Last visit was: 12 Jul 2025, 02:27 It is currently 12 Jul 2025, 02:27
Close
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

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
555-605 Level|   Meaning/Logical Predication|   Modifiers|   Pronouns|   Verb Tense/Form|                     
User avatar
souvonik2k
User avatar
Retired Moderator
Joined: 25 Nov 2015
Last visit: 05 Dec 2021
Posts: 953
Own Kudos:
2,156
 [204]
Given Kudos: 751
Status:Preparing for GMAT
Location: India
GPA: 3.64
Products:
Posts: 953
Kudos: 2,156
 [204]
17
Kudos
Add Kudos
185
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
daagh
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Last visit: 16 Oct 2020
Posts: 5,264
Own Kudos:
42,345
 [57]
Given Kudos: 422
Status: enjoying
Location: India
WE:Education (Education)
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 5,264
Kudos: 42,345
 [57]
31
Kudos
Add Kudos
23
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
abhishekrukhaiyar
Joined: 07 Jun 2018
Last visit: 12 Dec 2018
Posts: 17
Own Kudos:
51
 [33]
Given Kudos: 27
Location: India
Concentration: Marketing, International Business
GPA: 3.9
WE:Marketing (Insurance)
Posts: 17
Kudos: 51
 [33]
22
Kudos
Add Kudos
11
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
avatar
thinkTheta
Joined: 16 Apr 2018
Last visit: 17 Feb 2021
Posts: 53
Own Kudos:
35
 [6]
Given Kudos: 5
Location: India
GMAT 1: 710 Q48 V38
GMAT 1: 710 Q48 V38
Posts: 53
Kudos: 35
 [6]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
3
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
souvonik2k
The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built on a spectacular scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were connected by a complex regional system of roads.

A) scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were
B) scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each,
C) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms, each that had been
D) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms and with each
E) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms, each had been

This question is slightly different from another question posted earlier.

B.

The key to this question is to identify the what is it that 'connected by a complex regional system of roads' is trying to modify.

Surely, it can't be rooms (rooms connected by roads?), and can't be Chaco canyon or the spectacular scale. Hence, it leaves us with only one option - engineered structures, and only option B uses the modifier correctly.

Hope this makes sense!
User avatar
vasuca10
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 06 Feb 2016
Last visit: 23 Jul 2022
Posts: 239
Own Kudos:
181
 [15]
Given Kudos: 148
Status:On the journey of achieving
Affiliations: Senior Manager, CA by profession, CFA(USA) Level 2
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, Finance
GMAT 1: 560 Q44 V23
GMAT 2: 530 Q39 V24
GMAT 3: 580 Q46 V24 (Online)
GMAT 4: 640 Q50 V26
GPA: 3.82
WE:Other (Commercial Banking)
Products:
13
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Shivikaa04

The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built on a spectacular scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were connected by a complex regional system of roads.

A) scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were - INCORRECT, as it changes the intended meaning of the sentence. As per this sentence, the Ansazi settlements were connected by complex system of roads which is incorrect as the engineered structures are ideally connected by a system of roads
B) scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, CORRECT , perfectly displays the intended meaning of the sentence. Also the usage of "EACH" is correct as it is referring to Engineered Structures which are ultimately connected by complex system of roads. This is what is the intended meaning of the sentence
C) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms, each that had been - INCORRECT, each is modifying rooms and its not the rooms that are interconnected but the engineered structures are interconnected by complex system of roads. Building and connected both the events took place at the same time, not at different points of times hence past perfect tense had been cannot be used
D) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms and with each - INCORRECT as in Option D there is no clarity on what "EACH" is referring to .
E) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms, each had been INCORRECT, each is modifying rooms and its not the rooms that are interconnected but the engineered structures are interconnected by complex system of roads. Also usage of had been is incorrect. Building and connected both the events took place at the same time, not at different points of times hence past perfect tense had been cannot be used

Kindly give KUDOS if my explanation helped :-)
avatar
amishanahar99
Joined: 03 Sep 2018
Last visit: 25 Jun 2019
Posts: 6
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 17
Posts: 6
Kudos: 2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
is the usage 'scale of more than'....in C,D,E correct?
User avatar
AjiteshArun
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 15 Jul 2015
Last visit: 01 Jun 2025
Posts: 5,949
Own Kudos:
5,055
 [4]
Given Kudos: 732
Location: India
GMAT Focus 1: 715 Q83 V90 DI83
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V169
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT Focus 1: 715 Q83 V90 DI83
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V169
Posts: 5,949
Kudos: 5,055
 [4]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Priyanka1293
amishanahar99
is the usage 'scale of more than'....in C,D,E correct?

