Events & Promotions
|
|
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.
Nov 1912:30 PM EST
-01:30 PM EST
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
Nov 2007:30 AM PST
-08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth
Nov 2001:30 PM EST
-02:30 PM IST
Learn how Kamakshi achieved a GMAT 675 with an impressive 96th %ile in Data Insights. Discover the unique methods and exam strategies that helped her excel in DI along with other sections for a balanced and high score.
Nov 2211:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Do RC/MSR passages scare you? e-GMAT is conducting a masterclass to help you learn – Learn effective reading strategies Tackle difficult RC & MSR with confidence Excel in timed test environment- Nov 23
11:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Attend this free GMAT Algebra Webinar and learn how to master the most challenging Inequalities and Absolute Value problems with ease. 
Nov 2407:00 PM PST
-08:00 PM PST
Full-length FE mock with insightful analytics, weakness diagnosis, and video explanations!
Nov 2510:00 AM EST
-11:00 AM EST
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors.
AbdurRakib
Joined: 11 May 2014
Last visit: 08 Nov 2025
Posts: 465
Given Kudos: 220
Status:I don't stop when I'm Tired,I stop when I'm done
Location: Bangladesh
Concentration: Finance, Leadership
Schools: Wharton '20 Yale '20 Tepper '20
GPA: 2.81
WE:Business Development (Real Estate)
Updated on: 26 Jun 2021, 12:50
Originally posted by AbdurRakib on 11 Jun 2017, 13:53.
Last edited by Bunuel on 26 Jun 2021, 12:50, edited 2 times in total.
Last edited by Bunuel on 26 Jun 2021, 12:50, edited 2 times in total.
Renamed the topic and edited the question.
Kudos
Bookmarks
B
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
25%
(medium)
Question Stats:
71% (01:20) correct
29%
(01:31)
wrong
based on 11161
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Next month, state wildlife officials are scheduled to take over the job of increasing the wolf population in the federally designated recovery area, the number of which will however ultimately be dictated by the number of prey in the area.
(A) area, the number of which will however
(B) area; the size of the population, however, will
(C) area, however the number of wolves will
(D) area; the number of which will, however,
(E) area, when the size of the population will, however,
(A) area, the number of which will however
(B) area; the size of the population, however, will
(C) area, however the number of wolves will
(D) area; the number of which will, however,
(E) area, when the size of the population will, however,
State Wildlife Officials
First glance
All five choices begin with the word area, but some are followed by a comma and some are followed by a semi-colon, signaling a potential issue with Sentence Structure.
Issues
(1) Modifier / Meaning: the number of which; when
Sentence Structure: semi-colon
The number of which signals the start of a modifier; what is it modifying?
Logically, it should refer to the number of wolves, but the noun before the comma is the word area, an illogical match for the number of which Earlier, the sentence does talk about the wolf population, but the modifier is not talking about the number of wolf populations. Logically, it is talking about the number of wolves—a word that does not appear in the sentence. Eliminate choice (A) for a faulty modifier leading to an illogical meaning.
Scan the other answers to see how they try to fix this construction. First, look for any that repeat the number of which language. Answer (D) repeats this error. Answer (D) also introduces a semi-colon, but the portion after the semi-colon is not a complete sentence. Eliminate (D) for multiple errors.
The remaining answers change the structure more. Compare them:
…officials are scheduled to take over the job of increasing the wolf population in the…recovery
(B) area; the size of the population, however, will
(C) area, however the number of wolves will
(E) area, when the size of the population will, however,
Choice (B) has a semi-colon; is there a complete sentence after the semicolon? Yes, there is. Choices (C) and (E) do not have semi-colons. When answers switch between having and not having a semi-colon, it is sometime the case that an incorrect answer will contain a comma-splice or run-on sentence (She likes cheese, however she is lactose intolerant). Check answers (C) and (E) to make sure that the plain comma is okay.
Answer (C) is a comma-splice! Officials are scheduled to take over…in the area, however the number of wolves will be dictated… Eliminate choice (C) for faulty sentence structure.
Choice (E) introduces a different modifier marker after area: when. This marker is used to discuss timeframes. The earlier part of the sentence does discuss a timeframe (next month), but this modifier is not happening next month. Rather, even though the officials are going to start trying, next month, to increase the wolf population, it’s the case that the number of prey in the area will determine the ultimate wolf population. Eliminate choice (E) for faulty modifier meaning.
The Correct Answer
Correct answer (B) introduces a semi-colon; both the portions before and after the semi-colon are complete sentences. The portion after the semi-colon explicitly states that it is talking about the size of the wolf population; the meaning is logical.
(A) Modifier / Meaning (the number of which)
(B) CORRECT
(C) Sentence Structure
(D) Sentence Structure (semi-colon) Modifier / Meaning (the number of which)
(E) Modifier (when)
(B) CORRECT
(C) Sentence Structure
(D) Sentence Structure (semi-colon) Modifier / Meaning (the number of which)
(E) Modifier (when)
First glance
All five choices begin with the word area, but some are followed by a comma and some are followed by a semi-colon, signaling a potential issue with Sentence Structure.
