Similar to a cat, a fox’s tail helps them to balance when they are

Question

Similar to a cat, a fox’s tail helps them to balance when they are  running, jumping or pouncing.

A. Similar to a cat, a fox’s tail helps them to balance when they are

B. When compared with that of a cat, a fox’s tail is similar, helping the fox to balance when

C. A fox’s tail is similar to that of a cat, which helps the fox to balance when

D. Like a cat’s tail, a fox’s tail is similar, and helps it to balance when

E. A fox’s tail, similar to that of a cat, helps it to balance when

Source: TTP Beta Testing

MartyTargetTestPrep · Accepted Answer

Hi.

I actually edited the choices a little to make the question more focused on comparisons. So, the parallel structure issue that you pointed out in (D) is no longer there.

Regarding the other issues that you pointed out,

- The pronoun issue in (A) is a clear and strong reason to eliminate the choice.

- Version (B) does not actually compare the fox's tail to the cat. It mentions the fox's tail and "that of the cat," which is presumably the tail of the cat. So, the decision point that you mentioned does not exist.

- What you said about "which" in (C) is the way to go. On the other hand, the use of "similar to" is perfect in (C), which expresses the logical meaning that a fox's tail is similar to that of a cat. "Similar to" is synonymous with "like," but similar to is a bit more specific than "like." "Similar to" indicates that something is like something else, but not exactly like it.

- Here's the OE for (D).

(D)  Incorrect.  This version mentions both a cat’s tail and a fox’s tail, but is illogical, because it says that “a fox’s tail is similar” without indicating what a fox’s tail is similar to. It may seem to convey that a fox’s tail is similar to a cat’s tail, but actually, it conveys that a fox’s tail is like a cat’s tail in that both a cat’s tail and a fox’s tail are similar to something not mentioned. So, the comparison expressed by “a fox’s tail is similar” is incomplete.

Here's the OE for (E).

(E)  Correct.  This version clearly conveys that a fox’s tail helps a fox to balance. The use of the modifier “similar to a cat’s” is perhaps slightly awkward, but the modifier does clearly modify “a fox’s tail,” in a manner similar to the manner in which “red and shiny” modifies “cherry” in the following example:

A cherry, red and shiny, sat on the plate.

Also, it may seem that which noun or pronoun the pronoun “it” refers to is ambiguous, since “fox’s,” “tail,” “that,” and “cat” all precede “it” in the sentence. However, since “fox’s tail” is the clearly the subject of “helps,” and since the fox’s tail would help the fox, we can tell that “it” refers to “fox.”

Shrey9 · Answer

I’m going to point out “Definite errors” in the options directly as the sentence is easily understood, I feel.

A) use of “them”

B) compares cat to a fox’s tail

C) the sentence here starts off nice... but cat, which — . A cat can’t help a fox jump.. also I would prefer using “like” here than “similar to”

D) it looks like the perfect one, but wait... no parallelism in the end. In case you missed it, read carefully. Also with pouncing is but right.

E) no error. List in the end is good too
Correct answer.

Posted from my mobile device

edlc313 · Answer

B. It actually doesn't compare a cat to a fox's tail. It says "that of a cat."Instead, it fails to define what part of a cat is similar to a fox's tail. We still don't know what "that of a cat" is referring to.
And if you look at the second part of the sentence, it is connected very poorly. (example below)

First part: The tails of cats and foxes are similar
Second part: The tail helps the fox to balance when X, Y and Z.

D. The problem is not parallelism. Instead the meaning is the problem.
"Like a cat’s tail, a fox’s tail is similar, and helps it to balance when..."
The clause "a fox's tail is similar" technically contains the subject and the verb.

Let's attack it from a few different directions.

1. A fox's tail is similar and helps it to balance when... Similar to what? Similar to "Like a cat's tail?"
2. Like a cats tail, a fox's tail is similar. And helps it to balance... If we read the sentence this way, it is again poorly connected. What helps who to balance? The cat or the fox?
3. Like a cats tail, and helps it to balance when... If we read "a fox's tail is similar" as a nonessential modifier, which it isn't, the sentence still doesn't make any sense.

Shrey9 · Answer

Can you elaborate a bit on similar to vs like here ?

Also I want to confirm, the errors I pointed out, in all options including B and D, can they be considered useful to eliminate if one doesn’t have such deep knowledge or knowing these details are essential to do well on SC ?

Posted from my mobile device

unraveled · Answer

Hi  MartyTargetTestPrep

For that very reason of possessive noun i eliminated this option. I know this is the best among the lot since no error is found till i reach 'it' which logically refers to fox.
I understand that possessive would not have been a problem had 'its' or any other form of possessive was used in the sentence.

Logically I get the point but grammatically I can't figure out how 'E' is right.

Can you help.!! Would appreciate your inputs!!

TIA

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

There is some debate regarding whether it makes sense to use a personal pronoun when the only logical referent is a noun that appears in the possessive form, and the GMAT has come down on the side of such use being acceptable, as we can tell from the fact that personal pronouns are used in this way in the correct answers to multiple Sentence Correction questions.

