Hi sujit2k,

This is in response to your PM.

Well, there are many official questions in which the noun modifiers do not follow "touch" rule. Here are a few examples:

1. Although she had been known as an effective legislator first in the Texas Senate and later in the United States House of Representatives, Barbara Jordan did not become a nationally recognized figure until 1974, when she participated in the hearings on the impeachment of President Richard Nixon, which were televised nationwide.

2. What scientists know about dinosaur brains comes from studies of the cranium, the bony house of the brain located in the back of the skull.

3. Emily Dickinson’s letters to Susan Huntington Dickinson, which were written over a period beginning a few years before Susan’s marriage to Emily’s brother and ending shortly before Emily’s death in 1886, outnumber her letters to anyone else.

Now let's look at Choice B of this question at hand:

B. to be the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, weighing: In my opinion, there is no issue with the reference of "which" because logically it should refer to "the smallest network digital camcorder". But yes, this choice is incorrect for the use of "to be".

Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha
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Here "claims to be" is a trap.
Most of us will blindly eliminate C,D,E for incorrect idiom usage.

In A , "it" does not have a clear referrant.

On the "Manhattan" Sc forum I found this explanation

They are claiming that it IS something - not that it "to be" something - so, no, we wouldn't use "to be" here. We'd say "the company has unveiled what it claims is the world's smallest..."

I could say, though, "she claims to be a violinist, but I've heard her play and she's terrible." So there are circumstances in which you could use "claim to be" - but this isn't one of them.

And, yes, answer is D.

A. to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a hand held computer, and it weighs
"It" is referring to computer rather than camcorder so this option is incorrect. Moreover "to be" makes this option passive.

B. to be the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a hand held computer, weighing
This sentence makes "which is as long as a hand held computer" as non essential clause and means that camcorder is weighing only 11 ounce. But logically speaking Camcorder length and weight both as its attribute. Moreover "to be" makes this option passive. Moreover "Which" is referring to "world".

C. is the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a hand held computer, and it weighs
"It" is referring to computer rather than camcorder and "Which" is referring to "world", so this option is incorrect.

D. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, which is as long as a hand held computer and weighs.
"Which" is clearly referring to "camcorder".

E. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a hand held computer, weighing
"the length of which is that of a hand held computer" is an awkward construction. "which is as long as a hand held computer" is much better.

claims and 'to be' go well together.
I dont see anything wrong (gramatically) with A or D.

I would go with A (original) in that case.

A. The electronics company has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs less than 11 ounces.

D. The electronics company has unveiled what it is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, which is as long as a handheld computer and weighs less than 11 ounces.

B,C-- out becuase which modifies the world instead of camcorder.
E -- it talks about weighing handled computer not digital camcorder
A -- its not clear whether it repsents handled computer or digital camcorder


I will chose D.

A. to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs
B. to be the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, weighing
C. is the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, and it weighs
D. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, which is as long as a handheld computer and weighs
E. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, weighing


I got the answer in about 30 seconds. D.

So, scan the ends, and go through the choices shortest to longest.

Start with D:

the which properly refers to camcorder, and if you ellipse which with is and weighs, it is correct. D has no grammatical flaws, and is short and concise, let's hold onto it.

E. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, weighing
E: correct-- but 'length of which' is a bit wordy. D does the same thing but is shorter and more concise.

C. is the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, and it weighs
WRONG-- which refers to WORLD. Completely wrong.

B. to be the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, weighing
WRONG-- same thing, WHICH refers to WORLD.

A. to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs
It works, but D is more concise.


Hence the answer is D.

Even though claims to be is the correct idiom, the errors in (A) and (B) are so conspicuous, that I will refrain from picking them as answer choices.
Besides, there is nothing wrong in using "The electronics company has unveiled what it claims is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder"

claim(s) to be >>>> correct idiom. So, A and B left.

I am not clear on the usage of WHICH in B as it is modifying EARTH. Even if you remove the non-essential part from B, which is as long as a handheld computer,, the participle weighing modifies WORLD, which is still awkward placement.

Can someone explain on this usage?

OA is D,
Check out this link:

http://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/use ... t1766.html

Answer b and a can not be OA, because in that choice we have two problems. First of all,
to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs

it is very ambigious, it could equally refer to computer and camcorder.

B.to be the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, weighing

In B, which is incorrectly modifying world, and weighting incorrectly is modifying computer
Hope that helps.

Sujit2k7-

The GMAT generally tries to avoid 'stacking' modifiers one after another, but the key issue in option B is with the word 'which'. On the GMAT, 'which' is a noun modifier and it must modify the noun it's 'touching' - in this case the noun would be world. The 'which' phrase in option B is clearly not meant to modify the world, so this option is illogical and incorrect.

KW
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Thanks for your reply .
But 'in the world' just modifying which can't be placed anywhere else in the same sentence. I think there are so many problems where the touching rule is violated if there is something essential before the modifier.

please correct me if wrong..

The GMAT is strict about it's treatment of 'which'. 'Which' will modify the noun it touches. In your example, the phrase 'in the world' can't be effectively moved as-is, but you can change the phrase and retain the same meaning with 'the world's smallest' - the phrase used in options A, D, and E.

KW

Posted from my mobile device
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Is "claim to be" always wrong?

Not always, Manhattan SC describes it as "suspect". I.e. it can be correct if it is the best AC.
Always wrong: Claim sh as...
Always correct: Claim sb a friend.



Are you saying that the touch rule can be violated and the sentence will still be fully correct? Can the rule be neglected? I am a bit confused now!

Hi HumptyDumpty,

All three examples that I have posted in my response are the correct version of the official problems. This means that none of the sentence breaks any rules of modification. Each of them complies to the rule. It's just that general understanding about the rule is little limited.

Please review the article in the following like to understand when noun modifiers can modify a slightly far away noun and when they cannot:
noun-modifiers-can-modify-slightly-far-away-noun-135868.html

Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha
_________________

The electronics company has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs less than 11 ounces.

Intended meaning:
The electronics company has unveiled SNDC.
SNDC is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder.
SNDC is as long as a handheld computer and weighs less than 11 ounces.

A. to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs
>>Distorts the intended meaning; it weighs is made || to main clause.
B. to be the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, weighing
>>Distorts the intended meaning as per coma + ing rule.
C. is the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, and it weighs
>>Same as A
D. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, which is as long as a handheld computer and weighs
E. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, weighing
>>Same as B.


Claim to be Vs Claim is: [Courtesy MGMAT]

I still don't get the rule. Could someone please explain when to use "claim to be" and when to use "claim is"?
I am pretty sure I have heard sentences like "She claims to be the king's daughter", and cannot understand on what context it becomes "claims is the king's daughter".

Stelle wrote



The answer lies how confident the company is about the claim; if the company feels very confident, then it can forthrightly declare that ‘it claims is’. On the contrary, if it is a little hesitant, then it might say that ‘it claims to be’; however both expressions are correct in their own right. Only thing, in the current context, ‘claims is’ more appropriate since the company is quite candid in its claim.
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Choosing/ignoring the options on the basis of is/to be might not be the best way to approach.

A says:

The electronics company has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs less than 11 ounces.

What does that in that of a handheld computer refer to? Well, length seems to be the best antecedent. So, A reads:

The electronics company has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is length of a handheld computer, and it weighs less than 11 ounces.

Now this is strange: How can length of SNDC be the length of a handheld computer? That doesn't make sense.

More logically, length of SNDC can be the same as length of a handheld computer.
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