NEW HERE? LEARN MORE
closeclose
Last visit was: 26 Apr 2024, 10:19 It is currently 26 Apr 2024, 10:19
Decision Tracker
My Rewards
New posts
New comers' posts

Close
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
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel

GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants ri

SORT BY:
Date
Kudos
Tags:
Find Similar Topics 
Show Tags
Hide Tags
User avatar
L
Bunuel
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 92946
Own Kudos [?]: 619201 [10]
Given Kudos: 81609
Send PM
CAT Tests Forum Quiz Mode
GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants ri [#permalink] New post   26 Aug 2021, 08:00
2
Kudos
8
Bookmarks
Expert Reply
00:00
A
B
C
D
E

Difficulty:

85% (hard)

Question Stats:

45% (01:59) correct 55% (01:57) wrong based on 452 sessions
Hide Show timer Statistics
Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, whereas suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought.

A. Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, whereas suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought.

B. Making plants rigid and woody, while suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer and holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance.

C. Suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought, while lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody.

D. Whereas suberin is the key substance in cork surrounding plant cells in a thick layer, lLignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, holding in water during drought.

E. Holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody; whereas suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer.


 


This question was provided by GMAT Club
for the GMAT Club Olympics Competition

Win over $40,000 in prizes such as Courses, Tests, Private Tutoring, and more

 



V34-19
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
A
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
L
Bunuel
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 92946
Own Kudos [?]: 619201 [4]
Given Kudos: 81609
Send PM
CAT Tests Forum Quiz Mode
Re: GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants ri [#permalink] New post   27 Aug 2021, 08:30
3
Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Expert Reply
Bunuel wrote:
Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, whereas suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought.

A. Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, whereas suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought.

B. Making plants rigid and woody, while suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer and holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance.

C. Suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought, while lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody.

D. Whereas suberin is the key substance in cork surrounding plant cells in a thick layer, lLignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, holding in water during drought.

E. Holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody; whereas suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer.

 


This question was provided by GMAT Club
for the GMAT Club Olympics Competition

Win over $40,000 in prizes such as Courses, Tests, Private Tutoring, and more

 



Explanation

Choice A: Yes. All modifiers properly refer to their intended subjects and objects, particularly that the thick layer of suberin is holding in water during drought.

Eliminate B because the intro modifier makes no sense with “, while suberin”

Eliminate E for improper semicolon usage. A semicolon must join two independent clauses and may do so with a conjunctive adverb such as however, consequently, or hence. A semicolon may not use a conjunction to join two independent clauses. Whereas is a conjunction.

Then: how to decide between C and D?
We have no way to know whether “holding in water during drought” should modify what suberin/layer does or what lignin/woodiness does.

Option C is the better sentence.

Option D’s main issue exists in this part: “… suberin is the key substance in cork surrounding plant cells in a thick layer.” Surrounding must modify cork, but we’ve got stacked modifiers all over the place and I sense that surrounding should modify suberin.

Option D is hard to understand and its ending modifier is probably not accurate. . . though meaning is impossible to gauge from logic alone.
A woody outer shell (lignin) might hold water in a plant during drought.
A thick layer of some kind of substance (suberin) might also hold water in during a drought.
General Discussion
User avatar
S
VirFortis
Manager
Manager
Joined: 08 Mar 2021
Posts: 73
Own Kudos [?]: 79 [2]
Given Kudos: 106
Location: India
Concentration: Technology, Strategy
Schools: Haas '24 Ross '24 Tepper '24
GMAT 1: 660 Q45 V35
GPA: 4
Send PM
Reviews Badge
Re: GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants ri [#permalink] New post   26 Aug 2021, 08:26
2
Kudos
A. Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, whereas suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought. -> Correct.

B. Making plants rigid and woody, while suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer and holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance. -> comparison between suberin and lignin is done but is not clear. Making...woody -> modifier for lignin are too far apart. Incorrect.

C. Suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought, while lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody. -> and - parallelism indicator - non sensical. Incorrect.

D. Whereas suberin is the key substance in cork surrounding plant cells in a thick layer, lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, holding in water during drought. -> what is holding water -> incorrect meaning. Incorrect.

E. Holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody; whereas suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer. -> suberin helps in holding water -> meaning distorted. Incorrect.

