Last visit was: 28 Apr 2026, 17:25 It is currently 28 Apr 2026, 17:25
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
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.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Events & Promotions
User avatar
RohitSaluja
User avatar
Joined: 02 Aug 2020
Last visit: 21 Sep 2024
Posts: 198
Own Kudos:
94
Given Kudos: 254
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Healthcare
Schools: HEC'22 (J)
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V40
GPA: 3.8
WE:Consulting (Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: HEC'22 (J)
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V40
Posts: 198
Kudos: 94
Relative clauses 02 May 2021, 04:13
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
1. John held parties for his kids that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food
2. John held parties in his house that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food

Hi VeritasKarishma, hope you are doing well!

Can you please help me with the above two sentences, based on my understanding in both of the above sentences 'that' illogically modifies kids and house in first and second sentences. My reasoning is below. 'that' most of the time modifies a noun immediately preceding it, and only in cases when a noun is modified restrictively by a prepositional phrase, 'that' can jump over to modify the correct noun. Now, in both of the above two cases, 'for his kids' and 'in his house' can be placed at the end of the sentence such as 'John held parties that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food for his kids' without changing the meaning of the sentence, thus in this case 'that' illogically modifies 'kids' and not parties in the first sentence and same goes for B. Please let me know if my understanding is correct.
User avatar
KarishmaB
User avatar
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 28 Apr 2026
Posts: 16,447
Own Kudos:
79,438
Given Kudos: 485
Location: Pune, India
Products:
GMAT Club Tests
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,447
Kudos: 79,438
Relative clauses 02 May 2021, 22:26
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
RohitSaluja
1. John held parties for his kids that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food
2. John held parties in his house that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food

Hi VeritasKarishma, hope you are doing well!

Can you please help me with the above two sentences, based on my understanding in both of the above sentences 'that' illogically modifies kids and house in first and second sentences. My reasoning is below. 'that' most of the time modifies a noun immediately preceding it, and only in cases when a noun is modified restrictively by a prepositional phrase, 'that' can jump over to modify the correct noun. Now, in both of the above two cases, 'for his kids' and 'in his house' can be placed at the end of the sentence such as 'John held parties that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food for his kids' without changing the meaning of the sentence, thus in this case 'that' illogically modifies 'kids' and not parties in the first sentence and same goes for B. Please let me know if my understanding is correct.
Show more

How you choose to write will depend on what message you want to convey.

John held parties for his kids that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food.

Tells u that John held parties for his kids. Logically only parties can feature clowns etc. "Kids" cannot feature clowns etc. You can write the same thing as "For his kids, John held parties that featured ..."

John held parties that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food for his kids.

Tells us that John held parties. The parties used to feature clowns, animals and lots of food for his kids.

What works best depends on the given options.
User avatar
RohitSaluja
User avatar
Joined: 02 Aug 2020
Last visit: 21 Sep 2024
Posts: 198
Own Kudos:
94
Given Kudos: 254
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Healthcare
Schools: HEC'22 (J)
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V40
GPA: 3.8
WE:Consulting (Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: HEC'22 (J)
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V40
Posts: 198
Kudos: 94
Relative clauses 02 May 2021, 22:52
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
VeritasKarishma
RohitSaluja
1. John held parties for his kids that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food
2. John held parties in his house that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food

Hi VeritasKarishma, hope you are doing well!

Can you please help me with the above two sentences, based on my understanding in both of the above sentences 'that' illogically modifies kids and house in first and second sentences. My reasoning is below. 'that' most of the time modifies a noun immediately preceding it, and only in cases when a noun is modified restrictively by a prepositional phrase, 'that' can jump over to modify the correct noun. Now, in both of the above two cases, 'for his kids' and 'in his house' can be placed at the end of the sentence such as 'John held parties that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food for his kids' without changing the meaning of the sentence, thus in this case 'that' illogically modifies 'kids' and not parties in the first sentence and same goes for B. Please let me know if my understanding is correct.

How you choose to write will depend on what message you want to convey.

John held parties for his kids that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food.

Tells u that John held parties for his kids. Logically only parties can feature clowns etc. "Kids" cannot feature clowns etc. You can write the same thing as "For his kids, John held parties that featured ..."

John held parties that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food for his kids.

Tells us that John held parties. The parties used to feature clowns, animals and lots of food for his kids.

What works best depends on the given options.
Show more

Thanks for your response VeritasKarishma
Quote:
Logically only parties can feature clowns etc. "Kids" cannot feature clowns etc
Show more
So does this mean that in the first sentence 'that' correctly modifies party and not kids?
User avatar
KarishmaB
User avatar
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 28 Apr 2026
Posts: 16,447
Own Kudos:
79,438
Given Kudos: 485
Location: Pune, India
Products:
GMAT Club Tests
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,447
Kudos: 79,438
Relative clauses 03 May 2021, 21:26
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
RohitSaluja
VeritasKarishma
RohitSaluja
1. John held parties for his kids that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food
2. John held parties in his house that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food

Hi VeritasKarishma, hope you are doing well!

Can you please help me with the above two sentences, based on my understanding in both of the above sentences 'that' illogically modifies kids and house in first and second sentences. My reasoning is below. 'that' most of the time modifies a noun immediately preceding it, and only in cases when a noun is modified restrictively by a prepositional phrase, 'that' can jump over to modify the correct noun. Now, in both of the above two cases, 'for his kids' and 'in his house' can be placed at the end of the sentence such as 'John held parties that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food for his kids' without changing the meaning of the sentence, thus in this case 'that' illogically modifies 'kids' and not parties in the first sentence and same goes for B. Please let me know if my understanding is correct.

How you choose to write will depend on what message you want to convey.

John held parties for his kids that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food.

Tells u that John held parties for his kids. Logically only parties can feature clowns etc. "Kids" cannot feature clowns etc. You can write the same thing as "For his kids, John held parties that featured ..."

John held parties that featured clowns, numerous exotic animals, and lots of food for his kids.

Tells us that John held parties. The parties used to feature clowns, animals and lots of food for his kids.

What works best depends on the given options.

Thanks for your response VeritasKarishma
Quote:
Logically only parties can feature clowns etc. "Kids" cannot feature clowns etc
So does this mean that in the first sentence 'that' correctly modifies party and not kids?
Show more

Correct/Incorrect depends on the options you have available. If I have something better available, great. Else, I will go with the best available. Learning grammar "rules" in isolation doesn't do much good for GMAT SC questions.