Last visit was: 20 Nov 2025, 06:33 It is currently 20 Nov 2025, 06:33
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
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.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
   1   2   3   
avatar
manlog
avatar
Joined: 08 Jan 2015
Last visit: 20 Aug 2018
Posts: 47
Own Kudos:
61
Given Kudos: 53
Schools: Stanford '19 Kellogg '19 (A)
Schools: Stanford '19 Kellogg '19 (A)
Posts: 47
Kudos: 61
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 09 Aug 2016, 05:31
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Could someone please explain, why in the correct answer choice B), "them" and "they" unambiguously refers to stars, and not planets?
User avatar
sayantanc2k
User avatar
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Last visit: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 2,393
Own Kudos:
15,523
Given Kudos: 26
Location: Germany
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
WE:Corporate Finance (Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)
Expert
Expert reply
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
Posts: 2,393
Kudos: 15,523
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 12 Aug 2016, 05:33
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
manlog
Could someone please explain, why in the correct answer choice B), "them" and "they" unambiguously refers to stars, and not planets?
Show more

If a pronoun that is the subject of a clause has two possible antecedents, one of which is the subject of another clause within the sentence, the pronoun would, by virtue of parallelism, unambiguously refer to the subject antecedent.

Here "they" is the subject of a clause and so is the antecedent "stars". Hence this reference is unambiguous.
avatar
TheUltimateWinner
avatar
Schools: Harvard '24 Judge '23 LBS '24 McCombs '24 Mendoza Tepper '24 Ross '24 Cox Marshall '24 Fisher Kelley '24 Jones McDonough '24 Owen '24 Terry BU Simon '24 Katz GWU Mason Babson Gabelli Foster '24 Goizueta '24 Scheller Stern '23 CBS '23 Booth '23 Haas '25 Wharton '25 Stanford '26 Johnson'23 Fuqua '23 Kellogg '23 Kenan-Flagler'23 INSEAD Aug 22 intake Olin '23 Said '23 Sloan '23 Carey Arizona "22 Yale '23 UC Davis Madison '23 Anderson '23 Carroll Carlson '23 Darden '23
Posts: 2,489
Kudos: 2,387
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 11 Sep 2016, 09:08
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
beckee529
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being

B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet

D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but

to me they all sound retarded...
Show more
In B, is 'the stars are in motion' modifier' or 'appositive'? if not, then WHY we block off 'the stars are in motion' by comma?
If I say:
Like you I'm the member of GMAT Club. So, should I use comma after 'you' like bellow:
Like you, I'm the member of GMAT Club.
also, 'them' and 'they' refers to what? Does it refer 'planets' or 'stars'?
avatar
TheUltimateWinner
avatar
Schools: Harvard '24 Judge '23 LBS '24 McCombs '24 Mendoza Tepper '24 Ross '24 Cox Marshall '24 Fisher Kelley '24 Jones McDonough '24 Owen '24 Terry BU Simon '24 Katz GWU Mason Babson Gabelli Foster '24 Goizueta '24 Scheller Stern '23 CBS '23 Booth '23 Haas '25 Wharton '25 Stanford '26 Johnson'23 Fuqua '23 Kellogg '23 Kenan-Flagler'23 INSEAD Aug 22 intake Olin '23 Said '23 Sloan '23 Carey Arizona "22 Yale '23 UC Davis Madison '23 Anderson '23 Carroll Carlson '23 Darden '23
Posts: 2,489
Kudos: 2,387
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 11 Sep 2016, 09:25
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
sayantanc2k
manlog
Could someone please explain, why in the correct answer choice B), "them" and "they" unambiguously refers to stars, and not planets?

If a pronoun that is the subject of a clause has two possible antecedents, one of which is the subject of another clause within the sentence, the pronoun would, by virtue of parallelism, unambiguously refer to the subject antecedent.

