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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 04 Feb 2021, 23:35
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EducationAisle
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Can someone please explain the difference between C and D?


Lets look at choice D. It says: “…. cite the concern, an obstacle to congressional passage that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses”. What does ‘that’ modify in this choice? ‘that’ modifies obstacle.

However, the according to the original sentence that should modify concern (and not obstacle).

Another way to look at it is that bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses is actually a concern (as suggested in the original sentence) and not an obstacle (as suggested by D). Hence, D is wrong.
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'
But "an obstacle to congressional passage" is in a comma pair. "That" is more flexible as a relative pronoun so can't it appear to modify "the concern" and not the closest entity "an obstacle"?
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 05 Feb 2021, 05:16
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Hoozan
But "an obstacle to congressional passage" is in a comma pair. "That" is more flexible as a relative pronoun so can't it appear to modify "the concern" and not the closest entity "an obstacle"?
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You are absolutely correct Hoozan. Some versions of this sentence have a different version of option D (no ending comma after passage) and hence the confusion.

One issue that I see in option D is that an obstacle to Congressional passage is presented as a non-essential modifier, though this is supposed to be the core issue that the sentence aims to address.
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 06 Feb 2021, 04:12
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EducationAisle
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Can someone please explain the difference between C and D?


Lets look at choice D. It says: “…. cite the concern, an obstacle to congressional passage that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses”. What does ‘that’ modify in this choice? ‘that’ modifies obstacle.

However, the according to the original sentence that should modify concern (and not obstacle).

Another way to look at it is that bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses is actually a concern (as suggested in the original sentence) and not an obstacle (as suggested by D). Hence, D is wrong.
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Hi EducationAisle , Thanks for the explanation just wanted to clarify one thing, "that" as a modifier can also modify "concern" if it is logical, so shall i assume that its more like pronoun ambiguity than misplaced modifier?

Thanks in advance.
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 07 Feb 2021, 05:10
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Maverick94
Hi EducationAisle , Thanks for the explanation just wanted to clarify one thing, "that" as a modifier can also modify "concern" if it is logical, so shall i assume that its more like pronoun ambiguity than misplaced modifier?
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Hi Maverick94, that's correct. that can modify concern in option D.

Please refer to this post on a potential issue with D.
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 09 Feb 2021, 19:00
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase the bank’s funding by $175 billion, though some United States legislators cite an obstacle to Congressional passage being the concern that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses.

(B) a concern as an obstacle to Congressional passage
CITE X as Y

(C) as an obstacle to Congressional passage the concern
Cite As Y X
As in above posts, it is mentioned Cite as Y X is not wrong. But what's wrong with B.
I find B more clear and without changing meaning ( cite a concern that there would be an instance to congressional passage). What's wrong with that?


AndrewN VeritasKarishma AjiteshArun. Please suggest .
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 10 Feb 2021, 07:27
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mSKR
The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase the bank’s funding by $175 billion, though some United States legislators cite an obstacle to Congressional passage being the concern that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses.

(B) a concern as an obstacle to Congressional passage
CITE X as Y

(C) as an obstacle to Congressional passage the concern
Cite As Y X
As in above posts, it is mentioned Cite as Y X is not wrong. But what's wrong with B.
I find B more clear and without changing meaning ( cite a concern that there would be an instance to congressional passage). What's wrong with that?


AndrewN VeritasKarishma AjiteshArun. Please suggest .
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Hello, mSKR. The answer to the question really lies in the meaning conveyed by either version of the sentence. You have to ask yourself, Legislators cite WHAT, exactly, that necessarily adjoins to THAT right after the underlined portion? Consider:

1) Legislators cite a concern as an obstacle that the bank's loans...
2) Legislators cite as an obstacle the concern that the bank's loans...

Is the concern itself the obstacle? If the answer is no, then we have to get rid of (B), despite the way it may sound. I hope that helps. I have to run to my next lesson!

- Andrew
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 08 May 2021, 11:30
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase the bank’s funding by $175 billion, though some United States legislators cite an obstacle to Congressional passage being the concern that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses.

(A) an obstacle to Congressional passage being the concern -> being is incorrect to use here.

(B) a concern as an obstacle to Congressional passage -> that modifies passage. It is incorrect.

(C) as an obstacle to Congressional passage the concern -> as XY idiom and that modifies the concern, it makes sense. Let's keep it.

(D) the concern, an obstacle to Congressional passage, -> Meaning changed.

(E) as an obstacle for Congress to pass it the concern -> It refers to whom. Incorrect.

So, I think C. :)
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 18 Jul 2021, 08:58
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MartyTargetTestPrep can you disect the meaning of each answer choice? struggling to find a solid reason to eliminate A-D. appreciate the help!
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 19 Jul 2021, 17:34
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MartyTargetTestPrep can you disect the meaning of each answer choice? struggling to find a solid reason to eliminate A-D. appreciate the help!
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(A) version: The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase the bank’s funding by $175 billion, though some United States legislators cite an obstacle to Congressional passage being the concern that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses.

