changed suddenly at the same time, from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas lacking deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

Something killed plants throughout the region, causing rapid soil erosion, Peter Ward of the University of Washington reports in Science (vol 289, p 1740). He suggests extinctions on land may have preceded those at sea, but the underlying cause remains a mystery.

GMATNinja VeritasKarishma EducationAisle MartyTargetTestPrep

What is the role of "to hold the soil together" in the sentence? What is it modifying?

Thanks in advance!

KarishmaB

Tutor

Joined: 16 Oct 2010

Last visit: 28 Apr 2026

Posts: 16,447

Own Kudos:

79,445

[3]

Given Kudos: 485

Location: Pune, India

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 16,447

Kudos: 79,445

[3]

19 Aug 2021, 01:34

Kudos

Bookmarks

ashmit99

ksung84

Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

Show Spoiler

GMATNinja VeritasKarishma EducationAisle MartyTargetTestPrep

What is the role of "to hold the soil together" in the sentence? What is it modifying?

Thanks in advance!

"to hold the soil together" gives the purpose of deep-rooted vegetation. It is an infinitive of purpose.

lakshya14

Joined: 31 Jan 2019

Last visit: 27 Jul 2022

Posts: 348

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 529

Posts: 348

Kudos: 45

21 Aug 2021, 06:20

Kudos

Bookmarks

EducationAisle

kinjiGC

I prefer drinking coffee to drinking tea to keep me awake at night.
I prefer drinking coffee to drinking tea for keeping me awake at night.

2nd option doesn't provide the intent hence for keeping is not the correct usage. This is one more issue with "For holding" in Option B,C and D.

Actually this is an interesting observation. While infinitives express intent is generally true, did you notice that you actually used prefer drinking and not prefer to drink.

When two verbs (or verb forms) appear together, the first verb determines whether the second verb will be in the gerund form (-ing form of the verb) or in the infinitive form (to + the basic form of the verb).

For example, let us take the word enjoy. We would always say:

I enjoy swimming.

And not

I enjoy to swim.

p.s. This topic has been discussed in detail in our book. If you can PM me your mail id, I can send the corresponding section to you.

What about the modifier issue? "shifting......" should modify streams, which it does in(D) and (E), but in the modifier "from......" in (A), (B), and (C) is far apart from streams and seems like a run on run sentence or modifying something else.?.?.?

VerbalBot

Non-Human User

Joined: 01 Oct 2013

Last visit: 04 Jan 2021

Posts: 19,425

Own Kudos:

1,010

Posts: 19,425

Kudos: 1,010

25 Nov 2022, 13:29

Kudos

Bookmarks

Automated notice from GMAT Club VerbalBot:

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

This post was generated automatically.

1 2

Moderators:

GMATNinja

GMAT Club Verbal Expert

7391 posts

AbhishekP220108

509 posts

bhanu29

363 posts