In a crowded, acquisitive world, the disappearance of lifestyles such

Hello aashusuman1,

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To answer your query, Option B forms the clause "the disappearance of lifestyles...seems to be inevitably doomed", illogically implying that the disappearance of such lifestyles seems doomed.

By contrast, Option E forms the clause "the disappearance of lifestyles...seems inevitable", which logically conveys that the disappearance of such lifestyles is inevitable.

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GMATIntensive ChiranjeevSingh can you please post an explanation.

I am confused about the use of verb-ing modifier.

The subject of the sentence is "the disappearance of lifestyles..." What is the sentence saying? In context it's clear that the intention of the sentence is to say that these lifestyles are going away—a message that would be adequately conveyed by either of these wordings:
The disappearance of these lifestyles is inevitable (= it's going to happen).
These lifestyles ... are doomed (= there's no way they will survive).

The second of these isn't available among these options, though; the underline doesn't extend to the subject, so you need the formulation that works with "disappearance" as the subject.


The _ING modifier (which in this case just modifies a noun, not a clause) isn't the issue here. That usage isn't ideal—there are lots of nouns before the comma, making it rather unlikely that a reader will immediately understand the proper reference for the modifier—but ultimately there's plenty of context to determine which noun/noun phrase is the referent.

correct answer is e)
Subject - The disappearance (singular)
verb - seem(plural)
a) c) d) are out because of the subject verb agreement error
b) ING modifier can modify the whole clause or just the subject of the previous clause. The disappearance requires something to get doomed doesn't makes any sense at all.

Hope you do not mind for answering your post.

(,) Verb + ing modifies in two way:
1. it somehow modifies preceding clause adding some extra information.
ex, I go to school, declaring that today is not holiday.
Here (,)declaring is modifying preceding clause: I go to school. And it is adding extra information: today is not holiday
2. it shows the consequence of the preceding clause.
ex, It is raining heavy today, creating the situation of flood in the city.
Here, creating (, + verv + ing) is showing the consequence of heavy rain today.

Both two cases, (,) + verb + ing should fit with the subject of the main cluse.
I go to school, declaring that today is not holiday.
here, declaring is fit with I.

In a crowded, acquisitive world, the disappearance of lifestyles such as those once followed by southern Africa's Bushman and Australia's aborigines, requiring vast wild spaces and permitting little accumulation of goods, seem inevitably doomed

In that sentence, requiring is not fit with the disappearnace
. As the disappearance can not requiring.

Hope it helps

Lets break this down. First we look at SV agreement. Then we look at meaning.

In a crowded, acquisitive world, the disappearance of lifestyles such as those once followed by southern Africa's Bushman and Australia's aborigines, requiring vast wild spaces and permitting little accumulation of goods, seem inevitably doomed.

(A) requiring vast wild spaces and permitting little accumulation of goods, seem inevitably doomed Seem does not agree with Disappearance(singular)
(B) requiring vast wild spaces and permitting little accumulation of goods, seems to be inevitably doomed. "Disappearance of lifestyles.... seems inevitably doomed" doesn't make sense.
(C) which require vast wild spaces and permit little accumulation of goods, seem to be inevitably doomedSeem does not agree with Disappearance(singular)
(D) life-styles that require vast wild spaces and permit little accumulation of goods, seem inevitableSeem does not agree with Disappearance(singular)
(E) life-styles requiring vast wild spaces and permitting little accumulation of goods, seems inevitable. Meaning is clear

In a crowded, acquisitive world, the disappearance of lifestyles such as those once followed by southern Africa's Bushman and Australia's aborigines, requiring vast wild spaces and permitting little accumulation of goods, seem inevitably doomed.

I have stricken down "such as..aborigines" because they're examples

Should be seems because we're talking about "the disappearance of something" so can eliminate A, C and D
(A) In a crowded, acquisitive world, the disappearance of lifestyles such as those once followed by southern Africa's Bushman and Australia's aborigines, requiring vast wild spaces and permitting little accumulation of goods, seem inevitably doomed.
(C) In a crowded, acquisitive world, the disappearance of lifestyles such as those once followed by southern Africa's Bushman and Australia's aborigines, which require vast wild spaces and permit little accumulation of goods, seem to be inevitably doomed
(D) In a crowded, acquisitive world, the disappearance of lifestyles such as those once followed by southern Africa's Bushman and Australia's aborigines, life-styles that require vast wild spaces and permit little accumulation of goods, seem inevitable

We can see between B and E, the sentence should mean: the disappearance of lifestyles seems inevitable not the disappearance of lifestyles seems to be inevitably doomed.
there is a slight rhetorical meaning here in the second. Hence E
(B) In a crowded, acquisitive world, the disappearance of lifestyles such as those once followed by southern Africa's Bushman and Australia's aborigines, requiring vast wild spaces and permitting little accumulation of goods, seems to be inevitably doomed
(E) In a crowded, acquisitive world, the disappearance of lifestyles such as those once followed by southern Africa's Bushman and Australia's aborigines, life-styles requiring vast wild spaces and permitting little accumulation of goods, seems inevitable