Often billed as "The Genius," American pianist, singer, comp

Often billed as "The Genius," American pianist, singer, composer, and bandleader Ray Charles is credited with soul music's early development, a genre based on melding gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz.

(A) Charles is credited with soul music's early development, a genre based on melding
developement of soul music is better.
(B) Charles is credited with the early development of soul music, being a genre based on melding
being modifier is modifying the whole preceeding clause....as meaning comes out to be charles being a genre...=>not correct
(C) Charles is credited with the early development of soul music, a genre based on a melding of
correct
(D) Charles, credited with soul music's early development, a genre that was based on a melding of
this sentence is a fragment as the subject CHARLES doesnt has a verb
(E) Charles, who is credited with the early development of soul music, a genre based on melding
again this one is a fragment same as D

I go with (C) as the "genre" correctly modifies the "soul music".
(B) is wrong as I read somewhere that "being is generally" not used on GMAT plus (B) is wordy as well.

problem with being is that it is working as a modifier and indirectly referring to subject of the sentence, "ray" and that is wrong. it should modify genre.

Answer –C
A – a genre wrongly modifies development. It should correctly modify soul music. Hence, A is wrong.
B – use of being makes a noun phrase ‘being genre based on melding of ...’ it lacks verb and hence wrong. It is wrong modification.
C – correct.
D – Ray charles misses the verb.
E – there is no verb for Ray Charles.

Often billed as "The Genius," American pianist, singer, composer, and bandleader Ray Charles is credited with soul music's early development, a genre based on melding gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz.

(A) Charles is credited with soul music's early development, a genre based on melding -- genre should logically refer to soul music but here it is in possessive
(B) Charles is credited with the early development of soul music, being a genre based on melding -- usage of bein
(C) Charles is credited with the early development of soul music, a genre based on a melding of - Correct
(D) Charles, credited with soul music's early development, a genre that was based on a melding of -- no verb
(E) Charles, who is credited with the early development of soul music, a genre based on melding -- no verb

Answer C

(D) and (E)
It begins with an opening modifier "Often billed as *****" , so we need the subject---Charles to appear right way, with his action. So D&E are gone.

(B)
"Comma + __ing" should describe the subject+action that comes before it. 
I dropped the groceries onto the floor, scaring the dog.
--> I scared the dog by dropping the groceries.
If you try the same thing here, it doesn't work. Choice B suggests that Ray Charles is a "genre". Oops.

(A) and (C)
 "a genre" should be placed as close as possible to "soul music".
Choice C puts it closer than choice A, so you can eliminate choice A.

When the issue is placement of a modifier, just pick the choice(s) in which the modifier is CLOSEST to the stuff it's supposed to describe.
There's no need to hypothesize an "ideal" placement -- that's why the problems are multiple-choice.

Correct answer is (C)

Posted from my mobile device

Can I ask, if instead of "a melding of" in C, we use "meld" directly as in A, is C still correct? Is one way better than the other?

(A) Charles is credited with soul music's early development, a genre based on melding - Wrong: Pronoun error
(B) Charles is credited with the early development of soul music, being a genre based on melding - Wrong: Usage of being
(C) Charles is credited with the early development of soul music, a genre based on a melding of - Correct
(D) Charles, credited with soul music's early development, a genre that was based on a melding of - Wrong: 1) Missing verb 2) Meaning distortion
(E) Charles, who is credited with the early development of soul music, a genre based on melding - Wrong:

Often billed as "The Genius," American pianist, singer, composer, and bandleader Ray Charles is credited with soul music's early development, a genre based on melding gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz.

(A) Charles is credited with soul music's early development, a genre based on melding
(B) Charles is credited with the early development of soul music, being a genre based on melding
(C) Charles is credited with the early development of soul music, a genre based on a melding of
(D) Charles, credited with soul music's early development, a genre that was based on a melding of
(E) Charles, who is credited with the early development of soul music, a genre based on melding

egmat

1) Charles is credited with soul music's early development.

2) Charles is credited with the early development of soul music.

Please throw some light on these two constructions.are both the constructions correct?

This question is based on Construction.

In Option A, the subject of the participle phrase “a genre based on melding gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz” is not clear. Logically, the phrase should modify “soul music”, but the placement of the phrase seems to convey the meaning that it is modifying “Ray Charles”. So, Option A can be eliminated.

Option B also contains a participle modifier at the end of the sentence. The modifier is a little different from the modifier in Option A, but the participle ‘being’ indicates that “Ray Charles” is the subject of the modifier. So, Option B can be eliminated.

Option D is an incomplete sentence. This option is made up of four phrases. There is no subject and verb to make a complete the sentence. So, Option D can be eliminated.

Option E is also a sentence fragment. The option is made up of three phrases and a dependent clause. So, Option E can be eliminated.

Option C contains a subject and verb – “Ray Charles is credited” – and an absolute phrase at the end of the sentence that appropriately modifies the subject – soul music. Therefore, C is the most appropriate option.

Jayanthi Kumar.

I agree with all the explanations below and came to 'C' , but here in the option 'C' usage of 'a genre based ....a melding' instead of 'a genre based on ..melding' looks confusing.

Hello sk5499461,

We hope this finds you well.

To provide some clarity here, in Option C, "a melding" simply means "a combination".

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team

Just look at the last word before the comma of the modifier. It should be a noun being modified. Hence A, D are eliminated. E makes it appear as if Charles is a genre based on melding.... Hence, E is eliminated. B is incorrect as the modifier should describe a noun. Also, B has 'being' which is highly excluded in GMAT SCs. So, B is the answer

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.