In surprising medical news, scientists investigating long-term effects

Overall, considering the placement of commas and the modifications, It looks A and C are equally good. But the controversy about a smoking habit or habit of smoking is something that we have to endure. There could be arguments and counter - arguments for and against both. For example; we may argue that a leading person is one who is leading; a flying bird is the one that is flying (and not stationary). Similarly, can’t we mean that a smoking habit is a habit that smokes? We can also say, the habit of smoking is a habit possessed by smoking. Ain’t GMAT SC questions more decisive?

'the' smoking habit refers to particular smoking habit. Ex. Chain or occasional or any other type. 'a' smoking habit refers to general habit. Common noun.

Ex. Dwight is too smart to make a mistake. >>> any mistake
Dwight is too smart to make the mistake. >>> a particular mistake

Hope you got it.

Here we have to understand whether information is necessary for the sentence to convey the idea or additional.
Here in option A. located behind the ear is additional information. Thus, it is presented as non essential form separated by comma.

Even without this information we can deliver the intended message. Therefore, presenting this part separated by comma is ok.

Further a habit or the habit is a split. We should use a habit, because we are talking about general habit of smoking not any specific referenced smoking.
C and E can be eliminated.

We can eliminate B and D because located behind the ear is presented as essential information, but in original sentence it is presented as non essential.

In surprising medical news, scientists investigating long-term effects of stroke are reporting that injury to a specific part of the brain, located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit.
a. brain, located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit.
b. brain located behind the ear can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit
c. brain, located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break the habit of smoking
d. brain located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit.
e. brain, the one located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break the habit of smoking

I thought that the comma was not logically placed because that part of the sentence was crucial for understanding.

Either way, don't you prefer the term "the habit of smoking" to the term "a smoking habit"?

Read following sentence don't you think that sentence without modifier is expressing main idea.
Scientists investigating long-term effects of stroke are reporting that injury to a specific part of the brain can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit.

Further to understand the difference between the and a have a look at following sentences.
I saw a animal
I saw the animal

a animal refers to any animal not any specific one.
Lets say we know the context and we know a tiger is around and if some one says I saw the animal then in that case the animal is referring to the tiger a specific animal. Similarly the smoking is referring to some specific case of smoking but we want to express general smoking.


I hope its clear now.

Here is the OA/OE:

The original sentence is correct as written. Commas are used correctly to separate the parenthetical expression located behind the ear from the rest of the sentence.
(A) The phrase located behind the ear is correctly separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

(B) The lack of commas in this option turns the sentence into a run-on.

(C) Though commas are used correctly here, the phrase the habit of smoking is wordy.

(D) A comma is needed after the word brain to make the sentence grammatically correct.

(E) The phrases the one located by behind the ear and the habit of smoking are both unnecessarily wordy.

Discussing about comma... It is the basic modifiers concept. I would suggest that u read the entire topic rather than going in brief, because everyone need strong basics in modifiers, GMAT's fav area of play.
Inorder to clear the confusion between A and C, one need to understand the importance of the prepositional phrase and one word modifiers.

Smoking Habit: SMOKING one word Modifier(adjective). It answers WHAT IS or WHAT KIND OF HABIT? there are many habits and smoking is one among them.

Habit of Smoking: OF SMOKING(Prepositional Phrase). WHAT IS THE STATE OF SMOKING?. This indicates there are many kinds/states of smoking and HABIT is one among them.

In other words
Car Tyre: This directly indicates information of tyre and CAR is just Modifier.
Tyre of the car: This is talking about ONE OF THE TYRES OF THE PARTICULAR CAR/ TYRE OF ANY CAR(if no THE).

I donot agree with OA
E is the best among all

The problem with E is the pronoun "one" - this pronoun implies that there are many brains and out of them, one particular is referred to.

When I saw the choices, I completely eliminated A,C and E because I interpreted the commas as they are referring to the word "brain"

brain, located behind the ear,

I read it as the sentence says that the brain is located behind the ear.
Any thoughts?

I have query regarding role of modifier.
In surprising medical news, scientists investigating long-term effects of stroke are reporting that injury to a specific part of the brain, located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit.
Located behind ear what it modifies, ed modifier modifies the preceding noun so is it modifying brain?
Or does it appositive phrase which modifies while clause before?

Thanks in advance

In option A,

specific part of the brain, located behind the ear,

isn't located behind ear is modifying brain and not specific part?

I always make this mistake in identifying the correct statement is such scenarios. Is there any tip?

Hey I understand your problem but here all options and the context of sentence want us to consider "located behind the ear" a modifier of specific part of brain.

I, infact selected Option E considering that the modifier "the one located behind the ear" modifies part of brain instead of brain.

daagh can you please help solve this doubt..

Hey, but there can be many parts of brain and the one is actually modifying a part of brain which is behind the ear..

Even i opted for E.

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