Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, masterminding the creation of the

Question

Revolutionary leader Fidel  Castro, masterminding the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quit smoking for health reasons, at age 59 .

(A) Castro, masterminding the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quit smoking for health reasons, at age 59

(B) Castro, masterminding the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand and, at age 59, quitting smoking for health reasons

(C) Castro, who masterminded the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quit smoking, at age 59, for health reasons

(D) Castro, who, having masterminded the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quit smoking, at age 59, for health reasons

(E) Castro masterminded the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quitting smoking, at age 59, for health reasons

Source: TTP Beta Testing

Kurtosis · Answer

(A) Castro, masterminding the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quit smoking for health reasons, at age 59 - Incorrect. Modifier error.

(B) Castro, masterminding the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand and, at age 59, quitting smoking for health reasons - Incorrect. Missing verb error.

(C) Castro, who masterminded the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quit smoking, at age 59, for health reasons - Correct.

(D) Castro, who, having masterminded the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quit smoking, at age 59, for health reasons - Incorrect. Missing verb error.

(E) Castro masterminded the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quitting smoking, at age 59, for health reasons - Incorrect. Illogical. Fidel Castro did not mastermind the creation of Cohiba cigar by quitting smoking.

Answer: C

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Edited the question to include "Castro" in the underlined portion.

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Solution;

The answers to this question contain many verb -ing modifiers, also know as participial phrases. When a participial phrase follows a clause, and is separated from that clause by a comma, the phrase modifies or extends the entire clause and is associated with the subject and verb of the clause.

(A) Castro, masterminding the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quit smoking for health reasons, at age 59

The presence and placement of the participial phrase, "masterminding the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand," results in the sentence's seeming to convey that masterminding the Cohiba cigar brand and quitting smoking are somehow related, as if in quitting smoking were part of or the result of masterminding the cigar brand. That meaning is not logical.

Further, "quit smoking for health reasons" is somewhat ambiguous, possibly conveying that Castro was smoking for health reasons.

(B) Castro, masterminding the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand and, at age 59, quitting smoking for health reasons

This version has no main verb.

(C) Castro, who masterminded the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quit smoking, at age 59, for health reasons

This version clearly conveys one main point, that Castro "quit smoking". The non restrictive modifier "who masterminded the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand", simply adds information to the sentence.

(D) Castro, who, having masterminded the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quit smoking, at age 59, for health reasons

This version has no main verb.

(E) Castro masterminded the creation of the Cohiba cigar brand, quitting smoking, at age 59, for health reasons

In this version, the participial phrase, "quitting smoking, at age 59, for health reasons" is placed so as to modify the entire preceding clause, The conveyed meaning is therefore that by, in the process of, or as a result of masterminding the creation of the cigar brand, Castro quit smoking. That meaning is illogical.

The correct answer is C.

rakaisraka · Answer

Hi, I'm able to understand the reasoning for this question except one part - quit smoking for health rreason- As per the reason given it is incorrect because it conveys that he was smoking for health reason. How can we say that? I was actually loooking for such option in which there i no comma between these two entities but it seems it is incorrect. But I'm not able to understand why this is inocrrect. please advise.

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

My point is simply that "Castro ... quit smoking for health reasons," is somewhat ambiguous. While by using common sense one can tell that he wasn't smoking for health reasons, I like this version a little better "quit smoking, for health reasons," as the addition of the comma emphasizes the separation of "smoking" and "for health reasons."

I am glad that you mentioned this, actually, as maybe I should just concede that "quit smoking for health reasons" is likely good enough to be considered right in a GMAT SC question. Still, in certain contexts, I could see that the GMAT would use something like "smoking for health reasons" as a trap.

Also, check out this example.

"Andrea gave a seminar on smoking for health reasons." That sentence could be taken as conveying that the smoking is for health reasons.

Now check out this one.

"Andrea gave a seminar on smoking, for health reasons." The addition of the comma shifts focus of the modifier from "smoking" to the entire preceding clause.

Of course, "quitting smoking for health reasons" is different. In that context, the entire phrase, "quitting smoking" is likely the target of the modifier "for health reasons."

Regarding another aspect of your query, the addition of the comma is not really an issue. Commas can be added for a variety of reasons, such as to add emphasis or increase clarity.

Here's an example.

I saw John with his dog. - Conveys a simple idea.

I saw John, with his dog. - The addition of the comma changes the emphasis, possibly placing it on "with his dog". Here's a context.

"John had said that the dog was missing, but then yesterday I saw John, with his dog." - The fact that John was with the dog is emphasized via the use of the comma before "with".

So comma placement is at times and in a way optional.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, masterminding the creation of the

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