By 1940, the pilot Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national

Hello Everyone!

Let's take a closer look at this question, one issue at a time, to narrow it down to the correct option! Before we get started, here is the original question, with any major differences between the options highlighted in orange:

By 1940, the pilot Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records, and she earned them at a time when aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew to be of dangerously experimental design.

A) and she earned them at a time when aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew to be
B) earning them at a time that aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew were
C) earning these at a time where aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were
D) earned at a time in which aviation was still so new such that many of the planes she flew were
E) earned at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were

After a quick glance over the options, it's clear that there are some major differences between the options:

1. ...earned at a time when / that / where / in which / when
2. for many / that many / such that many

Let's start with #1 on our list, since it seems like it will be fairly easy to rule out wrong options quickly. Whenever we refer to time, it's best to use other words that also refer to time so things are absolutely clear to readers. Let's see how each option handles this:

A) and she earned them at a time when aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew to be --> OK
(The word "when" is referring to time, so let's keep this for later)

B) earning them at a time that aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew were --> WRONG
(The word "that" isn't clearly referring to time, so let's rule this one out because it's not as clear as saying "when.")

C) earning these at a time where aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were --> WRONG
(The word "where" refers to location, not time! Let's rule this one out!)

D) earned at a time in which aviation was still so new such that many of the planes she flew were --> WRONG
(The phrase "in which" doesn't refer to time specifically, so let's rule this one out.)

E) earned at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were --> OK
(The word "when" is referring to time, so let's keep this for later)

We can rule out options B, C, and D because they don't use the right words to clearly refer to time!

Now that we're only left with 2 options, let's look at #2 on our list: for many vs. that many. We need to make sure for/that are being used properly, and that they convey the proper meaning:

A) and she earned them at a time when aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew to be

This option is INCORRECT because it conveys the wrong meaning to the reader. By using the word "for" as a conjunction here, it suggests that aviation was new BECAUSE the planes were dangerous. Even if it were the correct conjunction to use here, it would still need a comma before it as well. We can't choose this one because it's unclear and sounds awkward.

E) earned at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were

This option is CORRECT! It uses the word "when" to correctly refer back to "at a time." It also uses "that" to suggest that the planes being dangerous is an effect of aviation being new, which makes perfect sense.

There you have it - option E is the correct choice!


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

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 Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records, and she earned these records at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were of dangerously experimental design.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Idioms + Verb Forms + Awkwardness/Redundancy

A: This answer choice incorrectly uses the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb" - "to + be" in this sentence) to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past. Further, Option A incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "so + cause ("new") + for + effect ("many of the planes...design")"; please remember, the correct, idiomatic usage is “so cause…as to effect” or “so cause…that effect”. Additionally, Option A uses the needlessly wordy phrase "and she earned them", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.

B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "earning them at a time"; the use of the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "earning" in this sentence)" construction incorrectly implies that Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records because she earned these records at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were of dangerously experimental design; the intended meaning is that Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records, and as a separate action she earned these records at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were of dangerously experimental design; please remember, the introduction of present participle ("verb+ing"- “earning” in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship. Further, Option B incorrectly uses "that" to refer to a specific point in time; please remember, "when" is used to refer to a point in time. Additionally, Option B incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "so + cause ("new") + for + effect ("many of the planes...design")"; please remember, the correct, idiomatic usage is “so cause…as to effect” or “so cause…that effect”. Additionally, Option B uses the needlessly wordy phrase "and she earned them", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.

C: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "earning these at a time"; the use of the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "earning" in this sentence)" construction incorrectly implies that Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records because she earned these records at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were of dangerously experimental design; the intended meaning is that Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records, and as a separate action she earned these records at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were of dangerously experimental design; please remember, the introduction of present participle ("verb+ing"- “earning” in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship. Further, Option C incorrectly uses "where" to refer to a point in time; please remember, "when" is used to refer to a point in time, and “where” is only used to refer to a physical location.

D: This answer choice incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "so + cause ("new") + such that + effect ("many of the planes...design")"; please remember, the correct, idiomatic usage is “so cause…as to effect” or “so cause…that effect”. Further, Option D incorrectly uses "in which" to refer to a point in time; please remember, "when" is used to refer to a point in time.

