Last visit was: 18 Nov 2025, 16:06 It is currently 18 Nov 2025, 16:06
Close
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

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 105,355
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 99,964
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 105,355
Kudos: 778,070
 [18]
5
Kudos
Add Kudos
12
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
lifeforhuskar
Joined: 20 Feb 2018
Last visit: 13 Aug 2019
Posts: 25
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 56
Location: India
GMAT 1: 610 Q47 V28
GPA: 3.8
GMAT 1: 610 Q47 V28
Posts: 25
Kudos: 42
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
Sourav700
Joined: 29 Apr 2019
Last visit: 01 Feb 2021
Posts: 91
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 65
Location: India
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
avatar
mtm2353
Joined: 20 Feb 2019
Last visit: 30 May 2020
Posts: 10
Given Kudos: 7
Posts: 10
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
E vs C? Because of the placement of "factual"?
User avatar
Karmesh
Joined: 18 Apr 2019
Last visit: 17 Mar 2020
Posts: 66
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 85
Location: India
GMAT 1: 720 Q48 V40
GPA: 4
GMAT 1: 720 Q48 V40
Posts: 66
Kudos: 101
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi Bunuel
How come the OA is E?
E). a factual Encyclopedia by Diderot and the fictional Candide, by his friend Voltaire, caused a sensational scandal, which

Here, which refers to the scandal and the following statement " which both men prudently chose to embark on extended vacations in nearby Austria" makes zero sense!

Either the word "led" is missing between 'which' and 'both' or this is possibly wrong.

Please clarify.
Thanks
User avatar
AjiteshArun
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 15 Jul 2015
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 5,949
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 732
Location: India
GMAT Focus 1: 715 Q83 V90 DI83
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V169
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT Focus 1: 715 Q83 V90 DI83
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V169
Posts: 5,949
Kudos: 5,080
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Karmesh
Hi Bunuel
How come the OA is E?
E). a factual Encyclopedia by Diderot and the fictional Candide, by his friend Voltaire, caused a sensational scandal, which

Here, which refers to the scandal and the following statement " which both men prudently chose to embark on extended vacations in nearby Austria" makes zero sense!

Either the word "led" is missing between 'which' and 'both' or this is possibly wrong.

Please clarify.
Thanks
I see "C" on clicking "OA". Maybe the OA was updated?
User avatar
Karmesh
Joined: 18 Apr 2019
Last visit: 17 Mar 2020
Posts: 66
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 85
Location: India
GMAT 1: 720 Q48 V40
GPA: 4
GMAT 1: 720 Q48 V40
Posts: 66
Kudos: 101
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
AjiteshArun
Karmesh
Hi Bunuel
How come the OA is E?
E). a factual Encyclopedia by Diderot and the fictional Candide, by his friend Voltaire, caused a sensational scandal, which

Here, which refers to the scandal and the following statement " which both men prudently chose to embark on extended vacations in nearby Austria" makes zero sense!

Either the word "led" is missing between 'which' and 'both' or this is possibly wrong.

Please clarify.
Thanks
I see "C" on clicking "OA". Maybe the OA was updated?
Yes, it was :)
avatar
Gruzin
Joined: 08 Mar 2018
Last visit: 26 May 2025
Posts: 4
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 10
Posts: 4
Kudos: 4
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Shouldn't the asnwer be E? In C "his" has no referant. So doesn't "both men" make any sense. Plus "his friend Voltaire’s" isn't a hot mess?
User avatar
09173140521
Joined: 09 May 2017
Last visit: 03 Jul 2025
Posts: 175
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 778
Location: Iran (Islamic Republic of)
GMAT 1: 430 Q39 V12
GMAT 1: 430 Q39 V12
Posts: 175
Kudos: 365
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Gruzin
Shouldn't the asnwer be E? In C "his" has no referant. So doesn't "both men" make any sense. Plus "his friend Voltaire’s" isn't a hot mess?

