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Gusty westerly winds will continue to usher in a seasonably cool air m

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AndrewN

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29 Jun 2021, 13:40

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jabhatta2

Hi AndrewN - how do you choose E over C ?

I dont see anything grammatically wrong with option C because i see C as saying

option C) Winds will continue to usher in XXXX and bring YYYYY

Option C makes sense to me personally as I thought winds can usher in XXXX and bring YYYYY (I am no weather expert and neither does GMAT expect us to be). Also option C seemed parallel

I see a broad area of high pressure building as an absolute modifier, clearly modifying the noun Region and nothing else.

Honestly, jabhatta2, I have little to offer in the way of analysis apart from what GMATGuruNY (just above) and GMATNinja (in this post) have already said further up the page. I will say that your explanation is revealing in one sense, though—a region and a broad area of high pressure cannot be the same. In the context of the sentence, the region is understood to be a geographical location, either a land area or, I suppose, someplace at sea; a broad area of high pressure is a weather system. Even an area—a physical location—that had high pressure would not be referred to as an area of high pressure. It would be said to have a high pressure or that it had a high pressure, perhaps even that it was an area with a high pressure. But a physical location of high pressure is idiomatically unsound, although admittedly, I do not like to turn to idioms unless I have to to rule out an answer choice.

- Andrew

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AndrewN

jabhatta2

Thank you AndrewN for responding. I am surprised you mention a broad area of high pressure is referring to a weather system and not, well an "Area (i.e. location)"

I thought a broad area of high pressure referred to well some space / some location where you can walk to and OHH if i walked there, that area just happened to have High Pressure as well. This is because of the specific word "Area"

How are you interpreting the word "Area" in the phrase "a broad area of high pressure

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jabhatta2

I believe I made myself clear in my previous post. Please take the time to ponder the words rather than dash off another query. (If the post does not make sense to you right away, let the dust settle. Maybe it will make more sense the next day. I practice this way myself, and I recommend the practice to my students.) Certainly, an area can refer to a physical location, but the prepositional phrase of high pressure, when attached to the word area, turns the entire noun phrase into a weather system, especially when the sentence begins by mentioning winds, a weather phenomenon. You are welcome to argue your point, of course, but in the context of this sentence, there is only one logical way to interpret the broad area phrase (in whichever iteration of the sentence you prefer). To put it simply, a region is more of a down-on-the-ground description—e.g., the midwest [region] or the southeast [region], as though you were looking at a map; an area of pressure is an atmospheric description. The two are not the same.

- Andrew

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16 Jul 2021, 14:22

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jabhatta2

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GMATNinja Thanks for your amazing explanations.

Can you please elaborate on why the use of "which" isn't wrong on option E? How can we generalize this touch-rule exception?

Another example would be that question: https://gmatclub.com/forum/the-use-of-l ... 83581.html

Thanks!

Apologies for my slowness on this one!

Here's a simple way to think about the issue: "which" is fine if it 1) describes a noun or noun phrase; and 2) is reasonably close to this noun. That's it. There is no such thing as a touch rule. It's true that "which" will often touch what it modifies, as, ideally, we'd like for our modifiers to be as close as possible to whatever they describe, and you can't get any closer than touching. But a tendency is not a rule, and we certainly don't have to memorize exceptions to a rule that doesn't actually exist.

Now take another look at (E):

Quote:

Gusty westerly winds will continue to usher a seasonably cool air mass into the region while a broad area of high pressure builds, which will bring fair and dry weather for several days.

Here, the only noun phrase that's reasonably close to "which" is "a broad area of high pressure." Does it make sense for a broad area of high pressure to bring fair and dry weather? If I'm being honest, I'm not sure. (My knowledge of meteorology is limited to the smiley-faced clouds a TV weatherman slides around his map.)

Hi GMATNinja - In E), how are you so sure what the "Which" is modifying ? I keep reading "Which" is modifying the noun phrase "a broad area of high pressure "

When I read E), i thought the "Which" was perhaps talking about High Pressure or Broad area specifically (not the entire Noun Phrase)

How can you be so sure, the "Which" is NOT talking about High Pressure specifically or a Broad area specifically ?