Here "they" is the subject of a clause and so is the antecedent "stars". Hence this reference is unambiguous.
Show more
So, HOW do we understand that x (stars) is antecedent of y (they), and p (planets) is antecedent of q (them)?
Thanks expert...
User avatar
sayantanc2k
User avatar
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Last visit: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 2,393
Own Kudos:
15,523
 [1]
Given Kudos: 26
Location: Germany
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
WE:Corporate Finance (Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)
Expert
Expert reply
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
Posts: 2,393
Kudos: 15,523
 [1]
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 11 Sep 2016, 09:39
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
iMyself
beckee529
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being

B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet

D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but

to me they all sound retarded...
In B, is 'the stars are in motion' modifier' or 'appositive'? if not, then WHY we block off 'the stars are in motion' by comma?
If I say:
Like you I'm the member of GMAT Club. So, should I use comma after 'you' like bellow:
Like you, I'm the member of GMAT Club.
also, 'them' and 'they' refers to what? Does it refer 'planets' or 'stars'?
Show more

1. "The stars are in motion" is the main clause. It is not blocked off. It is preceded by a prepositional phrase ("Like the planets"), which is separated by the comma before "the". Again the main clause is succeeded by a subgroup modifier ("some of them..."), which is again separated by a comma after "motion".

2. A comma is generally recommended after "like X".

3. The pronouns "them" and " they" refer to "stars". There are two ways to confirm in this case why these pronouns refer to "stars" and not "planets".
a. If a pronoun that is the subject of a clause has two possible antecedents, one of which is the subject of another clause within the sentence, the pronoun would, by virtue of parallelism, unambiguously refer to the subject antecedent. "Stars" is the subject of a clause and so is "they".
b. The pronoun "them" is within a subgroup modifier. Therefore it must refer to the group (i.e. "stars") that the sub-group modifier is modifying.
User avatar
sayantanc2k
User avatar
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Last visit: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 2,393
Own Kudos:
15,523
 [1]
Given Kudos: 26
Location: Germany
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
WE:Corporate Finance (Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)
Expert
Expert reply
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
Posts: 2,393
Kudos: 15,523
 [1]
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 11 Sep 2016, 09:44
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
iMyself
sayantanc2k
manlog
Could someone please explain, why in the correct answer choice B), "them" and "they" unambiguously refers to stars, and not planets?

If a pronoun that is the subject of a clause has two possible antecedents, one of which is the subject of another clause within the sentence, the pronoun would, by virtue of parallelism, unambiguously refer to the subject antecedent.

Here "they" is the subject of a clause and so is the antecedent "stars". Hence this reference is unambiguous.
So, HOW do we understand that x (stars) is antecedent of y (they), and p (planets) is antecedent of q (them)?
Thanks expert...
Show more

Both "they" and "them" refer to "stars". A basic rule about pronouns is that all "they","them","their" and "theirs" must refer to the same antecedent. ( So is true for all he/him/his or she/her/hers etc.)
User avatar
zoezhuyan
User avatar
Joined: 17 Sep 2016
Last visit: 11 Nov 2024
Posts: 418
Own Kudos:
94
Given Kudos: 147
Posts: 418
Kudos: 94
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 08 Oct 2016, 01:22
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Dear experts,
Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime

is "some of them at tremendous speeds" an absolute phrase, which modifies the preceding clause.

please confirm

Quote:
C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet
Show more

experts,
like + noun works as a phrase in although clause, does it valid?
what I see mostly is that like + noun works as a comparison, in front of entire sentence.
this is first time for me, I am not sure whether it is valid and none discussed in this thread,
appreciate if clarify

thanks a lot
have a nice day
>_~
User avatar
sayantanc2k
User avatar
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Last visit: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 2,393
Own Kudos:
15,523
Given Kudos: 26
Location: Germany
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
WE:Corporate Finance (Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)
Expert
Expert reply
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
Posts: 2,393
Kudos: 15,523
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 08 Oct 2016, 08:57
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
zoezhuyan
Dear experts,
Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime

is "some of them at tremendous speeds" an absolute phrase, which modifies the preceding clause.

