I've seen this exact same setup before just with different subject-matter/context, so I'd presume that this is a replica of an official question from one of the Official Guides.

I'll let everyone try their hand at it before I throw down the correct answer, but let me give one pretty strong hint: they're testing the concept of the relative pronoun modifier "which". The word "which", when used to begin a modifier, must accurately replace/describe the word immediately adjacent to it, and if that's not the case you can eliminate that answer choice.
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Brian ...you are right about "WHICH" modifier, .. but thats relatively an easy task... most difficult is to choose between C and E

Had it down to C and E because of which, since it refers to University of California System and not Universities.

Picked C because present continuous sounded best.

The regents of the University of California system have recently acted on plans to add two new universities, which increases to ten the number of U.C. schools.

(A) universities, which increases to ten the number - which is modifying universities but that is not causing the increase
(B) universities which increase the number to ten - same as above A
(C) universities, increasing to ten the number - this is followed from cause and effect rule with 'ing' form is used to express effect after cause and correct option(D) universities, a plan which will have increased to ten the number - run on sentence
(E) universities to increase to ten the number - need to use cause and effect rule to use 'ing'form but not infinitive

This is a very helpful post, Thanks! But what about the relative pronoun that. How should it be used? And if the sentence were constructed like this - ...., a plan that increases to ten the number... - Would the construction be correct?

This is true. These were my last 2 choices. But since E modifies the meaning of the sentence, I chose C.

IMO...its C.

A . As Brian has mentioned , "Which" here refers to "universities" and universities does not increase to ten , its the plan which increases it.

B. Same reason as A , although they have modified "increases" to "increase".

C. Here , the participial phrase "increasing to ten the number" is modifying the first sentence . Specifying the consequence of the plan.

D. I first fell for this option . But cudn't find any strong reason to discard it as well.

E. This option suggests that the purpose of the plan was to increase the number of schools to ten which is not really the case here.

Great explanation, Raths - E does change the meaning to make it look like the intent of the regents was to simply increase the number, so C is the correct choice.

Great work here, everyone - and, yes, I know I ducked out for a little bit...the teacher in me is reluctant to just dive in with the correct answer right away sometimes...I like seeing the debate among the group on questions like these!
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Its 'C'

We can eliminate A / B due to 'Which' . As per grammar 'which' should modify 'Universities' as it is placed next to it. But the clause is modifying the 'Plan'.

is that MOST difficult task :D , i think it is fairly easy to pick C as the answer, E has an altered meaning because of the usage of 'to....'

is this a 700 level q ?

Brian
Reopening the pandora box.
D looks like the resumptive modifier setup. How did you avoid the trap? I fell for it.

Hey gmat1220,

Even if that modifier in D is okay (and just knowing the GMAT I'd pick the more-clear modifier from C every time if that were my last decision point), the verb tense in choice D doesn't work.

The only time you'd really get away with using that combination of tense ("will have increased...") is if you're clearly putting a time limit in there to mark that point in the future at which you're using the past progressive. So you could say:

By the time the new laws take place, the amount of pollution will have already doubled.

But you can't say:

The new law ensures that the amount of pollution will have doubled.

So in the case of D, without that designated future point at which we use the past progressive ("have increased"), the verb tense doesn't work.
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Thanks !!! I got it.

Brian,
"a plan....." is next to "universities". Hence we need "ing" modifier to modify the previous clause. Am I correct?

thanks

Hey gmat1220 - you know, I don't want to guarantee that we NEED that -ing modifier, but:

-As Baten80 mentioned, the singular modifier "a plan" doesn't really work with "acted on plans (plural)"
-The -ing modifier is definitely correct in this case, as it modifies the entire preceding clause and isn't limited just to the word or phrase immediately adjacent to the comma. Because of that, I mentioned before that I'd tend toward that modifier if I were at all unclear about the validity of the "resumptive modifier" you mentioned and whether it would apply.

So it's not that the situation can only call for exactly one type of modifier...I just know that the modifier in C is clearly allowable, and that D introduces a few doubts (at best) and contains a fatal verb tense flaw. And since one fatal flaw dooms an answer, and I found one in D and can't find any in C, there are a few reasons to make that choice.

I hope that helps - I'd be careful about limiting yourself to exactly one type of phrasing that you think you NEED...Sentence Correction is much more about eliminating flaws.
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which in A and B have no antecedent so, they are wrong.
a plan in D , is not logic to sumarize the main clause. the main clause is not a plan at all but an action happen already

both e and c are correct

Try this question ... it will be very good for your health ...

The regents of the University of California system have recently acted on plans to add two new universities, which increases to ten the number of U.C. schools.

(A) universities, which increases to ten the number
(B) universities which increase the number to ten
(C) universities, increasing to ten the number
(D) universities, a plan which will have increased to ten the number
(E) universities to increase to ten the number


Answer choice : C
, + verbing is used as a modifier to show the result of the plans.

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:

The final phrase (which increases to ten the number of U.C. schools) describes the plan. Answer choice (D) reintroduces the object (the plan) that's being described, but the certainly awkward expression will have increased, as well as the general wordiness of the choice, eliminates it from consideration. If you read (B) into the sentence, you'll notice that the sentence suddenly becomes even more awkward. Eliminate (B). And, while we're looking at the sentence as a whole, consider (E). It distorts the original meaning of the sentence, suggesting that the purpose of the plan was not to add two universities per se but to up the total number of universities to ten. That may be true, but it's not what the original sentence said and unnecessarily changes the sentence's meaning. Eliminate (E). Look at (A) and (С). (C) is the better choice because it's more direct, because it eliminates the unnecessary which, and because increasing makes the final phrase into a modifier as, for optimal clarity, it should be.
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