The clause "I'm not sure" appears in the line just before your question!

Dealing with the discomfort of uncertainty is part of the game when it comes to SC. Rather than attempting to understand any confusing aspect of a sentence with 100% certainty, you want to ask yourself if there's a reasonable interpretation available. If there is, don't treat whatever you're evaluating as a definitive error. Take another example:

Tim's map of America, which is dotted with frowny faces and tiny sketches of crying children, depresses him.
If you wanted to evaluate "which" here, the first thing you'd ask yourself is whether there's a noun or noun phrase it could be logically describing. Does it make sense to say that America is dotted with frowny faces and sketches of crying children? Probably not. Seems far more logical to say that it's the map that's covered in the aforementioned doodles. (And the question of whether "which" is describing the "map" or the "map of America" is an irrelevant one. "Of America" is simply describing the map in question, so the two interpretations are identical.)

Do I know that for sure that my interpretation is right? Nope. I suppose America could be covered in sad faces. But my understanding seems reasonable, so if I saw this is as an option on the test, I'm not getting rid of it on this basis.

In this case, if you read (E) and thought it might make sense for the "pressure" to bring the fair and dry weather, rather than the "broad area of pressure" you'd still hold on to the answer choice and search for other, more concrete errors.

The takeaway: you don't have to have certainty to get to the right answer! The point of the post is that if you're unsure about an issue, you'd prefer not to use it as a decision point! So don't agonize over the uncertainty. Rely on the issues you know are wrong first; revisit the confusing element only if you have to.

I hope that helps!

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Updated on: 26 Jul 2021, 02:08

Originally posted by GmatKnightTutor on 25 Jul 2021, 23:42.
Last edited by GmatKnightTutor on 26 Jul 2021, 02:08, edited 1 time in total.

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GMAT Sentence Correction - Importance of Solving Approach (Video)

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Gusty westerly winds will continue to usher in a seasonably cool air mass into the region, as a broad area of high pressure will build and bring fair and dry weather for several days.

(A) to usher in a seasonably cool air mass into the region, as a broad area of high pressure will build and - Issue with meaning

(B) ushering in a seasonably cool air mass into the region and a broad area of high pressure will build that - Issue with meaning

(C) to usher in a seasonably cool air mass to the region, a broad area of high pressure building, and - Issue with meaning

(D) ushering a seasonably cool air mass in the region, with a broad area of high pressure building and - conveys the intended meaning but the sentence structure is not parallel - pressure building and bring fair...

(E) to usher a seasonably cool air mass into the region while a broad area of high pressure builds, which will - Correct meaning with Parallel structure

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First glance

The beginning of each choice is either to usher or ushering, indicating a potential structural or idiomatic issue. (Note: It turns out that this particular split is a red herring; either form could be okay in the sentence. Use other differences to solve this one!)

Issues
(1) Meaning: usher in … into

You can usher someone in or you can usher someone into your home—but you don’t usher in someone into your home. Use either in or into, not both. Eliminate choices (A) and (B) for using a redundant structure.

(2) Subject-Verb: area … build

Parallelism: building and bring

Each answer choice leads into the verb bring (the first word after the underline ends). Three of the choices end in and, indicating a potential parallelism issue, so check how this occurs.

(A) a broad area … will build and bring

(B) a broad area … will build that bring

(C) winds will continue to usher … and bring

(D) a broad area … building and bring

(E) a broad area … builds, which will bring

This one is going to be a bit tricky; start with the two definite errors. In choice (B), the singular subject area is paired with the plural verb bring (an area … bring). Eliminate (B) for a subject-verb mismatch.

Choice (D) has faulty parallelism, pairing the –ing word building with the regular verb bring. Eliminate (D) as well.

Choice (E) is the tricky one. A comma-which modifier refers to a noun and that noun has to be close enough to the modifier that the relationship is clear. In this case, a broad area (of high pressure) is that noun, and it is in fact only one word away from the modifier—but, unusually, a verb (builds) comes in between. A lot of people will cross this answer off because, typically, a verb does not intervene between a noun and a noun modifier.