E: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase "earned at a time", conveying the intended meaning - that Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records, and as a separate action she earned these records at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were of dangerously experimental design. Further, Option E correctly uses the simple past tense verb "were" to refer to an event that concluded in the past. Additionally, Option E correctly uses "when" to refer to a point in time. Moreover, Option E correctly uses the idiomatic construction "so + cause ("new") + that + effect ("many of the planes...design")". Besides, Option E is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.

Hence, E is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Where" vs "When" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



To understand the concept of "So As To" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



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



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

if it is a past participle, should it be used without comma??

Without the comma it will directly refer to the noun before. But even without comma, logically the past participle can only refer to the records, as it can not refer to any other meaningful noun. Also considering that GMAT isn’t fastidious about comma usage, E is acceptable, IMO

Though i figured out that the OA is E, i was wondering if the grammatical error in option A is rectified, and the new answer choices are :

A- and she earned them at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were
E - earned at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were

Will we still eliminate Option A ? (may be just because it is wordy).

Need help!!

Though i could figure out the best answer,E, i am not satisfied with the explanation OG13 has given for eleminating option B and C.
It says, " the word earning takes the pilot herself, not the records, as its subject. However, earning is close to the records, not toJacqueline Cochran, making this sentence hard to process."

But how can verb-ing modivier placed after clause preceded with comma, can modify noun/subject for the modified clause. As far as eGmat tmaterials on Verbing modifiers are concerned, the construction ---clause + , + verbing---smodifies the whole clause.

Can anyone validate the conflicting ideas? OG or Egmat... I expect Shraddha, Rajat, to pitch in.

Thnx

Anuj

A is still wrong IMO.

A did X and Y. Here, X and Y should be independent; i.e Y cannot be describing X further.

However, the original sentence intends to give further information ( a modifier) about the awards won. So using a "and" conjunction distorts the meaning.

For those interested in a video walkthrough of this question, we've posted our approach to eliminating A, B, C, and D in the OG13 Tracker here: https://www.gmatpill.com/official-guide- ... ?id=ogsc35

Hi there - Can you please validate my analysis and help with the below questions

Sentence structure analysis -

Clause 1: By 1940, the pilot Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records
, and

Clause 2: she earned them at a time when

Clause 3: aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew to be of dangerously experimental design.

Error -

(1) Idiom Error - so ..for is wrong. It needs to be so that. Also the sentence structure is not proper because of missing "that". It is required to introduce the dependent clause "she flew..."
(2) Verb Tense Error - planes .. to be is not right, it needs past tense here. Simple past tense is required as it talks about a fact (design) in past. So "were" is
required.

POE

(a) and she earned them at a time when avation was still so new for many of the planes she flew to be - WRONG because of reasons stated above

(b) earning them at a time that aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew were - WRONG
(1) Idiom error same as (a)

Question -
(1) I am not clear on the position on "earning" and explanation given in OG? To me it seems that comma + verb-ing is presenting additional information about the main clause. Please provide your insight.
(2) Can "that" refer to time?

(c) earning these at a time where aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were - WRONG
(1) "where" referring to time is wrong. When required instead

(d) earned at a time in which aviation was still so new such that many of the planes she flew were - WRONG
(1) Idiom error - so ..such that
Question - Is "in which" wrong here? please explain the usage if "in which". Some forums say it is interchangeable with when

(e) earned at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were - RIGHT
(1) earned refers to closest preceding noun "records" - Right
(2) when refers to time
(3) correct verb tense were

Hi crackball,

Let's begin by the correct question here:

By 1940, the pilot Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records, and she earned them at a time when aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew to be of dangerously experimental design.

A) and she earned them at a time when aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew to be
B) earning them at a time that aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew to be
C) earning these at a time where aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were
D) earned at a time in which aviation was still so new such that many of the planes she flew were
E) earned at a time when aviation was still so new that many of the planes she flew were

Now let's talk about your analysis.