Could somebody please answer this ?
That part is not correct. A spectacular scale of 75 structures makes no sense, as "scale" cannot have structures. The structures portion instead helps us understand what the sentence means by "spectacular scale".
User avatar
Vitz
Joined: 14 Mar 2020
Last visit: 18 Dec 2021
Posts: 56
Own Kudos:
127
 [3]
Given Kudos: 315
Status:Having fun Growing Mental Agility & Toughness (GMAT) ^_^
Mantra: "There is a will, there is a way."
GMAT 1: 660 Q47 V35 (Online)
GMAT 2: 720 Q47 V42
GMAT 3: 740 Q49 V41
Products:
GMAT 3: 740 Q49 V41
Posts: 56
Kudos: 127
 [3]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... t2236.html
Check out Ron's explanation:

choice a is a run-on - it tries to have two main verbs without using any sort of subordinating element. if you take out modifiers, adjectives, etc., you're left with the following: the settlements were built with structures were connected. that's bad.

choice b is correct: it uses a nonessential modifier set off by commas ('of up to 600 rooms each'), which, if eliminated, yields the intact and legitimate sentence ...carefully engineered structures, connected by... (with another nonessential modifier).

choice c:
- 'scale of' doesn't make sense
- you can't say 'each that had...' (can't follow 'each' with a relative pronoun - if you're going to use a relative pronoun, it has to come directly after the thing it's trying to modify)
- no justification for using the past perfect ('had been') - that verb, if there's a verb there at all, should be in the simple past (the same tense as everything else in the sentence, because everything described in the sentence is contemporaneous)
- it doesn't make sense to use 'each' AFTER the comma, because it's not true that each structure was connected with a road system. instead, the road system connected all of the structures with each other, which is nowhere close to the same thing. (having 'each' BEFORE the comma makes sense, because it's actually true that each of the structures comprised up to 600 rooms.)
analogy:
the USA comprises 50 states, each of which is united by a federal government --> wrong (the implication is that each state has its own federal government)
the USA comprises 50 states, all of which are united by a federal government --> correct
the USA comprises 50 states, (all) united by a federal government --> correct, whether you have 'all' or not

choice d:
- 'scale of' doesn't make sense
- the use of AND sets up ostensible parallelism, but the two structures given aren't parallel (one starts with of and the other with with)

choice e is also a run-on sentence (you'll see this if you reduce it to its 'skeleton', a la choice a)
User avatar
Dinesh654
Joined: 08 Jun 2021
Last visit: 11 Aug 2024
Posts: 155
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 217
Status:In learning mode...
Location: India
GMAT 1: 600 Q46 V27
Products:
GMAT 1: 600 Q46 V27
Posts: 155
Kudos: 9
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello experts,
I eliminated CDE on the basis of -spectacular scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures.

Scale is generally used for measurements or it describes the size of a structure(In this context, although there are many scales to measure- pressure, temperature etc.)

scale of more than 75 engineered structure sounds illogical to me as if someone took more than 75 different scales to show how spectacular were they.

where as in B, meaning is clear, settlements were built along with(at the same time) 75 engineered structures.

Am I right?
User avatar
ExpertsGlobal5
User avatar
Experts' Global Representative
Joined: 10 Jul 2017
Last visit: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 5,143
Own Kudos:
4,729
 [1]
Given Kudos: 38
Location: India
GMAT Date: 11-01-2019
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 5,143
Kudos: 4,729
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
dcoolguy
Hello experts,
I eliminated CDE on the basis of -spectacular scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures.

Scale is generally used for measurements or it describes the size of a structure(In this context, although there are many scales to measure- pressure, temperature etc.)

scale of more than 75 engineered structure sounds illogical to me as if someone took more than 75 different scales to show how spectacular were they.

where as in B, meaning is clear, settlements were built along with(at the same time) 75 engineered structures.

Am I right?

Hello dcoolguy,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, your reasoning is largely correct; the phrase "scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures" does not convey a coherent meaning.

Kudos.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
User avatar
Pankaj0901
Joined: 18 Dec 2018
Last visit: 17 Dec 2022
Posts: 419
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 737
Location: India
WE:Account Management (Hospitality and Tourism)
Posts: 419
Kudos: 50
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Is the phrase "with more than 75 carefully engineered structures" modifying the verb "built"?
User avatar
GMATNinja
User avatar
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Last visit: 11 Jul 2025
Posts: 7,349
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 1,964
Status: GMAT/GRE/LSAT tutors
Location: United States (CO)
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V46
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Posts: 7,349
Kudos: 68,509
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Pankaj0901
Is the phrase "with more than 75 carefully engineered structures" modifying the verb "built"?
Well, I suppose it could modify the verb "were built." Or perhaps the entire clause: "The Anasazi settlements were built". Or maybe it modifies the "scale"?

More importantly, do these distinctions actually affect the meaning? Not really -- the reader has the same understanding of what's going on, regardless of how we label the modifier.