(E) a factual Encyclopedia by Diderot and the fictional Candide, by his friend Voltaire, caused a sensational scandal, which.

although I choose C, in E we do not see problem!!!! "maybe that part incorrect"
User avatar
GMATNinja
User avatar
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 7,445
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 2,060
Status: GMAT/GRE/LSAT tutors
Location: United States (CO)
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V46
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Posts: 7,445
Kudos: 69,778
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
This question popped up on our Ask Me Anything About SC thread. Reposting here in case it helps somebody:

Aviral1995
GMATNinja

Could you please help me with this question- https://gmatclub.com/forum/published-du ... 02278.html

I am confused b/w C and E
i rejected C beause in C we donot have a clear reference for his friend in "his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide"

Please help
Bunuel
Published during the late eighteenth century, Diderot’s factual Encyclopedia and his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide were the cause of such a sensational scandal, and both men prudently chose to embark on extended vacations in nearby Austria.

(A) Diderot’s factual Encyclopedia and his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide were the cause of such a sensational scandal, and
(B) Diderot and his friend Voltaire’s caused such a sensational scandal with their factual Encyclopedia and fictional Candide, respectively, that
(C) Diderot’s factual Encyclopedia and his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide were the cause of a scandal so sensational that
(D) the scandal caused by Diderot’s factual Encyclopedia and his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide was so sensational
(E) a factual Encyclopedia by Diderot and the fictional Candide, by his friend Voltaire, caused a sensational scandal, which
I'm not 100% sure that this question is really from an official source -- the "1000 Series" questions are pretty dodgy.

But for whatever it's worth: in (C), we have "Diderot’s factual Encyclopedia and his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide..." I'm assuming that your doubt is about the pronoun "his"? There's no problem there at all: "his" clearly refers back to "Diderot's", so that gives us "Diderot's factual Encyclopedia and Diderot's friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide..." Granted, that's a mouthful since there are two possessive nouns in the same phrase, but there's nothing wrong with it: Diderot had a friend named Voltaire, and that guy wrote a work of fiction called Candide.

(I think somebody made me read Candide in high school. I have absolutely zero memory of it. :idontknow:)

So there's nothing to worry about, but let me know if I'm misinterpreting your question. I hope this helps!
User avatar
gmatdordie
Joined: 13 Nov 2018
Last visit: 02 Jun 2020
Posts: 87
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 16
Location: India
GMAT 1: 700 Q51 V32
Products:
GMAT 1: 700 Q51 V32
Posts: 87
Kudos: 117
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Published during the late eighteenth century, Diderot’s factual Encyclopedia and his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide were the cause of such a sensational scandal, and both men prudently chose to embark on extended vacations in nearby Austria.

(A) Diderot’s factual Encyclopedia and his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide were the cause of such a sensational scandal, and, use of and is incorrect, ditsorting the intended meaning
(B) Diderot and his friend Voltaire’s caused such a sensational scandal with their factual Encyclopedia and fictional Candide, respectively, that -illogical comparison
(C) Diderot’s factual Encyclopedia and his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide were the cause of a scandal so sensational that -correct
(D) the scandal caused by Diderot’s factual Encyclopedia and his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide was so sensational modifier error
(E) a factual Encyclopedia by Diderot and the fictional Candide, by his friend Voltaire, caused a sensational scandal, which
Spoiler: modifier error
User avatar
prashant0099
Joined: 25 Jan 2016
Last visit: 20 Dec 2020
Posts: 48
Own Kudos:
30
 [1]
Given Kudos: 65
Location: India
Schools: Alberta '23
GPA: 3.9
WE:Engineering (Energy)
Schools: Alberta '23
Posts: 48
Kudos: 30
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
such a sensational scandal


Diderot or scandal were not published. Hence, B and D are out


a possessive pronoun can refer to a possessive noun. So, 'his' refers to "Diderot's in C is alright
User avatar
DrHuber
Joined: 23 May 2023
Last visit: 07 Dec 2023
Posts: 116
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 2
Status:Admissions consultant
Affiliations: MBA Center
Location: France
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, General Management
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
GPA: 3
WE:Operations (Education)
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Posts: 116
Kudos: 77
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Option C is the correct answer: "Diderot’s factual Encyclopedia and his friend Voltaire’s fictional Candide were the cause of a scandal so sensational that..." This option maintains the original structure of the sentence while effectively conveying the intended meaning.
Moderators:
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7445 posts
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
234 posts
188 posts