Many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, the mountainous

Hello Everyone!

Let's tackle this question, one thing at a time, and narrow down our options quickly so we know how to answer questions like this when they pop up on the GMAT! To begin, let's take a quick look at the question and highlight any major differences between the options in orange:

Many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries.

(A) Many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries.
(B) Chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with many hundreds of monasteries.
(C) Hundreds of monasteries, many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, are dotting the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia.
(D) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, many of which are chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.
(E) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.

After a quick glance over the options, there are a few things we can focus on:

1. Modifier Placement/Agreement
2. Verb Tense & Meaning: are dotted / are dotting ; chiseled / are chiseled
3. hundreds / many hundreds

Whenever you see an entire sentence underlined, it's a good sign that modifiers are one of the major problems! Let's make sure the modifier is placed next to its antecedent. To start, we need to ask ourselves the following question:

WHAT was chiseled out of solid rock centuries ago? --> Monasteries

Let's see how our options stack up:

(A) Many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries.
(B) Chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with many hundreds of monasteries.
(C) Hundreds of monasteries, many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, are dotting the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia.
(D) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, many of which are chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.
(E) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.

We can eliminate options A & B because the modifier is modifying "the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia" rather than the monasteries.

Now that we have it down to 3 options, let's tackle #2 on our list, which focuses mainly on verb tense/usage:

(C) Hundreds of monasteries, many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, are dotting the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia.
This is INCORRECT because "are dotting" means that monasteries are still being built today, which isn't true.

(D) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, many of which are chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.
This is also INCORRECT because the present tense "are chiseled" doesn't work when talking about something that happened centuries ago!

(E) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.
This is CORRECT because it's okay to say that Ethiopia is still dotted with monasteries, and it also clearly shows that they were "chiseled" in the past.


There you have it - option E is the correct choice! By focusing on common problems you find on the GMAT when the entire sentence is underlined, we were able to eliminate problematic options quickly and get to the correct one even quicker!


Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.

The source of this topic seems to be the condemned 1000 series. Notwithstanding that, let's see whether we can have any take away from that, especially because MGMAT is has been cited in the discussions on the principles of modification
Following is an excerpt from the Manhattan guide:

1. Right: This model explains all known subatomic particles, SOME OF WHICH WERE only recently discovered.--

The question is whether the second part of this sentence is an IC or just a modifier clause. IMO, \it is an IC since we have a solid subject in 'many of which' and a solid verb in 'were'. The result is that this is rather a comma splice. In addition, the verb 'were' seems to be out of place here, since the first part is in the present tense and a present perfect such as 'have been' would have been better. However, tense may or may not a critical issue here. .

2. Right: This model explains all known subatomic particles, SOME OF THEM only recently discovered.

This seems to be correct since, the second part is a verbless phrase, simply modifying the touching noun 'particles'.

To extrapolate this to the issue at hand,


(D) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, MANY OF WHICH ARE chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.
(E) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, MANY OF THEM chiseled from solid rock centuries ago

In this also, the choice D is wrong more because D is a comma splice. Of course, whether they are chiseled or were chiseled may not the prima-facie fact.

I have a very silly doubt :

The simple present tense in English describes a general characteristic as well.

If we say “Mike surfs like a champion”, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Mike is surfing right now; it just means that he has the general characteristic of surfing like a champion.

Similarly
Monasteries, many of which are chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.

Also means it is a FACT. It is a general statement

Can you please explain, I am confused

Maybe I’m over analyzing but isn’t it somewhat difficult to tell what “them” is referencing here? Is them referencing the “mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia“ or the “hundreds of monasteries”. I know that since monasteries is the closest plural noun it is still grammatically correct but it does seem like a bit of pronoun ambiguity for an official question. That said, no other answer choice conveys a grammatically logical answer. D comes close however!

Thoughts on the usage of “them” here?

Yes. The subgroup modifier topic is explained nicely in the Manahatatn SC guide. However please note that as per that explanation, both D and E would be correct.

Following is an excerpt from the Manhattan guide:
Right: This model explains all known subatomic particles, SOME OF WHICH WERE only recently discovered.
Right: This model explains all known subatomic particles, SOME OF THEM only recently discovered.

Compare the above with the following answer choices:

(D) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, MANY OF WHICH ARE chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.
(E) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, MANY OF THEM chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.

Thus both D and E are apparently correct.

Nonetheless the verb "ARE" is wrong in option D.......should be "WERE". Hence we can eliminate option D (although the modifier construction is right).

Would it be grammatically correct to say "many of which were" and "many of them were"? If the latter is incorrect, why?

Isn't in (E), "them" refers back to mountain ranges, as it is being the subject of the first first clause?

Can comma splice be used as a reason to eliminate Option D?
Can any one confirm.
Thanks in advance.

Many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries.


(A) Many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries.

(B) Chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with many hundreds of monasteries.

(C) Hundreds of monasteries, many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago, are dotting the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia.

(D) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, many of which are chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.

(E) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, many of them chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.

Yes. The subgroup modifier topic is explained nicely in the Manahatatn SC guide. However please note that as per that explanation, both D and E would be correct.

Following is an excerpt from the Manhattan guide:
Right: This model explains all known subatomic particles, SOME OF WHICH WERE only recently discovered.
Right: This model explains all known subatomic particles, SOME OF THEM only recently discovered.

Compare the above with the following answer choices:

(D) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, MANY OF WHICH ARE chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.
(E) The mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia are dotted with hundreds of monasteries, MANY OF THEM chiseled from solid rock centuries ago.

Thus both D and E are apparently correct.

Nonetheless the verb "ARE" is wrong in option D.......should be "WERE". Hence we can eliminate option D (although the modifier construction is right).