Global warming is said to be responsible for extreme weather changes

my doubt is related to option D
the -ing noun modifier:is the touch rule exception allowed here too?
because referring to the head of the noun phrase "rains throughout the state of California " does make sense

Global warming is said to be responsible for extreme weather changes, which, like the heavy rains that caused more than $ 2 billion in damages and led to flooding throughout the state of California, and the heat wave in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, which was also the cause of a great amount of damage and destruction.

(A) which, like the heavy rains that caused more than $2 billion in damages and led to flooding throughout the state of California,

(B) which, like the heavy rains that throughout the state of California caused more than $2 billion in damages and led to flooding,

(A) & (B) have incorrect modifier "which" following ",".
"Extreme weather changes, which ... that caused" has no main verb supporting the sentence structure.

(C) like the heavy flooding that, because of rains throughout the state of California, caused more than $2 billion in damages,
Like is not used to introduce examples on GMAT.

(D) such as the heavy flooding that led to rains throughout the state of California causing more than $2 billion in damages,
distort the intended meaning. flooding does not lead to rain.

(E) such as the heavy rains that led to flooding throughout the state of California, causing more than $2 billion in damages,

If you take out all the modifiers, this is essentially what the sentence boils down to:
Global warming is responsible for extreme weather changes, such as the heavy rain, and the heat wave.

IMO E. However, just outside the box the non-underlined part of the question contains "Northeastern and Midwestern United States, which was also the cause of a great amount of damage and destruction." We know that comma followed by which modifies the closest noun before the comma. Isn't it meaning that USA is the cause of great amount of damage and destruction rather than heat wave itself? Correct me if um wrong.

Can some please show more details on this ?
The phrase which, like the heavy rains incorrectly suggests that the extreme weather is something different from the heavy rains and the heat wave

OG explanation A   The relative pronoun, which, is without a verb. The phrase which, like the heavy rains incorrectly suggests that the extreme weather is something different from the heavy rains and the heat wave, and that each of these three phenomena separately caused damage and destruction.

EducationAisle

To the comma + verb-ing example.

In option E, "causing" is modifying the closest dependent clause subject "heavy rains" not the main subject "global warming". Am I correct in my understanding? Verb-ing + comma modifies closest clause subject

Crazy how I thought I knew most rules, seems there are more rules!

EducationAisle

I thought that comma + verb-ing modifier only modifies subject of the main clause, it cannot modify subject of dependent clause

ERROR 1:
"Which" must modifies the preceding word so option A and B is out
ERROR 2:
D changes the meaning AND
in gmat "like" basically use for examples so C is out
E is correct because the correct use of SUCHAS and the MEANING

chetan2u Why "present participle 'causing' is not correct in D" ?!

Would you believe that I didn't notice that the comma was missing? At least I see the difference in meaning between them (D/E)... thank you!

Global warming is said to be responsible for extreme weather changes, which, like the heavy rains that caused more than $ 2 billion in damages and led to flooding throughout the state of California, and the heat wave in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, which was also the cause of a great amount of damage and destruction.


(A) which, like the heavy rains that caused more than $2 billion in damages and led to flooding throughout the state of California, - (A) introduces the following structure: ''Global warming... responsible for extreme weather changes, which,...., and the...." In (A), we do not have a complete ''which'' relative clause.

(B) which, like the heavy rains that throughout the state of California caused more than $2 billion in damages and led to flooding, - has the same error as described in (A).

(C) like the heavy flooding that, because of rains throughout the state of California, caused more than $2 billion in damages, - when you cite an example, you cannot use ''like''

(D) such as the heavy flooding that led to rains throughout the state of California causing more than $2 billion in damages, - (D) states that the heavy flooding caused the rains. How can flooding cause rain? it is rains that cause flooding.

(E) such as the heavy rains that led to flooding throughout the state of California, causing more than $2 billion in damages, - has no error. Hence, (E) is the right answer choice.

in choice c, "because of rain" is wrong. it you want it to be correct. "rain" must cause the action of cause damage.
i learn gmat because i want to study mba.
the action of wanting cause learning.
the action of raining need to cause causing damage for because of to be correct

(A) which, like the heavy rains that caused more than $2 billion in damages and led to flooding throughout the state of California,
Can’t use “like” to list out examples (the test writer wants you to think you’re comparing heavy rains with heat waves, but you’re not – they are examples) – we want to say heavy rains led to flooding and heat wave as the examples;

(B) which, like the heavy rains that throughout the state of California caused more than $2 billion in damages and led to flooding,
(1) Can’t use “like” to list out examples – we want to say heavy rains led to flooding and heat wave as the examples; (2) sounds like “the state of California” caused more than $2 billion in damages;

(C) like the heavy flooding that, because of rains throughout the state of California, caused more than $2 billion in damages,
(1) Can’t use “like” to list out examples – we want to say heavy rains led to flooding and heat wave as the examples; (2) sounds like the “because of rains throughout…California” is nonessential, which is erroneous here because we need it;

(D) such as the heavy flooding that led to rains throughout the state of California causing more than $2 billion in damages,
(1) sounds like “the state of California” is causing more than $2 billion in damages; (2) sounds like the flooding led to the rains – presumably, the rain would happen first as a cause of the flooding (the effect)
Is this the number 1 error correct within Answer D? Experts could you please confirm ?

(E) such as the heavy rains that led to flooding throughout the state of California, causing more than $2 billion in damages,
Best option

Hey there - Here is my stab at explaining the modifier differences in D and E - please correct me if I am wrong.

In D, 'such as the heavy flooding that led to rains throughout the state of California causing more than $2 billion in damages,' -- the modifier 'causing' has no comma. A no comma -ing modifier is a noun modifier. Ask, 'is causing more than 2$B in damages' modifying California?' The answer is no.

The 'causing more than 2$B in damages' is modifying the entire phrase, within that phrase is an action 'heavy flooding that led to rains through the state of California'.

Since the action is what is being modified by 'causing' we need an adverbial -ing modifier - so we use a 'comma -ing mod'. ',Causing' is correct- as found in E.

I get the explanations.

But, I have another doubt.In the sentence given,the part after the underlined portion,
''and the heat wave in the northeastern and midhwestern Unitd states,which was also......''

Here about the ''which''after comma.
Shouldn't it modify the word or phrase immediately before it?In this case 'Midwestern United States'

Or is there something to consider like object of preposition to determine which phrase the 'which' in question modifies?

Posted from my mobile device

KarishmaB
Hi Karishma,
Can you explain the sentence structure of A?

A) Global warming is said to be responsible for extreme weather changes, which, like the heavy rains that caused more than $ 2 billion in damages and led to flooding throughout the state of California, and the heat wave in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, which was also the cause of a great amount of damage and destruction.

1)"which" refers to what? Can we say that which has no verb?
2)like the rains that caused - Is it correct? Is it Noun (rains) + Noun modifier (that are caused)?

Hey experts,

KarishmaB GMATNinja AjiteshArun DmitryFarber mikemcgarry sayantanc2k

Is there any error in option C apart from like used to present example? Thanks in advance!

The parallelism is between "extreme weather changes" and "the heat wave".
Global warming is said to be responsible for 2 things:
1. extreme weather changes
AND
2. the heat wave[/quote]


I think the parallelism is between "the heavy rains" and "the heat wave".