In a previous design, the weight of the discus used in track competiti

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that the discus used in track competition was once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, but now it is lined with lead around the perimeter.

Concepts tested here: Meaing + Tenses + Verb Forms + Awkwardness/Redundancy

• The simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past.
• The simple present tense is to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature.

A: This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "is" to refer to an event that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past, and the simple present tense is only used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature. Further, Option A suffers from pronoun ambiguity, as it is unclear whether "it" refers to "discus" or "metal center". Additionally, Option A uses the needlessly wordy construction "In a previous design", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.

B: This answer choice suffers from pronoun ambiguity, as it is unclear whether "it" refers to "discus" or "metal center". Further, Option B uses the needlessly wordy construction "According to a previous design", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.

C: Correct. This answer choice correctly acts upon the independent noun "the discus" with the active verb phrase "is now lined" to form a complete thought, leading to a complete sentence. Further Option C uses the phrase "Once designed with...metal center" to modify "the discus", conveying the intended meaning - that the discus used in track competition used to be designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, but now it is lined with lead around the perimeter, instead. Additionally, Option C avoids the issue of pronoun ambiguity, seen in Options A and B, as it employs no pronouns. Moreover, Option C correctly uses the simple present tense verb "is now lined" to refer to information that is permanent in nature and avoids the tense error seen in Option A, as it uses the noun modifier "Once designed" rather than an active verb. Besides, Option C is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.

D: This answer choice fails to form a complete sentence; as "once designed" and "now lined" are both noun modifiers, there is no active verb to act upon the subject noun "The discus".

E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "and lined"; the use of "and" incorrectly implies that the discus used in track competition was once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, and is now is lined with lead around the perimeter as well; the intended meaning is that the discus used in track competition was once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, but now it is lined with lead around the perimeter, instead. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the past participle ("lined" in this sentence) to refer to information that is permanent in nature; please remember, information that is permanent in nature is best coveted through the simple present tense.

Hence, C is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

D reads - The discus used in track competition, once designed with its weight
concentrated in a metal center, but now ..

Here.. the BUT after the comma is redundant. usually you should be able to take stuff between the bracing commas and the sentence should still make sense (usually.. and these are calling the comma hugs per some girl instructor in KAPLAN).

So lets take off the commas and check.. The discus used in track competition,..,but now lined with lead
around the perimeter, thereby improving stability in flight and resulting in longer throws.

That is a run on sentence or some sort of improper grammar construct. Right? thats why D is out.

C is correct because of the proper placement of modifier which all the other choices miss out.

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-Hemanth

Typically, when we use a pronoun as a subject, the antecedent will be the subject of the previous clause. For example:

Because Tim's daughters wanted to see the Grand Canyon, they chartered a plane without their parents' permission, making them the first kids in their pre-school to fly across the Continental United States without supervision.

Because the subject of the first clause is "Tim's daughters" it makes sense that "they" is referring to them in the second clause - the same subject performed two actions: the daughters wanted to see the Grand Canyon and the daughters chartered a plane. Perfectly logical.

Now take another look at (B):

According to a previous design, the weight of the discus used in track competition was concentrated in a metal center, but now it is lined with lead..."

The subject of the first clause is "the weight of the discus." So it sounds as though the second clause is conveying the idea that "the weight of the discuss" is lined with lead. But that doesn't work. How could an attribute, weight, be lined with lead? (B) is illogical -- or at least unclear.

Contrast that with (C):

Once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, the discus used in track competition is now lined with lead.

Now "its" appears in the opening modifier, and the subject of the following clause is "discus," and this makes perfect sense. It's the discus that's lined with lead. Because (C) is more clear and logical, it's the better option.

I hope that helps!

A. In a previous design, the weight of the discus used in track competition is concentrated in a metal center, but now it (Refers to 'weight') is
B. According to a previous design, the weight of the discus used in track competition was concentrated in a metal center, but now it (Refers to 'weight') is
C. Once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center (correctly modifies 'the discus) , the discus used in track competition is now 'The discus is lined with and not the weight'
D. The discus used in track competition, once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, but now 'No verb'
E. The discus used in track competition was once designed having its weight concentrated in a metal center and now The discus was once designed and was now lined. 'was' can not be used for 'now'

I went with B instead of C, but i clearly see the pronoun missmatch. Didnt consider C as an option because according to a previous design sounded better than once design.....still a bit jittery when it comes to modifier explanation. Thanks everyone for such a wonderful discussion.