This particular clause (while a broad area of high pressure builds) is itself a modifier of the main sentence that appears before it. In this case, the author must choose between these two constructions:

… while a broad area of high pressure builds, which will bring fair and dry weather for several days.

… while a broad area of high pressure, which will bring fair and dry weather for several days, builds.

Given the length of the noun modifier—and the shortness of the verb—an author might choose to place that verb first. Think of this as an extension of the convention that a noun followed by two noun modifiers will place the essential modifier first:

The box of nails, which is sitting on the table, …

It’s still clear that the second modifier refers to box, as in choice (E) it’s clear that the which modifier refers to the broad area of high pressure. So leave choice (E) in for now and compare the two remaining answers: (C) and (E).

(3) Modifier / Meaning: broad area of high pressure building

The words a broad area of high pressure building are set off by commas, so this is a modifier. What is it modifying?

It’s not entirely clear. The region? The air mass? The whole clause? Further, the sentence structure has changed in such a way that the gusty winds (not the area of high pressure) … bring fair and dry weather. This increases the confusion over what the area of high pressure is referring to in the sentence. Eliminate choice (C) for an ambiguous modifier.

The Correct Answer

Correct answer (E) fixes the redundancy error in the original sentence (usher into) and does not introduce any new errors, as choices (C) and (D) do. This choice unusually inserts a verb between a noun and its modifier, likely in an attempt to get people to cross off the correct answer. Keep this mantra in mind: a noun modifier has to be placed close enough to its noun for the relationship to be clear—but the modifier does not necessarily have to be placed immediately next to its noun. Additionally, while and which in choice (E) help to communicate the intended timeline and cause-and-effect relationships.”

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Hi GMATGuruNY

You mentioned the following in yellow w.r.t option C

Could you perhaps explain using an analogy why you say A broad area of high pressure is NOT a Region but a weather condition ?

Given i see the word "Area" in the phrase A broad area of high pressure - i automatically think this phrase is referring to a "region" [like an area of 100 meters or a square of 100 kms]

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jabhatta2

Generally, a VERBing modifier expresses a TEMPORARY action.
C: the region, an area of high pressure building
This wording seems to define the region as an area of high pressure building.
Implication:
By definition -- as a general truth -- the region is an area of high pressure building.
Not so.
The usage of building conveys that the high pressure is building only TEMPORARILY.
Since the building action will stop at some point, it is illogical to define the region as an area of high pressure building.

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GMATGuruNY

jabhatta2

Hi GMATGuruNY - Per my understanding, present participle adjective implies all 3 characteristics
i) The present participle adjective is an action that is CONTEMPORANEOUS with an actual verb.
ii) The present participle adjective (Verb'ing) is an action that is temporary and can/will change (Verb'ing is NEVER a permanent action)
iii) The present participle adjective implies an active voice.

Applying these rules to the region as an area of high pressure building

I think rule # 2 applies well because the act of "Building" [synonymous to "Increasing"] is never going to be happening permanently. The Building (synonomomus to "Increasing") will stop eventually.

The region CANNOT obviously be in a state of permanently building (or increasing)

Hence the usage of present participle adjective in this case is ACCURATE (not wrong) as present participle adjective indicate a state that is TEMPORARY

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jabhatta2

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jabhatta2

Generally, an APPOSITIVE is a noun that serves to define another noun.
Last year Mary visited New York, the home of Wall Street.
Here, New York is DEFINED as the home of Wall Street.
The implication is that -- not only today but also ten years from now -- New York will STILL be the home of Wall Street.

C: Gusty westerly winds will continue to usher in a seasonably cool air mass to the region, a broad area of high pressure building.
Here, the red portion is an appositive for the region.
As a result, the region seems to be DEFINED as a broad area of high pressure building.
The implication is that -- not only today but also ten years from now -- the region will STiLL be a broad area of high pressure building.
This meaning is illogical.

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29 Jul 2021, 17:31

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GMATGuruNY

jabhatta2

Thank you GMATGuruNY. So if I say :

I am in China, a region of increasing global importance

This sentence would be wrong unless we are saying - China will be **FOREVER** increasing in global importance (which seems unlikely).

Would this tweak, change the meaning in any way ?