Generally speaking, by the way, GMAT SC question writers tend to push the boundaries of acceptability in writing Official Answers in order to obscure the fact that the Official Answers are the Official Answers. So, if a version seems logical, but seems to break a grammar rule, you have to consider the possibility that the writer feels that that rule is not a hard and fast one and has decided to ignore it.

unraveled · Answer

Thanks Marty for a prompt answer. Found an official question where similar pronoun/possessive noun thing is tested. Although Napoleon’s army entered Russia with far more supplies than they had in their previous campaigns, it had provisions for only twenty-four days. (A) they had in their previous campaigns (B) their previous campaigns had had (C) they had for any previous campaign (D) in their previous campaigns (E) for any previous campaign But here all four (A to D) use plural noun for 'army' singular noun hence it was easier to eliminate them. I will take the underlined part and remember it.

TheUltimateWinner · Answer

MartyTargetTestPrep 
The spoiler says that the correct answer is E, but E is not legit to me. In E,  fox’s  is adjective. We can't use any non-possessive pronoun (  it  ) of this Possessive Noun (  fox’s  ); we must use the Possessive Pronoun (  its  ) of possessive noun  fox’s . At least, I never see this type of use in any official SC. Help me if I miss anything here, please.
Thanks__

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Asad.

Actually, there are official SC questions in which, in the correct answers, the only logical referents of personal pronouns are nouns in the possessive form.

For further discussion of this topic, please see the posts preceding yours in this thread.

TheUltimateWinner · Answer

Are you talking about this one sir? Could you make connection this  quote  part with the  highlighted part , please? Actually, I did not find any consistency this official question (Although Napoleon's....) with your BETA version (Similar to a cat...)!
Thnaks_-

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

I was not talking about that one. Here's one: https://gmatclub.com/forum/although-she ... 08881.html

TheUltimateWinner · Answer

MartyTargetTestPrep 
Thank you sir for citing the official question, which is considered the exceptional one (some people consider it as exceptional).

Sir, 
In D, possessive noun ( Elizabeth Barrett Browning's ) with possessive pronoun ( her ) is perfectly fine. But, the problem is in "possessive noun" (  Elizabeth Barrett Browning's  ) with "non-possessive pronoun" (   she   ). We did not  directly  get this "non-possessive pronoun" (  she  ) from "possessive noun" ( Elizabeth Barrett Browning's ); we got "possessive pronoun" ( her ) first. From my understanding, "possessive pronoun" ( her ) with "non-possessive pronoun" (  she  ) make sense at least for this case!
But,  non-possessive pronoun  (  it  ) with "Possessive Noun" (  fox’s  ) does not make sense to me  without having  any indication of Possessive Pronoun (  its  )  in a same sentence . Could you shade more lights on it, please? Thanks__

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

1. The presence of "her" between "Elizabeth Barrett Browning's" and "she" makes absolutely no difference. "Her" is a derivative of "Elizabeth Barrett Browning's" and does not change the logic of what is going on. Whether "she" refers to "Elizabeth Barrett Browning's" or to "her," "she" is still referring to something possessive rather than something nominative.

2. This question is not a single exception. There are other GMAT Sentence Correction correct answers in which personal pronouns refer to nouns in the possessive form.

3. Having a personal pronoun refer to a noun in the possessive form is considered an acceptable structure by many linguists outside of the GMAT. Since, any linguistic structure that is considered acceptable by many may show up in a correct answer to a Sentence Correction question even if that structure has not before shown up in the correct answer to a Sentence Correction question, one has to be ready to see this structure and other structures that some consider incorrect show up in correct answers to Sentence Correction questions.

Parvezahmed2210 · Answer

Is this a official gmat question? How on earth E is a right answer. I simply don't understand what 'it' is referring to.

I would pick C if I have to pick among all these options. However, C has ambiguity issue as well.

Posted from my mobile device

unraveled · Answer

Okay example(Although Napoleon’s army entered..) i shared is not exactly testing the issue being discussed here. Here one i found after a lot of search .. https://gmatclub.com/forum/schistosomia ... 48535.html

There's bit of confusion left after going through explanations of experts.

medinib · Answer

Similar to a cat, a fox’s tail helps them to balance when they are  running, jumping or pouncing.

A.  Similar to a cat, a fox’s tail  helps them to balance when they are -  cat and fox's tail are incorrectly compared 
 
B. When compared with  that of a cat, a fox’s tail is similar,  helping the fox to balance when -  which part of the cat is being compared to a fox's tail

C. A fox’s tail is similar to that of a  cat, which  helps the fox to balance when -  is it the cat helping the fox to balance?
 
D. Like a cat’s tail,  a fox’s tail is similar,  and helps it to balance when -  similar to what?

E. A fox’s tail, similar to that of a cat, helps it to balance when

E is Correct

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Similar to a cat, a fox’s tail helps them to balance when they are

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