Cheers

Posted from GMAT ToolKit

Hi there,

As mentioned in the previous explanation, 'weight' is an abstract quality of an object. It is not an object itself. If we say that the weight of the discus is 2 kilograms, we can't say that the 2 kilograms are lined with lead. It's the discus itself that is lined with lead.

As for the modifier, the design also logically has to refer to the discus, not the weight of the discus. The correct option makes this clear.

I hope this helps!

Regards,
Meghna

In the fossil example, "it" cannot possibly refer to "fossils" (we would need the plural pronoun "they" to refer to "fossils"). Also, notice that "it" is NOT the subject of a 2nd clause in that sentence. Instead, "it" is the object of the verb "made": "Fossils made it..."

The explanation above says that when we use a pronoun as a subject, the antecedent will TYPICALLY (not always) be the subject of the previous clause. But in the cited "Fossils..." example, there is only one subject-verb pair.

I hope that helps!

"The kids are sleeping, giving Tim a moment of peace."

In this example, it's not the kids themselves that are giving Tim a moment of peace. It's the fact that they're sleeping.

"The discus is lined with lead, improving the stability in flight."

Similarly, it's not the discus itself that improves stability. It's the fact that the discus is lined with lead.

In both cases, the "-ing" modifier modifies the action performed by the subject, not the subject itself.

What is that action in choice (C)? BEING lined with lead. What "performs" that action? The discus. So the "-ing" modifier makes sense with the verb and its subject.

I hope that helps!

Thanks a lot for great explanation.

between C and D, I could not decide why D was wrong. Can someone explain ?

Hi e-GMAT,
I've got a doubt -
Per the sentence, I thought the meaning should be the weight of discus in old design was concentrated at the center earlier and now the same (i.e the weight of discus NOT the discus itself) is lined with lead around the perimeter. The topic of discussion should be the weight (of discus) not merely the discus I guess.I don't see the second case scientifically wrong as it's a form of distributed load along the perimeter - this is very much possible.

Please help me where I got it wrong and why ONLY the 'discus' is considered instead of 'the weight of discus' in modern design?

Meghna,
I'm not able to understand why do you say that "‘weight’ cannot be lined with anything...", as here weight of the discuss is lined with lead around the perimeter means the weight of the discuss is distributed (load) along the perimeter - this is very much possible from the scientific view point. Right?

Second reason - I thought the modifier ‘a previous design’ refers to the entire following clause here. Please clarify.

GMATNinja
I don't see any issue with option B here.
'it' logically refers to discus only.

Kindly explain.

Referring to your explanation and your explanation in the following question -

"Fossils of the arm of a sloth found in Puerto Rico in 1991, and dated at 34 million years old, made it the earliest known mammal of the Greater Antilles islands"

You had said, it refers to the sloth. But in the above question, you are saying that a pronoun refers back only to the subject of the preceding clause. Please clarify. By the logic used in fossil question, it can refer to discus.

In a previous design, the weight of the discus used in track competition is concentrated in a metal center, but now it is lined with lead around the perimeter, thereby improving stability in flight and resulting in longer throws.

(A) In a previous design, the weight of the discus used in track competition is concentrated in a metal center, but now it is X
-'it' is referring to the 'discus', but discus is subsumed under 'the weight of'

(B) According to a previous design, the weight of the discus used in track competition was concentrated in a metal center, but now it is X
-same issue as A)

(C) Once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, the discus used in track competition is now CORRECT

(D) The discus used in track competition, once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, but now X
-illogical modification, the 'track competition' was not once designed with its weight concentrated...

(E) The discus used in track competition was once designed having its weight concentrated in a metal center and now X
-unclear why an -ing modifier is used here

A lot of people are eliminating choice D for modifier errors, but I don't think that is a valid reason to eliminate it.



"once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center" is NOT modifying "track competition" -- it's modifying "The discus used in track competition".

The issue with D is that it's not a complete sentence. We have:

The discus used in track competition,
once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, (modifier)
but now lined with lead around the perimeter (modifier)
thereby improving stability in flight and resulting in longer throws. (modifier)

What is the discus used in track competition doing?!

Choice D needs a verb.

HOW in the correct answer, present participle as end modifier is making sense with the subject of preceding clause?
* Discus is NOT improving the stability. Although its clear that present participle is acting as adverbial modifier, how subject is making sense is NOT clear to me. What am I missing here ?
Please clarify.

Regards..