Issues
(1) Modifier / Meaning: the number of which; when
Sentence Structure: semi-colon
The number of which signals the start of a modifier; what is it modifying?
Logically, it should refer to the number of wolves, but the noun before the comma is the word area, an illogical match for the number of which Earlier, the sentence does talk about the wolf population, but the modifier is not talking about the number of wolf populations. Logically, it is talking about the number of wolves—a word that does not appear in the sentence. Eliminate choice (A) for a faulty modifier leading to an illogical meaning.
Scan the other answers to see how they try to fix this construction. First, look for any that repeat the number of which language. Answer (D) repeats this error. Answer (D) also introduces a semi-colon, but the portion after the semi-colon is not a complete sentence. Eliminate (D) for multiple errors.
The remaining answers change the structure more. Compare them:
…officials are scheduled to take over the job of increasing the wolf population in the…recovery
(B) area; the size of the population, however, will
(C) area, however the number of wolves will
(E) area, when the size of the population will, however,
Choice (B) has a semi-colon; is there a complete sentence after the semicolon? Yes, there is. Choices (C) and (E) do not have semi-colons. When answers switch between having and not having a semi-colon, it is sometime the case that an incorrect answer will contain a comma-splice or run-on sentence (She likes cheese, however she is lactose intolerant). Check answers (C) and (E) to make sure that the plain comma is okay.
Answer (C) is a comma-splice! Officials are scheduled to take over…in the area, however the number of wolves will be dictated… Eliminate choice (C) for faulty sentence structure.
Choice (E) introduces a different modifier marker after area: when. This marker is used to discuss timeframes. The earlier part of the sentence does discuss a timeframe (next month), but this modifier is not happening next month. Rather, even though the officials are going to start trying, next month, to increase the wolf population, it’s the case that the number of prey in the area will determine the ultimate wolf population. Eliminate choice (E) for faulty modifier meaning.
The Correct Answer
Correct answer (B) introduces a semi-colon; both the portions before and after the semi-colon are complete sentences. The portion after the semi-colon explicitly states that it is talking about the size of the wolf population; the meaning is logical.
12 Jun 2017, 03:20
Kudos
Bookmarks
Next month, state wildlife officials are scheduled to take over the job of increasing the wolf population in the federally designated recovery area, the number of which will however ultimately be dictated by the number of prey in the area.
This topic mostly tests the use of the conjugative adverb 'however'. For more reference visit <https://web.sonoma.edu/users/f/farahman/subpages/utilities/however.pdf>
A. area, the number of which will however - The adverb 'however', when interrupting a clause with the adverb however, use a comma before and after the adverb --, however,
B. area; the size of the population, however, will-- correctly done in this choice.
C. area, however the number of wolves will -- When you are writing a compound sentence, then use a semicolon before however- and a comma after --- area; however,
D. area; the number of which will, however, -- the clause after the semi-colon is not an IC. The number of which is equal to which.
E. area, when the size of the population will, however, --- When cannot be used to refer to a place
This topic mostly tests the use of the conjugative adverb 'however'. For more reference visit <https://web.sonoma.edu/users/f/farahman/subpages/utilities/however.pdf>
A. area, the number of which will however - The adverb 'however', when interrupting a clause with the adverb however, use a comma before and after the adverb --, however,
B. area; the size of the population, however, will-- correctly done in this choice.
C. area, however the number of wolves will -- When you are writing a compound sentence, then use a semicolon before however- and a comma after --- area; however,
D. area; the number of which will, however, -- the clause after the semi-colon is not an IC. The number of which is equal to which.
E. area, when the size of the population will, however, --- When cannot be used to refer to a place
06 Aug 2018, 15:46
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hello Everyone!
Let's take a closer look at this question, and find a quick way to narrow down the options so we can come to the correct answer! To begin, here is the original question, with any major differences between each option highlighted in orange:
Next month, state wildlife officials are scheduled to take over the job of increasing the wolf population in the federally designated recovery area, the number of which will however ultimately be dictated by the number of prey in the area.
A. area, the number of which will however
B. area; the size of the population, however, will
C. area, however the number of wolves will
D. area; the number of which will, however,
E. area, when the size of the population will, however,
After a quick glance over each option, it's clear that there are a lot of differences between each one. Here are the two major differences that jumped out at me as easy ways to knock off 2-3 answers at a time:
1. Proper punctuation with the word "however"
2. Modifier-antecedent agreement (using "the number of which" / "the size of the population" / "the number of wolves")
Since punctuation is often an easy place to start, let's tackle #1 on our list: using proper punctuation with the word "however." We commonly use this word in one of 3 ways:
However as an interjection = must use commas on both sides, and typically comes after the subject of a sentence/clause.
The new teacher, however, is lenient about using cell phones during class.
