Normally a bone becomes fossilized through the action of groundwater

GMATNinja How is E here incorrect? I am unable to understand how option E is altering the meaning ?

here in option A.. them goes for organic substances .. then how come replaces is used as replaces represent singular and them is for plural

Normally a bone becomes fossilized through the action of groundwater, which permeates the bone, washes away its organic components, and replaces them with minerals.

Doesn't this sentence violate the rule - 1 clause cannot have more than 1 verb?

rsrighosh wrote:
Quote:
Normally a bone becomes fossilized through the action of groundwater, which permeates the bone, washes away its organic components, and replaces them with minerals.


Doesn't this sentence violate the rule - 1 clause cannot have more than 1 verb?

Hmm, I'm not sure what rule you're talking about.

"Tim likes to eat, drink, and be fat and drunk." - Here's an independent clause with three verbs.
"Tim likes to hang out with people who eat sushi, drink whiskey, and dance the lambada." - Here we have a "who" clause that contains three verbs.

Either of these examples is completely fine, as is choice (A) in this question.

If that doesn't quite answer your question, let us know!

GMATNinja

Thank you for your response.

Let me rephrase my question:-Doesn't A violate the rule:- One subject cannot have more than one verb.
Let me give an example:-

I saw a question:-

Considered one of the most intelligent of the New World monkeys, capuchins cleverly create an insecticide and crush millipedes, rubbing the remains of the bugs over its back.

A) capuchins cleverly create an insecticide and crush millipedes, rubbing the remains

B) capuchins cleverly create an insecticide, they crush millipedes, and with such rub the remains

C) capuchins use their cleverness to create an insecticide, crush millipedes, and rub the remains

D) the capuchin cleverly creates an insecticide, crushes millipedes, and it rubs the remains

E) the capuchin cleverly creates an insecticide, crushing millipedes and rubbing the remains

Here option E is right but D is not. As per my understanding, D contains two verbs for the subject capuchin "creates" and "crushes" which makes the sentence incorrect

why A is correct in this situation but D is incorrect in the Capuchin question.

In your examples:-
"Tim likes to eat, drink, and be fat and drunk."
"Tim likes to hang out with people who eat sushi, drink whiskey, and dance the lambada."

The main verb for Tim is "likes" which is a single verb.
Also, in the second sentence "who" = "people"... and "people" is having 3 verbs - eat, drink, dance... isn't this structure incorrect? -- or am i wrong in understanding the rule?

Hello guys,

Can someone please explain how "which" is used to refer to an entire clause ??

According to GMAT rules, "which" can only refer to the noun immediately preceding it and not the entire clause.

MartyTargetTestPrep GMATNinja

I understand that answer choice A is probably the best option among all the answer choices, but I am having difficulties locating the antecedent of "them". what is "them" referring to? it can't be the bone since it is singular, right?

Hello Everyone!

We’ve got a list. parallelism! Any time you see a list on the exam, that means there will be a few unparallel options that you’ll be able to quickly dump, and that will help us get to the right option even faster.

So what could the parallel structure be here?

Permeates, washes, and replaces
-or-
Permeating, washing, and replacing (but there are some problems with this one...more to come on that later)

Let’s see how each answer holds up:

(A) which permeates the bone, washes away its organic components, and replaces them → CORRECT
(B) which permeates the bone, washes away its organic components, and those are replaced → INCORRECT
(C) which permeates the bone, washing away its organic components, to be replaced → INCORRECT
(D) permeating the bone, washing away its organic components, to be replaced → INCORRECT

(E) permeating the bone, washing away its organic components and replacing them → INCORRECT

So why else is option E incorrect, even though it uses parallel structure? The GMAT requires the use of the serial comma (aka the Oxford comma) for every item in a list, including the last item in a list of 3+ items. Answer E doesn’t use a serial comma for the third item, so it’s wrong.

But even more fundamentally, (options D and E), insert “permeating” as an -ing modifier right after the comma, which opens up a confusing ambiguous reference because “permeating” could mean that:

1) groundwater permeates the bone
2) the action of groundwater permeates the bone
3) or even the fossilization through the action of groundwater permeates the bone

A is both parallel, and retains the intended message.

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

Hi EMPOWERgmatVerbal EducationAisle VeritasKarishma GMATNinja, why is the verb-ing modifier could mean to modify three things as mentioned above? Based on my understanding the verb-ing modifier modifies the subject of the preceding clause/action done in the preceding clause. So the action of groundwater is fossilization, which in turn could permeate the bone. I fail to understand why it could modify three things as pointed above?

So the action of groundwater is fossilization, which in turn could permeate the bone.

Normally a bone becomes fossilized through the action of groundwater, which permeates the bone, washes away its organic components, and replaces them with minerals.

(A) which permeates the bone, washes away its organic components, and replaces them

(B) which permeates the bone, washes away its organic components, and those are replaced

(C) which permeates the bone, washing away its organic components, to be replaced

(D) permeating the bone, washing away its organic components, to be replaced

(E) permeating the bone, washing away its organic components and replacing them

NEW question from GMAT® Official Guide 2019

(SC01595)

Hello experts,

I have noticed sometimes the verbing modifier doesn't make sense with the Subject of the preceding clause, because of which I am confused.

I chose E because I thought E is providing the "how?" aspect for preceding clause. But going throught VeritasKarishma post, it is clear why E is incorrect. But I am confused with the use of verb ing.


Can you please confirm whether I'm right?

The following are the uses of comma +verb ing:

1. Modify the previous clause by providing additional information. In this case it should make sense with the subject of that clause. Right?

2. Provide cause and effect relationship. In this case is it necessary to make sense with the subject of that clause?

3. Provide information, which answers the "how?" question. In this case is it necessary to make sense with the subject of that clause?


When can coma + verbing NOT make sense with the subject of the preceding clause and still make sense?

All the concepts were clear earlier, but now I am all over the place.

GMATNinja VeritasKarishma EducationAisle

Thank you in advance!

All the concepts were clear earlier, but now I am all over the place.

I have noticed sometimes the verbing modifier doesn't make sense with the Subject of the preceding clause, because of which I am confused.

Hello Everyone!

We’ve got a list. parallelism! Any time you see a list on the exam, that means there will be a few unparallel options that you’ll be able to quickly dump, and that will help us get to the right option even faster.

So what could the parallel structure be here?

Permeates, washes, and replaces
-or-
Permeating, washing, and replacing (but there are some problems with this one...more to come on that later)

Let’s see how each answer holds up:

(A) which permeates the bone, washes away its organic components, and replaces them → CORRECT
(B) which permeates the bone, washes away its organic components, and those are replaced → INCORRECT
(C) which permeates the bone, washing away its organic components, to be replaced → INCORRECT
(D) permeating the bone, washing away its organic components, to be replaced → INCORRECT

(E) permeating the bone, washing away its organic components and replacing them → INCORRECT

So why else is option E incorrect, even though it uses parallel structure? The GMAT requires the use of the serial comma (aka the Oxford comma) for every item in a list, including the last item in a list of 3+ items. Answer E doesn’t use a serial comma for the third item, so it’s wrong.

But even more fundamentally, (options D and E), insert “permeating” as an -ing modifier right after the comma, which opens up a confusing ambiguous reference because “permeating” could mean that:

1) groundwater permeates the bone
2) the action of groundwater permeates the bone
3) or even the fossilization through the action of groundwater permeates the bone

A is both parallel, and retains the intended message.

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