Option A - Yes, you are correct. When we say that something was so X, we must then say "that Y". So "that Y" part is missing from this sentence. However, it is not necessary to have "that" before the clause "she flew". Even without "that", the meaning is absolutely clearly that "she flew" is about the planes that she flew. Also "she flew" is a Dependent Clause here.

Option B - This one has the same idiom error as in Choice A. Also use of "that" to modify "time" is absolutely incorrect. Only "when" can modify "time". Use of comma + verb-ing "earning" is correct in the context as it says that she held the records "by earning them...".

Option C - Correct Analysis.

Option D - You are right about the incorrect idiom use in this sentence. I would say for time, "when" is the relative pronoun to be used.

Option E - Correct analysis.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha

Hi Shraddha,

I am not completely convinced with the usage of Verb + ing ("earning them..." ) in this sentence.
As the sentence doesn't want to convey that because JC flew dangerous planes she held those records.

Please let me know if I am missing out something.

Dear Student,

Thank you for your post.

This indeed is a tricky spot. Although I do agree with you that the meaning added by the verb –ing modifier in the choice under discussion is not really the one conveyed by ‘by” or “because”, I do think that the use of the modifier is correct in the context. Here the modifier “earning” expands on the preceding clause by giving us additional information on the timing of the event, i.e. when Jacqueline held the records. In context, it kind of also establishes on how these records were exceptional.

Hope the above discussion helps!

Regards,

Neeti.

I have already gone through the video.
in video,they say earning modifies pilot . that is my doubt. Earning is placed near to record , that means earning is modifying records not the pilot.

Hi sunita123,

Thank you for the post.

As it is clear from your post, you are facing problems in the concept of verb-ing modifiers. The verb-ing modifiers modify different entities depending on their placement:

• If a verb-ing modifier is placed after a clause and it is preceded by a comma, then it modifies the preceding clause. This modifier:

1. Either provides additional information about the preceding clause

Tom killed the snake, using a stick. (Additional information)

2. Or it presents the result of the preceding clause.

The recession adversely affected the company’s business, reducing its profits by 50%. (Outcome)



• If a verb-ing modifier is placed after a clause and it is not preceded by a comma then it modifies the preceding noun.

Ron got into the cab waiting outside his house. (‘waiting’ modifies ‘the cab’)


If you want to learn more about the verb-ing modifiers, please go through the following two articles. Once you have finished the articles, try to attempt the question above. In case, you still have doubt, look at the explanation below.

usage-of-verb-ing-modifiers-135220.html
verb-ing-modifiers-part-2-in-our-first-article-on-verb-ing-135567.html



Let’s take option B of this sentence to understand the usage of the modifier ‘earning’ in this sentence:

• By 1940, the pilot Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records, earning them at a time that aviation was still so new for many of the planes she flew were of dangerously experimental design.

In this sentence the modifier ‘earning’ modifies the preceding clause. It provides us additional information about the clause. Also, this modifier makes sense with the subject of the clause since Jacqueline Cochran was the one who earned these records. So, this modifier is correctly used in the context of this sentence.


Hope this helps!
Deepak

Hi, Just wanted to understand the usage of Verb-ing modifier here. Had the choice 'C' been correct if the relative modifier for time was 'when'? Also you mentioned that earning here modifies the subject, doesn't Verb-ing modifier correct the entire clause when used with a comma?

The present participle modifier may refer to either the whole clause or the subject of the preceding clause.

Moreover a present participle modifier in such cases is used to convey either of the following meanings:

1. The preceding clause has been possible by doing something. e.g. Federer won Wimbledon, defeating Nadal. (refers to the subject of preceding clause)
2. The preceding clause results in something. e.g. Federer won Wimbledon, spreading a wave of joy among his fans. (refers to the whole clause)

Neither of the above two usages fit to justify the use of present participle "earning" in option C:
1. JC held 17 records by earning them. ...Wrong.
2. JC held 17 records, causing her to earn them... Wrong.

But, the verb-ed modifier when used with comma cannot modify the preceeding subject. Can you please explain that if it does ?

Thanks again
(in this case