I am in China, a region THAT IS increasing importance

Would this structure change anything or would this be wrong as well ? I think this structure would be wrong as well but wanted to know your thoughts.

Thank you !

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jabhatta2

It seems fine to define China as a country of increasing importance.
The implication is that the importance is increasing as a GENERAL TRUTH.
In other words, the act of increasing not only is happening now and but also is expected to continue -- if not forever -- then at least for the foreseeable future.

Quote:

Would this tweak, change the meaning in any way ?

I am in China, a region THAT IS increasing importance

Would this structure change anything or would this be wrong as well ? I think this structure would be wrong as well but wanted to know your thoughts.

Thank you !

Here, the act of increasing is happening only now.
There is no implication that the act is expected to continue in the future as a general truth.

Please note:
While I applaud the quest for knowledge, it is generally my policy not to evaluate self-written sentences.
Since the purpose of this forum is to discuss SC, I generally will limit my comments to actual answer choices.

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saying "usher in a seasonably cool air mass into the region" is senseless.

so A is out.

Among rest of the options, E corrects this mistake and is free of parallelism, modifier, and meaning errors.

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As a non-native speaker, while I did this question I didn't understand what "usher" means and the whole sentence means as well. All I could do is grammar and guessing.
I picked C because I thought "a broad area..." is a summative modifier of "the region". It defines more detailed about "the region" that high pressure is building".

C will be: "Gusty westerly winds will continue to usher in a seasonably cool air mass to the region, a broad area of high pressure building, and bring fair and dry weather for several days"
I understand E makes sense. but for C, how can I know that "a broad area" is not a summative modifier?

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huongguyen

Hello huongguyen,

We hope this finds you well.

Having gone through the question and your query, we believe we can resolve your doubt.

In such cases, it is important to consider the meaning that the entirety of the modifying phrase conveys. In this case, the whole phrase is "a broad area of high pressure building"; here, the modification of "region" with "building" does not make sense, so you should be able to tell that this answer choice is incorrect. On a more nuanced level, "region" here seems to refer to a geographic area, so it does not make sense to describe it as an area of "high pressure".

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

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huongguyen

Not going to beat around the bush. Probably fair to say tackling this question without knowing/being familiar with USHER would be hard for anyone.

That being said, there is perhaps a purely logical way you can become wary of (C) given the way it uses AND at the end.

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huongguyen

As a non-native speaker, while I did this question I didn't understand what "usher" means and the whole sentence means as well. All I could do is grammar and guessing ...

This question will challenge almost everyone! So don't worry too much about it.
Perhaps native speakers have an advantage here (but I'm not a native speaker and found it really difficult).

Posted from my mobile device

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I see lots of discussion involving idiom, conjunctions and punctuations. But let's look at it from purely meaning perspective. It's tricky but once it hits you, it looks simple.

Gusty westerly winds will continue to usher in a seasonably cool air mass into the region, as a broad area of high pressure will build and bring fair and dry weather for several days.

From the meaning I notice few things:
1) use of "as" creates causal relationship i.e as high pressure builds -> cool air mass into the region
2) Look at the sequence of events. It says "something will continue to happen" as something else happens. I am using present tense happens because if something is continuing and it is the effect of some cause that means the cause happened in the past, it is happening at present and will continue to happens in future. So we need present tense to cover this scenario. That means we need simple present tense of verb build i.e high pressure builds, which will

Option D does covers everything discussed above. The last part of option D ->high pressure builds, which will bring fair and dry weather for several days --> This as well makes sense for several days something will happens as a result of high pressure builds

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3.10

Gusty westerly winds will continue to usher in a seasonably cool air mass into the region, as a broad area of high pressure will build and bring fair and dry weather for several days.
(A) to usher in a seasonably cool air mass into the region, as a broad area of high pressure will build and
(B) ushering in a seasonably cool air mass into the region and a broad area of high pressure will build that
(C) to usher in a seasonably cool air mass to the region, a broad area of high pressure building, and
(D) ushering a seasonably cool air mass in the region, with a broad area of high pressure building and
(E) to usher a seasonably cool air mass into the region while a broad area of high pressure builds, which will

timeline will build