It is called a sea, but the landlocked Caspian is actually the largest

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 meaning of this sentence is that the landlocked Caspian is called a sea, but it is actually the largest lake on Earth, as it covers more than four times the surface area of its closest rival in size.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Modifiers + Grammatical Construction

• Semicolons and the “comma + conjunction” construction are used to link two independent clauses; commas are used to link an independent clause with a dependent one; comma cannot be used to join two independent clauses.
• in a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction.
• "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.
• The introduction of present participle ("verb+ing"- “covering” in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship.

A: This answer choice incorrectly refers to "Earth" with "which covers...size", illogically implying that the Earth covers more than four times the surface area of its closest rival in size; the intended meaning is that the Caspian covers more than four times the surface area of its closest rival in size; please remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.

B: This answer choice incorrectly refers to "Earth" with "which covers...size", illogically implying that the Earth covers more than four times the surface area of its closest rival in size; the intended meaning is that the Caspian covers more than four times the surface area of its closest rival in size; please remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.

C: Correct. This answer choice correctly uses "Though called a sea" to modify "the landlocked Caspian", conveying the intended meaning - that the landlocked Caspian is called a sea, but it is actually a lake, the largest lake on Earth. Further, Option C uses the phrase "covering...in size"; the use of the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "covering" in this sentence)" construction avoids the modifier error in Options A and B and conveys the intended meaning - that the landlocked Caspian is called a sea, but it is actually the largest lake on Earth, as it covers more than four times the surface area of its closest rival in size; remember, the introduction of present participle ("verb+ing"- “covering” in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship. Additionally, Option C correctly uses commas to join the dependent clauses "Though called a sea" and "covering...in size" to the independent clause "the landlocked Caspian is actually the largest lake on Earth".

D: This answer choice incorrectly uses conjunction ("but" in this case) to join the dependent clause "Though called a sea" to the independent clause "it actually is the largest lake on Earth"; please remember, commas are used to link an independent clause with a dependent one. Moreover, Option D uses a comma to join the independent clauses "it actually is the largest lake on Earth" and "the landlocked Caspian covers...in size"; remember, a comma cannot join two independent clauses; such usage leads to the error of comma splice; to correct this error, the comma must be replaced with semicolon or comma followed by a conjunction such as "and", "but" etc.

E: This answer choice unnecessarily uses the word "being", leading to awkwardness and redundancy; remember, “being” is only to be used when it is part of a noun phrase or represents the passive continuous verb tense; the use of passive continuous must be justified in the context. Further, Option E incorrectly uses "Despite being called a sea" to modify "the largest lake on Earth", incorrectly implying that the largest lake on Earth is called a sea, but it is the landlocked Caspian; the intended meaning is that the landlocked Caspian is called a sea, but it is actually a lake, the largest lake on Earth; please remember, in a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun.

Hence, C is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Comma + Present Participles for Cause-Effect Relationships" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~3 minutes):



To understand the concept of "Phrase Comma Subject" and "Subject Comma Phrase" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1minute):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team