Events & Promotions
| Last visit was: 20 Sep 2026, 02:28 |
It is currently 20 Sep 2026, 02:28 |
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Sep 2003:30 AM EDT
-04:30 AM EDT
Looking for your GMAT motivation to break through the score plateau? Pragati improved her score by massive 160 points with strategic guidance and hard-work! Find out how personalized mentorship and a strong mindset can turn GMAT struggles into success.
Sep 1810:00 AM IST
-11:00 PM IST
Start your journey with a fully customized action plan and work with a dedicated mentor to achieve a 735+ score.
Sep 2107:00 PM EDT
-10:00 PM EDT
Boost your GMAT score in less than one month in a live online class + 6 months access to TTP OnDemand video courses included!
Sep 2312:30 AM EDT
-01:30 AM EDT
Learn how Keshav, a Chartered Accountant, scored an impressive 705 on GMAT in just 30 days with GMATWhiz's expert guidance. In this video, he shares preparation tips and strategies that worked for him, including the mock, time management, and more
Sep 2601:00 PM EDT
-04:00 PM EDT
Top scores are possible when you enroll in a powerful GMAT course, taught live online + 6 months access to TTP OnDemand video courses included. Class starts Saturdays Sept. 26, 2026 - Dec. 19, 2026, 1:00pm-4:00pm ES
Sep 2606:00 PM PDT
-07:00 PM PDT
Free- full-length test + 15 concept videos + 150+ short videos + study plan!
Max.MayankG
Joined: 11 May 2016
Last visit: 27 Jan 2025
Posts: 37
Given Kudos: 4
Location: India
Schools: Duke '21 (D) Anderson '21 (M) NUS '21 (D) Ross '21 (D) Kenan-Flagler '21 (WL) Tuck '21 (D) Jones '21 (A$)
GMAT 1: 680 Q50 V31
GMAT 2: 720 Q50 V37
GPA: 3.26
WE:Engineering (Energy)
Schools: Duke '21 (D) Anderson '21 (M) NUS '21 (D) Ross '21 (D) Kenan-Flagler '21 (WL) Tuck '21 (D) Jones '21 (A$)
GMAT 2: 720 Q50 V37
Posts: 37
Updated on: 31 May 2021, 06:20
Originally posted by Max.MayankG on 05 Jul 2018, 12:14.
Last edited by Bunuel on 31 May 2021, 06:20, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by Bunuel on 31 May 2021, 06:20, edited 1 time in total.
Edited the question.
Kudos
Bookmarks
D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
95%
(hard)
Question Stats:
32% (02:02) correct
68%
(02:00)
wrong
based on 4353
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than almost any other fruit, making it one of the healthiest widely available fruits on the market.
A. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than almost any other fruit, making it one of the healthiest widely available fruits
B. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than almost any other fruit, making them one of the healthiest fruits that is widely available
C. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than those in almost any other fruit, which makes the acai berry one of the healthiest widely available fruits
D. Because the acai berry’s antioxidants boost immune cell function more effectively than those in almost any other fruit, it is one of the healthiest fruits that is widely available
E. Because the acai berry’s antioxidants boost immune cell function more effectively than the antioxidants found in almost any other fruit, they are one of the healthiest widely available fruits
A. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than almost any other fruit, making it one of the healthiest widely available fruits
B. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than almost any other fruit, making them one of the healthiest fruits that is widely available
C. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than those in almost any other fruit, which makes the acai berry one of the healthiest widely available fruits
D. Because the acai berry’s antioxidants boost immune cell function more effectively than those in almost any other fruit, it is one of the healthiest fruits that is widely available
E. Because the acai berry’s antioxidants boost immune cell function more effectively than the antioxidants found in almost any other fruit, they are one of the healthiest widely available fruits
22 Aug 2018, 00:34
Kudos
Bookmarks
Pronouns: Possessive poison? Careful.
On the GMAT, as long as meaning is clear, both object and subject pronouns may have a possessive noun as an antecedent.
On the GMAT, as long as meaning is clear, both object and subject pronouns may have a possessive noun as an antecedent.
Max.MayankG
There are no typos in this question. The correct answer is D.
I. The widely held belief that a pronoun may not ever refer to a possessive noun ("possessive poison") is incorrect for the GMAT.