Ans. A.
avatar
B
VISHWARATH
Current Student
Joined: 24 Dec 2012
Posts: 10
Own Kudos [?]: 12 [2]
Given Kudos: 18
Location: India
Schools: ISB '23 (A)
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V44
GPA: 3.78
Send PM
Re: GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants ri [#permalink] New post   26 Aug 2021, 08:28
2
Kudos
Quote:
A. Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, whereas suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought.

Nothing gramatically incorrect or out of context, preserves meaning. Keep this choice

Quote:
B. Making plants rigid and woody, while suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer and holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance.

This sentence is composed of fragments that are not connected in a valid fashion. Discard

Quote:
C. Suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought, while lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody.

Grammatically correct choice. Keep this

Quote:
D. Whereas suberin is the key substance in cork surrounding plant cells in a thick layer, lLignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, holding in water during drought.

..in cork surrounding plant cells in a thick layer... conveys ambiguous meaning. Is the author referring to key substance in a thick layer? or cells in a thick layer. Incorrect use of prepositions. Discard

Quote:
E. Holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody; whereas suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer.

Minor issue: incorrect usage of restrictive pronoun that. Better use which. Also semi-colon is not separating two independent clauses, as the second sentence begins with whereas. Discard

Of out A,C C uses the word while, which does not provide a true contrast. A is thus correct.
avatar
S
chaos91
Intern
Intern
Joined: 13 Feb 2021
Posts: 11
Own Kudos [?]: 67 [2]
Given Kudos: 9
Send PM
Re: GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants ri [#permalink] New post   26 Aug 2021, 17:44
2
Kudos
Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, whereas suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought.

A. Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, whereas suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought. This one is gonna be a tough gamble between A and C, I am not able to spot any deterministic errors between A and C. But I like the placement of the modifier in this one over option C. ill keep this one.

B. Making plants rigid and woody, while suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer and holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance. the modifiers seems to have been swapped for the nouns, I don't like this one.

C. Suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought, while lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody. holding in water during drought placed between the two clauses, confusing as to which one it modifies. so I will chose A over this one.

D. Whereas suberin is the key substance in cork surrounding plant cells in a thick layer, lLignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, holding in water during drought. holding modifier misplaced and also the first clause doesn't make sense.

E. Holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody; whereas suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer. Again modifiers swapped and roles of the two subjects seem to be swapped too.
User avatar
P
sumitkrocks
Director
Director
Joined: 02 Jul 2017
Posts: 659
Own Kudos [?]: 836 [2]
Given Kudos: 333
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Technology
Schools: IIMA PGPX'22 ISB'22 NUS '23 ESADE IESE '24 NTU
GMAT 1: 730 Q50 V39
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V36
Send PM
Reviews Badge
Re: GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants ri [#permalink] New post   26 Aug 2021, 20:28
2
Kudos
(A) is the answer IMO

A. Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, whereas suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought.

Sentence explains what are Lignin and Suberin and how they are, carrying different functions, relevant for plants.

"Whereas" aptly captures the contrast, explaining the different functions of these two components.

B. Making plants rigid and woody, while suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer and holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance.

The noun that the Ving phrase modifies shall follow after comma; However, here Ving modifier and Lignin are too far.
Sentence overall is stylistically flawed - Eliminate

C. Suberin is the key substance in cork and surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought, while lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody.

While is used to present a element of contrast in simultaneous actions; However, here he element of simultaneity is not needed. A is better than C

D. Whereas suberin is the key substance in cork surrounding plant cells in a thick layer, lLignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody, holding in water during drought.

Meaning is flawed
Cork surrounding plant cells means cork surrounds plant cell - Illogical meaning
Also, Lignin does not help hold in water, but Suberin does. Wrong meaning -Eliminate

E. Holding in water during drought, lignin is a complex substance that makes plants rigid and woody; whereas suberin is the key substance in cork, surrounding plant cells in a thick layer.

Lignin does not help hold in water, but Suberin does. Wrong meaning
Usage of Present participle "surrounding plant cells in a thick layer." is also wrong Suberin is not key element because it surrounds plant cells in a thick layer. -Eliminate
User avatar
VerbalBot
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Posts: 17225
Own Kudos [?]: 848 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants ri [#permalink] New post   16 Oct 2023, 22:52
Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
GMAT Club Bot
gmatclubot
Re: GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Lignin is a complex substance that makes plants ri [#permalink]
16 Oct 2023, 22:52
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
6921 posts
GMATNinjaTwo
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
238 posts

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne
Main navigation
GMAT Resources
Partners
MBA Resources
www.gmac.com|www.mba.com | | GMAT Club Rules | Terms and Conditions