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

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.
_________________

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.

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


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


Grammatically correct choice. Keep this


..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


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.

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.

(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

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.
_________________