Possessive pronoun query

Question

Uranus’s rotational axis tilted nearly parallel to the plane of the Solar System, it exhibits extreme seasons, with hemispheres going

1) Can 'it' here refer to Uranus?
2) If we assume it can, is there ambiguity if "Uranus" is singular and "rotational axis" is singular, would this choice be rejected since 'it' can refer to two things?

This sentence was in a magoosh article https://magoosh.com/gmat/with-noun-part ... orrection/
and this is what was written with regards to this usage - "but the antecedent of the pronoun “it” is “Uranus’s,” which is in the possessive. "
3) But since we now know that antecedents can refer to noun forms that are in the possessive, how would we go about this?

4)How else would i go about rejecting this answer choice?

Uranus’s rotational axis tilted nearly parallel to the plane of the Solar System, it exhibits extreme seasons, with hemispheres going from continuous sunlight to continuous darkness in its 84-year cycle.

Appreciate any help. Thank you!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Dhwani12,

If this is an SC, then can you list the full prompt (along with the 5 answer choices)? Based on the multiple commas - and the descriptive nature of the sentence - this sentence could probably be rewritten with Modification rules in mind. 
 
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Dhwani12 · Answer

2) With a rotational axis tilted nearly parallel to the plane of the Solar System, Uranus exhibits extreme seasons: hemispheres go from continuous sunlight to continuous darkness in its 84-year cycle.

(A) With a rotational axis tilted nearly parallel to the plane of the Solar System, Uranus exhibits extreme seasons: hemispheres go

(B) With a rotational axis tilted nearly parallel to the plane of the Solar System, Uranus exhibiting extreme seasons, because hemispheres went

(C) Uranus has a rotational axis that is tilted nearly parallel to the plane of the Solar System, exhibiting extreme seasons, and the hemispheres went

(D) Uranus’s rotational axis tilted nearly parallel to the plane of the Solar System, it exhibits extreme seasons, with hemispheres going

(E) As a consequence of a rotational axis that is tilted nearly parallel to the plane of the Solar System, Uranus exhibited extreme seasons, such as the hemispheres going

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EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Dhwani12,

Looking at the entire prompt, it's clear that this question IS built around Modification rules (including a rule that you will almost certainly be tested on during your Official GMAT: an opening phrase offset by a comma - what follows the comma should be the subject that is described by that opening phrase).

With that major Modification rule in mind, the original sentence correctly follows that rule. Later on, the use of the colon (:) is also a Modification rule of a sort - what follows the colon should be examples of the 'extreme' seasons that Uranus exhibits. Again, the original prompt presents the 2 extremes (and does so in Parallel format). This sentence is correct as written.

Final Answer:  A

In your original post, you seem interested in Answer D. Since the pronoun "it" is a singular pronoun, we should consider any singular nouns that proceed the pronoun. In Answer D, there are actually 2 (which is problematic to start); the two nouns are the "axis" and the "plane" - but neither of those nouns has "seasons" (the planet Uranus has seasons, but that's not what Answer D presents). Thus, Answer D is incorrect.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

EducationAisle · Answer

This is not clear. What do you intend to say?

Possessive pronoun query

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