However at beginning of sentence = put a comma after the word however.
I don't mind that you wear shoes in the house. However, your sneakers scuffed my newly installed wood floors!
However as a conjunctive adverb = semicolon goes before it, and comma goes after it / both clauses are independent
She was a great piano player; however, she ended up with carpal tunnel syndrome a few years ago and had to quit.
Now that we know more about how to punctuate the word "however" correctly, let's see how each option stacks up:
A. area, the number of which will however --> WRONG
(This is an example of using "however" as an interjection. Therefore, it needs commas on both sides)
B. area; the size of the population, however, will --> OK
C. area, however the number of wolves will --> WRONG
(This is an example of using "however" as a conjunctive adverb. It must have a semicolon before and a comma after the word!)
D. area; the number of which will, however, --> OK
E. area, when the size of the population will, however, --> OK
We can eliminate options A & C because of punctuation errors.
Now that we're left with options B, D, and E, let's look more closely at any modifier-antecedent agreement issues:
B. area; the size of the population, however, will
This is CORRECT because it is clear that the size of the wolf population is dictated by how many prey are around. The punctuation also makes it clear these are two independent clauses being paired up because they tackle a similar topic.
D. area; the number of which will, however,
This is INCORRECT because the phrase "the number of which" sounds like it's referring to what's directly before it - the area. Earlier in the sentence, it says that the wildlife officials are increasing the wolf population in an already designated area, so we know the size of the area isn't changing! This sentence is wrong because it changes the meaning!
E. area, when the size of the population will, however,
This is INCORRECT because it changes the meaning of the original sentence! By saying "when," this sentence now states that the wildlife officials will only increase the population WHEN something happens? It doesn't work to say that here - they are increasing the population, and it will be based on the amount of prey available. They are not waiting for the wolf population to do anything BEFORE they take action, so this doesn't really make sense.
There you go - option B is the correct answer! It uses proper punctuation, and it doesn't distort the original meaning!
Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.
Let's take a closer look at this question, and find a quick way to narrow down the options so we can come to the correct answer! To begin, here is the original question, with any major differences between each option highlighted in orange:
Next month, state wildlife officials are scheduled to take over the job of increasing the wolf population in the federally designated recovery area, the number of which will however ultimately be dictated by the number of prey in the area.
A. area, the number of which will however
B. area; the size of the population, however, will
C. area, however the number of wolves will
D. area; the number of which will, however,
E. area, when the size of the population will, however,
After a quick glance over each option, it's clear that there are a lot of differences between each one. Here are the two major differences that jumped out at me as easy ways to knock off 2-3 answers at a time:
1. Proper punctuation with the word "however"
2. Modifier-antecedent agreement (using "the number of which" / "the size of the population" / "the number of wolves")
Since punctuation is often an easy place to start, let's tackle #1 on our list: using proper punctuation with the word "however." We commonly use this word in one of 3 ways:
However as an interjection = must use commas on both sides, and typically comes after the subject of a sentence/clause.
The new teacher, however, is lenient about using cell phones during class.
However at beginning of sentence = put a comma after the word however.
I don't mind that you wear shoes in the house. However, your sneakers scuffed my newly installed wood floors!
However as a conjunctive adverb = semicolon goes before it, and comma goes after it / both clauses are independent
She was a great piano player; however, she ended up with carpal tunnel syndrome a few years ago and had to quit.
Now that we know more about how to punctuate the word "however" correctly, let's see how each option stacks up:
A. area, the number of which will however --> WRONG
(This is an example of using "however" as an interjection. Therefore, it needs commas on both sides)
B. area; the size of the population, however, will --> OK
C. area, however the number of wolves will --> WRONG
(This is an example of using "however" as a conjunctive adverb. It must have a semicolon before and a comma after the word!)
D. area; the number of which will, however, --> OK
E. area, when the size of the population will, however, --> OK
We can eliminate options A & C because of punctuation errors.
Now that we're left with options B, D, and E, let's look more closely at any modifier-antecedent agreement issues:
B. area; the size of the population, however, will
This is CORRECT because it is clear that the size of the wolf population is dictated by how many prey are around. The punctuation also makes it clear these are two independent clauses being paired up because they tackle a similar topic.
D. area; the number of which will, however,
This is INCORRECT because the phrase "the number of which" sounds like it's referring to what's directly before it - the area. Earlier in the sentence, it says that the wildlife officials are increasing the wolf population in an already designated area, so we know the size of the area isn't changing! This sentence is wrong because it changes the meaning!
E. area, when the size of the population will, however,
This is INCORRECT because it changes the meaning of the original sentence! By saying "when," this sentence now states that the wildlife officials will only increase the population WHEN something happens? It doesn't work to say that here - they are increasing the population, and it will be based on the amount of prey available. They are not waiting for the wolf population to do anything BEFORE they take action, so this doesn't really make sense.
There you go - option B is the correct answer! It uses proper punctuation, and it doesn't distort the original meaning!
Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.
