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Skywalker18
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed 08 Jan 2020, 04:42
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GMATNinja
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GMATNinja , many thanks for your explanations above which explain how "including" is functioning in the OA. Would be great if you could shed some light on why exactly is C wrong? Why is the use of "by" wrong ?.. Or is there any other parallelism issue in C? :think: Thank you!
Good question! I see two reasons to eliminate (C):

1) Peculiar comma usage. Others on this thread have referred to this problem. Consider the following:

    Tim attempted to repair the hole in his roof by using his daughter's Pay-Doh as a kind of caulk, much to the chagrin of the entire family.

Notice that we have an action "attempted to repair" and a modifier describing that action "by using..." In this case, there's no need for a comma before the "by" phrase, as this phrase is crucial to the meaning of the sentence, rather than being incidental information that we just happen to toss in. In (C), it's hard to understand why we would need the comma before "by."

Here's the problem: comma usage rarely involves hard rules. So even though this does seem to be an issue, I'd rather find something a little more concrete than a faulty comma.

2) Meaning. In (C), we have the following:

    A series of printed instructions that the company hopes will help merchants confirm a check’s authenticity, by including reminders for watching the endorsement, comparing signatures, and viewing the water mark..."

So the instructions will help confirm a check's authenticity three ways. By:

    1) including reminders for watching the endorsement
    2) comparing signatures
    3) viewing the water mark

The first element seems okay: instructions can certainly include reminders. But how on earth could the instructions compare signatures or view a water mark? This is illogical.

Compare this with (E):

    A series of printed instructions that the company hopes will help merchants confirm a check’s authenticity, including reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view the watermark

Now the instructions include three reminders:

    1) to watch the endorsement
    2) to compare signatures
    3) to view the watermark

It's perfectly logical for the instructions to contain three types of reminders. So (E), ultimately, is a better option than the incoherent meaning we have in (C).

I hope that helps!
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I was down to options C and E and chose E( option C uses a comma before preposition by and uses for instead of to)

GMATNinja ,
In option C, how do we eliminate the following interpretation-
by including reminders for
1. watching the endorsement,
2. comparing signatures,
3. and viewing

AjiteshArun , GMATNinja , MagooshExpert , GMATGuruNY , VeritasPrepBrian , MartyTargetTestPrep , DmitryFarber , VeritasKarishma , generis , other experts - please enlighten
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed 15 Feb 2020, 01:42
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed instructions that the company hopes will help merchants confirm a check’s authenticity, which includes reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view the watermark while holding the check to the light.


(A) which includes reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view- use of includes leads to SV agreement error. which incorrectly modifies authenticity.

(B) which include reminders for watching the endorsement, to compare signatures and view

which incorrectly modifies authenticity. include reminders 1.for watching the endorsement 2. To compare 3. View. List is not parallel.

(C) by including reminders for watching the endorsement, comparing signatures, and viewing

The printed instructions ‘by including’ is incorrect.
A sentence where by including makes sense – I informed Sam about the discussion by including him in the group conversation.


(D) including reminders to watch the endorsement, comparing signatures and viewing

The printed instructions including reminders 1. To watch the endorsement 2. Comparing signatures 3. Viewing the watermark. List is not parallel.


(E) including reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view

The printed instructions including reminders 1. To watch the endorsement 2. To compare signatures 3. To view the watermark. List is parallel. Correct answer.
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed 20 Nov 2020, 04:37
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed instructions that the company hopes will help merchants confirm a check’s authenticity, which includes reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view the watermark while holding the check to the light.


(A) which includes reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view "which" incorrectly modifies "check's authenticity". Eliminate.

(B) which include reminders for watching the endorsement, to compare signatures and view Same error as (A). Also, "for watching" and "to compare" are not parallel. Eliminate.

(C) by including reminders for watching the endorsement, comparing signatures, and viewing Due to the comma just before the underline portion, beginning the modifier with "by" (making it a prepositional phrase) is incorrect. Eliminate.

(D) including reminders to watch the endorsement, comparing signatures and viewing "watch" and "comparing" are not parallel. Eliminate.

(E) including reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view Correct answer.

Hope this helps.
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed 04 Feb 2021, 19:41
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In options A and B, 'WHICH' is correctly referring to printed instructions!

Is this correct?

Some of the answers mentioned above say that 'WHICH' refers to printed instructions but some say it refers to autheticity. can someone pls give clarification on this or which rule to follow?

thanks!
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed 04 Feb 2021, 23:42
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KONDURI
In options A and B, 'WHICH' is correctly referring to printed instructions!
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Hi KONDURI,

(i) In option A, notice the structure which includes. The presence of singular verb includes mandates that which has to modify a singular noun. Hence, which cannot modify instructions.

(ii) In option B, notice the structure which include. The presence of plural verb include mandates that which has to modify a plural noun. While instructions is a plural noun, it is really far from which, making this a non-optimal construct.

p.s. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses modifier issues of "which", their application and examples in significant detail. If you or someone is interested, PM me your email-id; I can mail the corresponding section.
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed 09 Jun 2022, 11:33
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TommyWallach
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Hi, Tom, (well maybe you won't see this post anymore.I just try)

could you clarify the usage of Ving here?

I read some rules about the usage of this on Manhattan forum, which is following:

the "comma + ing" modifier should only be used when:

(A)
it MODIFIES THE ENTIRE ACTION of the preceding clause, and it APPLIES TO THE SUBJECT of that clause;
AND
(B)
one of the following is true:
(1) the "ing" action is SIMULTANEOUS with the main action;
- i ran down the sidewalk, flapping my arms wildly
(2) the "ing" action is a DIRECT CONSEQUENCE of the main action;
- i got a 100 on the most recent exam, bringing my average up to 91

But the Ving here in Choice E doesn't fit in the above rules, right?

Also, presuming the choise A is using "include", will it be the best answer? Thank you very much!

Hey Kaja,

It's not modifying the previous clause, per se, but it's modifying such an ENORMOUS noun (already modified), that the -ing helps us clarify it.:

The principal feature of the redesigned checks is (a series [of printed instructions {that the company hopes will help merchants confirm a check’s authenticity}])...

The part in parentheses is all one noun with modifiers set off by different parentheses. We want to modify that ENTIRE thing. Using just a relative pronoun wouldn't work, because it's so FAR from the word it's really modifying ("series"). And technically, the next modifier IS happening simultaneously (it's describing those very rules). I agree it's a bit of a stretch based on the rules we give, but it's far closer to the rules for -ing words than the rules for relative pronouns.

Hope that helps!

-t
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Hello Tommy,
How to identify whether a ",Ving" modifier refers to the action of the main clause or as you said in the above case to a noun.
Please help.
Thanks in advance.

Regards,
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed 19 Jul 2022, 20:35
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed instructions that the company hopes will help merchants confirm a check’s authenticity, which includes reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view the watermark while holding the check to the light.
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A,B,D are pretty easy to eliminate as noted by many ppl above

C. By including is unnecessary, you dont need a by + including since a prep phrase + verb-ing is needed when you are modifying the whole preceding clause and the action of that clause, here we are trying to describe a list so including is more appropriate by itself (remember including is the one exception the participle ing form where it describes usually a list and the most logical antecedent) , and the to + verb ing in is better in (E)

E. Nothing wrong with it, including logically modifies instructions and the infinitives to watch…compare…view are parallel!
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The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed 29 Jul 2023, 20:00
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