In particular, GMAC will occasionally allow a subject or object pronoun to refer to a possessive noun.
A decade ago, GMAC mentioned the "poison pronoun" rule once in an OE.
Even in that case, the two options were eliminated for other reasons.
GMAC has never explicitly mentioned the "rule" again. Furthermore, GMAC has published questions whose correct answers violate the alleged rule.
This Manhattan Prep question resembles an official question about the poet E. B. Browning in which the subject pronoun "she" refers to a possessive noun.
That pronoun referent startled many in the industry who had doubted that GMAC would tolerate such a construction.
Their doubt had been strong—to the point of certainty. The question and the issue have created confusion.
Max.MayankG , arvindsiv , lary301254M7 , AkshdeepS - though incorrect, your reasoning resembles that of many test takers. A decent bit of research is required to recognize that my answers in blue are correct.
That said, this question is instructive in this regard: use POE. Eliminate options with errors that have no exceptions.
You will end up with what you think is the "least" wrong answer.
That situation may not satisfy you, but it is the only way to handle SC questions in which a rule about which you are unclear arises.
Fatal errors in this case: Option A compares antioxidants to fruit; Options B and E contain pronoun disagreement; Option C misuses COMMA WHICH; and options A, B, and C are logically absurd.
Comments from forum posters about the "possessive poison" rule:
Quote:
Rules that seem ironclad aren't always so. That circumstance can be very frustrating.
II. The content of the infamous (and apparently perishable) poison possessive rule on the GMAT
According to the "poison pronoun rule," subject and object pronouns cannot refer to possessive nouns.
Some grammarians still hold firmly to that rule.
More than a decade ago, though, GMAC advertised that it would not follow the rule strictly in the OBJECT pronoun case (her, him, them).
GMAC used the question HERE as early as 2007 in which an OBJECT pronoun referred to a possessive noun.
That link is to a Question of the Day, in which the awesome and awesomely funny GMATNinja did not need to discuss whether the objective case, "her," could refer to the possessive noun in "the goddess Bona Dea's" because the phrase in question was not underlined and every option contained only "her." (That same official question is here.)
GMAC's maneuver at that point was equivalent to a statement that object pronouns COULD refer to possessive nouns.
A handful of similar official questions reinforced that message about object pronoun referents.
Such reference is not common. But it is not forbidden.
Whether GMAC ever subscribed strictly to the "poison pronoun" rule in the SUBJECT pronoun case is not clear.
In 2005 or 2006, apparently on a GMAT paper test, here, a possessive noun was allowed to stand for a subject pronoun:
Frances Wright's book on America contrasted the republicanism of the United States with what she saw as the aristocratic and corrupt institutions of England.
This paper test example probably was seen by very few and did not dissolve a fairly steadfast consensus.
In yet another official question even older than the Frances Wright question, in the non-underlined portion,
the word he refers to Scott Joplin's.
That OG 1988 question is here.
Until recently, many GMAT instructors believed that GMAC would not allow a subject pronoun to refer to a possessive noun.
In 2016, however, the OG contained a question about Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetry, HERE.
That is, in SC #138 of OG 2016, GMAC tipped its hand on the issue of a subject pronoun referent.
SPOILER ALERT: The answer to an official question is given.
CORRECT: Although Elizabeth Barrett Browning's success was later overshadowed by that of her husband, among her contemporaries SHE was considered the better poet.
GMAT instructors took note. Many of them observed that GMAC had "relaxed" its stance. At the least, GMAC had established that a subject pronoun COULD refer to a possessive antecedent.
I do not think that GMAC staged a revolution.
I think that GMAC test writers signaled that as long as the meaning of the sentence is clear, a subject pronoun can refer to a possessive noun. Can be acceptable does not mean is always acceptable.
In the EBB case just above, for example, there is only one woman to whom "she" can refer, namely, Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
The E.B. Browning question was not a mistake. The question continued to appear in OGs 2017, 2018, and 2019 (SC #805).
Conclusion? Note the shift and adjust your thinking just a little. We do not automatically reject an option based on what has often seemed like a rule without exceptions.
III. Excellent sources may be wrong about this issue.
Expert sources who say that pronouns cannot refer to possessive nouns are not the same people who write the GMAT.
