asdfghjklasdfghj wrote:
sagarag wrote:
The physicist Richard Feynman presented a comprehensive introduction to modern physics designed for undergraduate students in a two-year course.
A) The physicist Richard Feynman presented a comprehensive introduction to modern physics designed for undergraduate students in a two-year course
B) For undergraduate students, the physicist Richard Feynman presented a two-year course, being a comprehensive introduction to modern physics.
C) A comprehensive introduction was in a two-year course by the physicist Richard Feynman presenting to undergraduate students an introduction to modern physics.
D) Presenting a comprehensive introduction, the physicist Richard Feynman introduced modern physics in a two-year course designed for undergraduate students.
E) In a two-year course designed for undergraduate students, the physicist Richard Feynman presented a comprehensive introduction to modern physics.
Hi Mike,
could you help me out on this one ?
So I am able to see that answer choice A is wrong because "in a two course" is a prep. phrase for "physics" what is nonsense. Using POE there is nothing left than Answer choice E in fact. But I am not completely sure why the prepositional phrase at the beginning of answer choice E can jump the noun " the physicist Fayman".
I know that noun modifiers "Appositive modifiers" can jump to every noun in the sentence (
https://gmatclub.com/forum/noun-noun-mo ... 37292.html) but this is not the case here since we have a prepositional phrase.
So why can we "jump" ? - Cleared
Ok, apparently we have here a so called adverbial modifier, which modifiers verbs. And knowing that verb modifiers have looser rules than noun modifiers (probs to the
magoosh website) It generally should explain HOW things are done.
The problem that I still have is that "In a two year course" does not really tells me HOW he presented.
For example in this question:
Visitors to the park have often looked up into the leafy canopy and s
aw monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs hang like socks on a clothesline.
(A) saw monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs hang
(B) saw monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs were hanging
(C) saw monkeys sleeping on the branches, with arms and legs hanging
(D) seen monkeys sleeping on the branches, with arms and legs hanging
(E) seen monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs have hung
I can clearly see that the part "with arms and legs hanging" describes the HOW these monkey sleep.
So all in all... My final question (and after some study my only) is: in which way does "In a two-year course designed for undergraduate students" modifies the verb "presented"
I hope my question is clear
Dear
asdfghjklasdfghj,
I'm happy to respond.
I will clarify a few points, some of which you appear to understand.
1) An
appositive phrase is simply one kind of noun modifier. There is no appositive in this sentence.
2) Prepositional phrases can act as either
noun modifiers or
verb modifier.
3) Under most cases, noun modifiers have to obey the
Modifier Touch Rule, although there are a few important exceptions.
4)
Verb modifiers are NOT subject to the Modifier Touch Rule at all. Verb modifiers can be placed in a variety of locations in a sentence, as long as there's no ambiguity. The placement of verb modifiers is considerably more free than that of noun modifiers.
5) Verb modifiers, like individual adverbs, answer questions such as:
how? why? when? where? in what way? Now, consider (E) from this sentence.
In a two-year course designed for undergraduate students, the physicist Richard Feynman presented a comprehensive introduction to modern physics.
The prepositional phrase at the beginning is a verb modifier answer a "WHERE" question: it tells us WHERE Feynman presented this introduction. Because it's a verb modifier, it doesn't have to touch anything.
Finally, I will say that, in a slightly later post, you spoke condescendingly to my brilliant colleague
daagh. Look at daagh's kudo count! He has been on GMAT Club for much longer than I have, and for years he has done high quality work here. I don't believe he was addressing your question at all: it just happened that his post followed yours. You are a student still mastering this material. It doesn't make you look good when you chide someone who is much more knowledgable than you. Remember that GMAT Club is a public place, and anyone on this site now might some day be your colleague, your boss, your employee, your customer, your supplier, etc. etc. You always get only one chance to make a first impression. Courtesy and respect open many doors in life.
My friend, I want to support your success at many levels. Does all this make sense?
Mike
Thank you so much for the insights ! It helped a lot ! The point that I was missing here is that adverbial modifiers (verb modifiers) not only answer the HOW question but all the other W-questions. Nice to know. Helpful as always, thanks Mike
But concerning my message with daagh, I think you misunderstood me. When you look at the question from this thread, answer choice A says:
(A) The physicist Richard Feynman presented a comprehensive introduction to modern physics in a two-year course designed for undergraduate students
A) The physicist Richard Feynman presented a comprehensive introduction to modern physics designed for undergraduate students in a two-year course
That is not the same question the wording is different. That was all I wanted to point out. I did not want to insult daagh, he helped me out a lot and I appreciate his help very much.