This version conveys the nonsensical meaning that the legislators cite an obstacle. Why would they cite an obstacle?

Also, this version conveys the nonsensical meaning that an obstacle is being a concern.

(B) version: The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase the bank’s funding by $175 billion, though some United States legislators cite a concern as an obstacle to Congressional passage that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses.

This version conveys the nonsensical meaning that the legislators cite a concern as an obstacle to Congressional "passage that the bank's loans will help foreign producers compete." There's no way to pass "that the bank's loans will help foreign producers compete."

(C) version: The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase the bank’s funding by $175 billion, though some United States legislators cite as an obstacle to Congressional passage the concern that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses.

This version makes sense.

It makes sense to say that the legislators cite, as an obstacle to passage, a certain concern.

Also, "the concern that the bank's loans will help foreign producers compete" makes sense.

(D) version: The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase the bank’s funding by $175 billion, though some United States legislators cite the concern, an obstacle to Congressional passage, that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses.

This version portrays the relationship between "the concern" and "an obstacle" in an illogical way. It does not say that the legislators cite the concern as an obstacle. Instead it says that they cite the concern without saying why they cite the concern and simply describes the concern as an obstacle.

In other words, it says essentially, "Legislators cite the concern, an obstacle, that ...." Notice how that statement does not connect the fact that the concern is an obstacle to the legislators' citing of the concern.

(E) version: The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase the bank’s funding by $175 billion, though some United States legislators cite as an obstacle for Congress to pass it the concern that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses.

"An obstacle for Congress to pass it" does not make sense. When an obstacle blocks something, it's an "obstacle to" what it is blocking, not an "obstacle for" what it is blocking.

"For" in such a context means "in favor of" or "having the purpose of." An obstacle is not in favor of or having the purpose of Congress to pass something.

Also, there's no referent for "it" since nothing is named that the legislators would pass.
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 02 Apr 2022, 23:08
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One of the key usages and meanings in this sentence is the verb “-to cite”.

In this context, one “cites” an example as proof for a theory or as a reason why something has happened.

The “concern that the funds will be used by foreign producers” IS the evidence for the theory that congressional passage might be an “obstacle”. As such, the legislators cite “the CONCERN.”

Therefore, it does not make sense to say that the legislators “cited an obstacle” in the context of this sentence. For this reason (among others) A is wrong.

The issue in B is the remote relative pronoun “that.”

“as an obstacle….” is an adverbial modifier describing the reason WHY the legislators cite the concern.

It is troublesome to expect the relative clause beginning with “that” to modify the referent noun “concern” by jumping OVER this adverbial modifier.

For this reason, the structure of the sentence in C is superior to B’s structure.

D changes the prep. phrase - adverbial modifier to a parenthetical describing the noun “concern.”

The sentence loses its intended meaning. The legislators are no longer citing the “concern AS evidence.”

By placing the information in a nonessential appositive noun modifier, the sentence has a similar meaning to answer A, with the only difference being that they are citing “the concern” for no apparent reason as opposed to citing the “obstacle” for no apparent reason.

E has an orphan pronoun. The pronoun “it” can not refer to the action of “to increase the banks’s funding by $175 billion.” No mention is made of a noun fulfilling the logically intended antecedent: the measure, the bill, etc.

C is the best answer.

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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 05 Apr 2022, 07:42
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase the bank’s funding by $175 billion, though some United States legislators cite an obstacle to Congressional passage being the concern that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses.


(A) an obstacle to Congressional passage being the concern

being the concern - always wrong in gmat

(B) a concern as an obstacle to Congressional passage

Here, logical meaning is very important to eliminate this option . The concern is that bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses.Its not the passage that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses. That modifies passage here and that's wrong . So, B is out.

(C) as an obstacle to Congressional passage the concern

Its difficult to imagine that C is a right choice. We need to remember Idiom - Cite as YX . not Cite X as Y. Also, the concern that the bank’s loans will help foreign producers compete with American businesses, conveys the right meaning .
Keep C

(D) the concern, an obstacle to Congressional passage,
A very good option to confuse us. How to eliminate D.
passage , that . Here, that acts as non-vital modifier. As per the general rule , non-vital modifier should touch the nearest noun. So, that modifies passage . Then the same error explained in B will appear here. So, d is out.
(E) as an obstacle for Congress to pass it the concern
to pass it the concern. I don't know what to pass . It - ambiguous . Eliminate E.

So, C is our winner.

Like if you learn something from my post

There are some sequences of steps to follow :
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The 151 member governments of the World Bank are expected to increase 09 Oct 2023, 05:40
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Option Elimination -

(A) an obstacle to Congressional passage being the concern - "being the concern" usage as a modifier - avoid it.

(B) a concern as an obstacle to Congressional passage - we need "the concern."

(C) as an obstacle to Congressional passage the concern - structure Cite as XY. Correct. Moreover, "that" is closer to "the concern" - better

(D) the concern, an obstacle to Congressional passage, - the concern as an obstacle, so we can't add the important part in the commas.

(E) as an obstacle for Congress to pass it the concern - "it" for what?
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