Since it doesn't affect the meaning -- and since you'll never have to label that sort of thing on test day -- it's not worth worrying about in this case. :)

I hope that helps a bit!
User avatar
nahid78
Joined: 12 Mar 2013
Last visit: 30 Apr 2023
Posts: 286
Own Kudos:
694
 [1]
Given Kudos: 1,062
Products:
Posts: 286
Kudos: 694
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Explained by RonPurewal

choice a is a run-on - it tries to have two main verbs without using any sort of subordinating element. if you take out modifiers, adjectives, etc., you're left with the following: the settlements were built with structures were connected. that's bad.

choice b is correct: it uses a nonessential modifier set off by commas ('of up to 600 rooms each'), which, if eliminated, yields the intact and legitimate sentence ...carefully engineered structures, connected by... (with another nonessential modifier).

choice c:
- 'scale of' doesn't make sense
- you can't say 'each that had...' (can't follow 'each' with a relative pronoun - if you're going to use a relative pronoun, it has to come directly after the thing it's trying to modify)
- no justification for using the past perfect ('had been') - that verb, if there's a verb there at all, should be in the simple past (the same tense as everything else in the sentence, because everything described in the sentence is contemporaneous)
- it doesn't make sense to use 'each' AFTER the comma, because it's not true that each structure was connected with a road system. instead, the road system connected all of the structures with each other, which is nowhere close to the same thing. (having 'each' BEFORE the comma makes sense, because it's actually true that each of the structures comprised up to 600 rooms.)
analogy:
the USA comprises 50 states, each of which is united by a federal government --> wrong (the implication is that each state has its own federal government)
the USA comprises 50 states, all of which are united by a federal government --> correct
the USA comprises 50 states, (all) united by a federal government --> correct, whether you have 'all' or not

choice d:
- 'scale of' doesn't make sense
- the use of AND sets up ostensible parallelism, but the two structures given aren't parallel (one starts with of and the other with with)

choice e is also a run-on sentence (you'll see this if you reduce it to its 'skeleton', a la choice a)
User avatar
aksh123456123456
Joined: 08 Aug 2022
Last visit: 13 May 2023
Posts: 21
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 23
Posts: 21
Kudos: 5
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ExpertsGlobal CrackVerbal
please explain the answer in detail
User avatar
CrackverbalGMAT
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 03 Oct 2013
Last visit: 11 Jul 2025
Posts: 4,847
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 225
Affiliations: CrackVerbal
Location: India
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,847
Kudos: 8,631
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
aksh123456123456
ExpertsGlobal CrackVerbal
please explain the answer in detail

Let’s first understand the logic of the sentence. The original sentence tells us that the Anasazi settlements had more than 75 structures and that these structures were connected by a complex system of roads.

Let’s look at the options:

The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built on a spectacular scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were connected by a complex regional system of roads.

A. scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were

The non-underlined section already says, “The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built on a spectacular scale”. Why would I need to say “were” again? Had the non-underlined section only said, “The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon”, probably you could have thought of using ‘were” But in this sentence, “were” is not needed.

B. scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each,

In this option, “of up to 600 rooms each” is extra, non-essential information about the 75 structures. “of up to 600 rooms each” tells us that each of the 75 structures had up to 600 rooms. So, the entire sentence, without the non-essential element, reads: “The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built on a spectacular scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures connected by a complex regional system of roads.” When we remove the non-essential construction, we can see that the sentence tells us that the structures were connected. Looks good.

C. scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms, each that had been

This option seems to imply that each of the 600 rooms was connected by a complex regional system of roads. We know from the original sentence that the 75 structures were connected by a complex system of roads. This option changes the meaning of the sentence.

D. scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms and with each

We have a similar problem with “each”

E. scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms, each had been

We have a similar problem with “each”

Option B is the best option here.
User avatar
Sneha2021
Joined: 20 Dec 2020
Last visit: 10 Jun 2025
Posts: 319
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 523
Location: India
Posts: 319
Kudos: 35
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi KarishmaB,

The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built on a spectacular scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were connected by a complex regional system of roads.

D) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms and with each
Why D is incorrect?
"with each" is parallel to what before "and"?
The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built of structures - It makes sense to say meaning-wise that "settlements have these structures" according to B and "settlements were built of these structures" doesn't make sense in D. Is my reasoning correct?

Thank you for your time :)
User avatar
KarishmaB
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 11 Jul 2025
Posts: 16,101
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 475
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,101
Kudos: 74,269
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Sneha2021
Hi KarishmaB,

The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built on a spectacular scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were connected by a complex regional system of roads.

D) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms and with each
Why D is incorrect?
"with each" is parallel to what before "and"?
The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built of structures - It makes sense to say meaning-wise that "settlements have these structures" according to B and "settlements were built of these structures" doesn't make sense in D. Is my reasoning correct?

Thank you for your time :)

Yes, we cannot put 'and' here in (D) since we want to modify the structures. 'and' suggests equal and parallel elements which they are not.

Also, 'more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms... etc' describe the scale. To give characteristics, we can use 'with.'

So 'spectacular scale, with ...' makes sense but not 'spectacular scale of...'
User avatar
VerbalBot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 18,438
Own Kudos:
Posts: 18,438
Kudos: 953
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Moderators:
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7349 posts
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
235 posts