Recently, two calliopes, hummingbirds that weigh one-tenth of an ounce

I think Option A is the correct answer.
Here, “hummingbirds that weigh one-tenth of an ounce each” defines calliopes(a special type of hummingbird) perfectly.
The subject “two calliopes” is plural so the verb is also plural “were seen”.
The last portion of the sentence “the birds’ normal location at this time of the year” perfectly defines the location “the Gulf of Mexico”.


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Oh i thought Gulf of mexico is some place. So Its just like Bay of Bengal or Arabian Sea.

Answer is now obviously D.

Don't have to scratch one's head too much. Here is a quick-fix.

two calliopes are not one hummingbird; Remove C and E.
Instead of has been never right in GMAT' Remove A and B.
You are left with D that is error-free

"Instead of" has been never right in GMAT!.--> It is new information but why "Instead of" has never been right ...

'Instead of' has not been correct only when it is being used vis-à-vis rather than or instead. 'instead of' has been used in some non-underlined parts in some GMATPREP questions.

Why 'rather than' or 'instead' is preferred over 'instead of' is a matter of observation and conjecture although GMAT itself per se has not made the reasons explicit.
Probably, whenever there is some preference or penchant involved for something over something, then, 'rather than' makes the inclination more obvious than 'instead of.'

Let's take the case in front.

Recently, two calliopes, hummingbirds that weigh one-tenth of an ounce each, were seen flying in several northeastern parks and conservancy centers instead of the Gulf of Mexico, their normal flight path at this time of year.

The birds have certainly preferred northeastern parks and conservancy centers for some reason over their usual path. Therefore, we can boldly reject 'instead of.'



Another probable reason is that 'instead of,' a prepositional phrase cannot take anything other than a noun or a noun phrase after that. Whereas, 'rather than' can take both verb and noun. 'Rather than' can also introduce a clause as a conjunction and can take a preposition.

A case in point.

The parachute-like membranes of Africa's scaly-tailed flying squirrels differ from those of the flying squirrels in the family Sciuridae because they are attached to a cartilage rod at the elbow instead of the wrist.
(A) because they are attached to a cartilage rod at the elbow instead of
(B) because of being attached to a cartilage rod at the elbow rather than at
(C) in their attachment to a cartilage rod at the elbow instead of being attached at
(D) in that, they are attached to a cartilage rod at the elbow rather than at
(E) in their being attached to a cartilage rod at the elbow instead of
Ans: D.

Here, 'instead of' is unable to take the prepositional phrase 'at the elbow,' lest it should become unparallel.

All said and done; this perception might be of some help when someone is hard pressed for time in the hall.

Consider the statement... *birds* were seen flying in.... instead of the *gulf of mexico*

Isn’t the comparison ambiguous?

Can the Gulf of Mexico fly unless it has angelic wings ? ...

Both A & B are out due to the same ambiguity in terms of meaning.

C and E clearly have a subject - verb issue.. left with D..

Also D is absolutely correct as it doesn’t have the meaning ambiguity that i just mentioned above..

D is the answer

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GMATNinja

Please explain why A is wrong. Isn't it clearly stating that birds were seen in area X insted of Area Y which is their normal path ?

Hello aashusuman1,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, Option A modifies "the Gulf of Mexico" with "their normal flight path", illogically implying that the Gulf of Mexico, itself, is the birds' normal flight path; this meaning is illogical because a gulf is a body of water, meaning it cannot be a flight path; remember, in a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction.

The intended meaning is that the birds' normal flight path passes over the Gulf of Mexico; Option D avoids the modifier seen in Option D and conveys this meaning by using the independent clause "at this time of year, the birds’ normal flight path is over the Gulf of Mexico" rather than the “noun + comma + phrase” construction.

To understand the concept of "Phrase Comma Subject" and "Subject Comma Phrase" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

Why is option 'B' wrong.
Like northeastern parks and conservancy centers, Gulf of Mexico is a location. And Gulf of Mexico is the location where the birds are expected to be