Teachers have observed a significant improvement in language and mathe

The question, as written, has an incorrect answer. Both (D) and (E) need the article an before the noun observation to work, as I have added below.

Can anybody help explain why we prefer "high school children" rather than "children in high school" for this example?

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Hi, Can someone explain why E is wrong?

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Can someone please comment on my POE? I was absolutely confused on this question but this was how I worked my PoE:-

(A) high school children, which are consistent with the Reading and Math Program practiced at the school
(B) high school children, consistent with the Reading and Math Program practiced at the school
(C) children in high school, consistent with the Reading and Math Program practiced at the school
(D) high school children, observation consistent with the Reading and Math Program practiced at the school
(E) children in high school, observation consistent with the Reading and Math Program that the school practices

A - "which" modifier is modifying HSC. So the children are consistent with the R&M program practiced at school? Illogical. Eliminate. For the same reason, eliminate B & C which seem to be modifying "children" or "high school"

D & E fix the above error by inserting "observation" after the comma so as to clearly convey the consistency of observation. Between them, honestly, I couldn't eliminate E. I don't find any problem with the modifier "that". I liked D better because it was short and crisp. Turned out to be lucky.

GMATNinja GMATNinjaTwo -- Can you help with this?

As soon as you see this question, you know the answer is between D and E as both of them use Appositive Phrase Construction (which is always correct in GMAT) by replacing the the whole clause / sentence with a noun. Here Observation replaces the first independent clause of the sentence.

Between D and E - Appositives are phrases and don't contain verbs. E uses verb "practices". So D is correct. I could find following flaws in other options.

- Option A is out as it uses Which to modify the independent clause of the sentence. Which can only modify noun
- Options B and C, Not sure what is consistent? These options have modifier problems.

But the verb practices in (D) is the verb of the modifier. It, in no way, cannot be said as a verb of appositive. The appositive is still an appositive without any verb in it. I feel (D) is correct because it is more aligned with the original statement and the meaning.

There is no verb "practices" in D (It is in E). D has a adjective "practiced" which is absolutely fine. Appositives can't use verbs (They are phrases which modify a clause). That is why E is wrong and D is correct. E uses a verb "practices" in Appositive phrase.

Can anybody help explain why we prefer "high school children" rather than "children in high school"

VeritasKarishma
could you please explain this one?

Thank you Karishma! I am also confused between D and E. I ended up picking E.

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