With respect to the GMAT, the blanket possessive poison prohibition is incorrect.
Typically such sources add one exception, namely, that possessive pronouns such as "her" (her demotion) can refer to possessive nouns such as "Mary's mistake."
In a conflict between an official and a non-official source, the official source wins.
The most recent edition of a book by a very popular and well-respected source for GMAT sentence correction
is not accurate about what GMAC allows and forbids in this context.
See, for example, pages 119 and 194 of the latest edition.
(That book deserves its stellar reputation. A few inaccuracies? Eh.)
Sources on the web? Same deal. On the GMAT,
the "rule" that a possessive noun cannot be the antecedent of a pronoun, as this popular website asserts, HERE, is not absolute. The rule may not be a rule at all.
I emphasize "on the GMAT" because some well-respected sources adhere to the prohibition.
IV. Summary
On the GMAT, as long as meaning is clear, both object and subject pronouns may have a possessive noun as an antecedent, so do not automatically reject such pairings. Do not accept them blindly, either.
Sometimes okay does not equal always okay.
Correct: Because the acai berry’s antioxidants boost immune cell function more effectively than those in almost any other fruit, it is one of the healthiest fruits that is widely available
Answer D
P.S. "Logical predication" (meaning and causality) in Options A, B, and C, as I wrote HERE, is nonsensical at worst and iffy at best.
Study results cannot "cause" a fruit to be among "the healthiest" of available fruits. Antioxidants can. See my comments in that post.
31 Jul 2018, 11:53
Kudos
Bookmarks
sonal
I agree.
One of the healthiest widely available fruits is acai-- ok
One of the healthiest widely available fruits are acai -- not ok
One of the healthiest widely available fruits that are available - ok
One of the healthiest widely available fruits that is available - not ok
The presence of the relative pronoun 'that' makes the vital difference.
I agree.
One of the healthiest widely available fruits is acai-- ok
One of the healthiest widely available fruits are acai -- not ok
One of the healthiest widely available fruits that are available - ok
One of the healthiest widely available fruits that is available - not ok
The presence of the relative pronoun 'that' makes the vital difference.
General Discussion
05 Jul 2018, 13:40
Kudos
Bookmarks
Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than almost any other fruit, making it one of the healthiest widely available fruits on the market.
Is this really from MGMAT as tagged? No choice is correct.
A. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than almost any other fruit, making it one of the healthiest widely available fruits--- Faulty comparison of antioxidants with any other fruit.
B. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than almost any other fruit, making them one of the healthiest fruits that is widely available--- 'them' has no reference; if 'them' is referring to the antioxidants, then it is absurd.
C. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than those in almost any other fruit, which makes the acai berry one of the healthiest widely available fruits-- No referent for which; it is the boosting that makes the fruit worthwhile.
D. Because the acai berry’s antioxidants boost immune cell function more effectively than those in almost any other fruit, it is one of the healthiest fruits that is widely available-- 1. It cannot refer to the possessive acai berry's 2. We require 'do' after 'than', as 'boost' is the verbal action that is under comparison.
E. Because the acai berry’s antioxidants boost[/color] immune cell function more effectively than the antioxidants found in almost any other fruit, they are one of the healthiest widely available fruits--- No referent for 'they'.
Is this really from MGMAT as tagged? No choice is correct.
A. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than almost any other fruit, making it one of the healthiest widely available fruits--- Faulty comparison of antioxidants with any other fruit.
B. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than almost any other fruit, making them one of the healthiest fruits that is widely available--- 'them' has no reference; if 'them' is referring to the antioxidants, then it is absurd.
C. Recent studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the acai berry boost immune cell function more effectively than those in almost any other fruit, which makes the acai berry one of the healthiest widely available fruits-- No referent for which; it is the boosting that makes the fruit worthwhile.
D. Because the acai berry’s antioxidants boost immune cell function more effectively than those in almost any other fruit, it is one of the healthiest fruits that is widely available-- 1. It cannot refer to the possessive acai berry's 2. We require 'do' after 'than', as 'boost' is the verbal action that is under comparison.
E. Because the acai berry’s antioxidants boost[/color] immune cell function more effectively than the antioxidants found in almost any other fruit, they are one of the healthiest widely available fruits--- No referent for 'they'.