please confirm

Quote:
C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet

experts,
like + noun works as a phrase in although clause, does it valid?
what I see mostly is that like + noun works as a comparison, in front of entire sentence.
this is first time for me, I am not sure whether it is valid and none discussed in this thread,
appreciate if clarify

thanks a lot
have a nice day
>_~
Show more

"Some of them at tremendous speeds" is a special type of modifier called subgroup modifier. I have discussed about this type here:

the-stars-some-of-them-at-tremendous-speeds-are-in-motion-54399-20.html#p1637254

Structurally, constructions such as "like the planets the stars are in motion" may be used as an independent clause by itself or used within a dependent clause - "Although like the planets the stars are in motion...."
User avatar
BillyZ
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 14 Nov 2016
Last visit: 03 May 2025
Posts: 1,143
Own Kudos:
22,217
 [1]
Given Kudos: 926
Location: Malaysia
Concentration: General Management, Strategy
Schools: Sloan '23 (D) Tuck '23 (D) Darden '23 (D) Ross '23 (D) Kellogg '23 (D) Wharton '23 (D) Booth '23 (D) Fuqua '24 (A) Harvard '24 (D) Stanford '24 (D)
GMAT 1: 750 Q51 V40 (Online)
GPA: 3.53
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: Sloan '23 (D) Tuck '23 (D) Darden '23 (D) Ross '23 (D) Kellogg '23 (D) Wharton '23 (D) Booth '23 (D) Fuqua '24 (A) Harvard '24 (D) Stanford '24 (D)
GMAT 1: 750 Q51 V40 (Online)
Posts: 1,143
Kudos: 22,217
 [1]
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 18 May 2017, 20:09
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
beckee529
The Official Guide for GMAT Review 2017

Practice Question
Question No.: SC 775
Page: 704
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being

(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet

(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but
Show more

Two problems with A "some of them ..." is awkward . The stars are in motion at tremendous speeds.

Since speed describes the motion, the sentence is easier to understand if we introduce motion first.

"The stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds."and "being" is clumsy, we want a verb here, since we're talking about two qualities of stars, and we introduced the first one with a verb.

"The stars ARE in motion yet ARE so far from Earth that ..."

First Glance

The underline starts immediately; a glance at the beginning of the answers reveals substantial changes. How should the sentence start?

Issues

(1) Meaning / Modifier: at tremendous speeds

The original sentence says that the stars, some of them are tremendous speeds, are in motion. The stars themselves don't occur at tremendous speeds; rather, the motion occurs at tremendous speeds. The modifier should be pointing to the action (motion), not the noun (stars).

Answers (B), (C), and (D) all clearly tie in the motion to the speeds: in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds. Like answer (A), answer (E) muddles the meaning of this modifier: the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion.

Furthermore, in answer (E), the some of which modifier points to the preceding noun, planets, not the stars. This answer, then, says that the planets are in motion. It's already common knowledge that planets are in motion; the point of the original sentence was to highlight that the stars are also in motion even though they seem to be fixed in the sky. Eliminate answers (A) and (E).

(2) Structure

The original sentence consists of an independent clause (the stars are in motion as the planets are) followed by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (yet), setting up the expectation for another independent clause.

Chop out the portion after the coordinating conjunction (being so far that X) and read it on its own: that portion is not a complete sentence. The word being could function as a subject−as in the sentence Being far away from loved ones can cause homesickness−but no verb completes the thought. Eliminate answers (A) and (C) because they are sentence fragments.

Answer (C)'s issue is even more severe. Although like is momentarily confusing (because one indicates contrast and the other similarity) and the use of both although and yet is redundant: only one contrast word is needed. Eliminate answer (C).

(3) Comparison: as

Some of the answers contain the comparison marker like: others use the marker as. Like is used to compare two nouns directly; as is used to compare clauses.

Answer (A) correctly uses as to compare two clauses. Answers (B), (C), and (E) correctly use like to compare two nouns. Answer (D), however, uses as to compare two nouns. Eliminate (D).

The Correct Answer

Correct answer (B) consists of two independent clauses connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. The sentence makes clear that the motion occurs at tremendous speeds.
avatar
JAIN09
avatar
Joined: 18 Feb 2017
Last visit: 20 Jan 2019
Posts: 42
Own Kudos:
8
Given Kudos: 509
Location: India
Schools: ISB '20 IIMA PGPX"20 IIMC PGPEX"20
GMAT 1: 650 Q45 V30
GPA: 3.35
Schools: ISB '20 IIMA PGPX"20 IIMC PGPEX"20
GMAT 1: 650 Q45 V30
Posts: 42
Kudos: 8
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 28 Jan 2018, 00:34
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
hello sir
here my doubt is regarding SOME OF WHICH used in option C
what is the difference between "SOME OF THEM" and "SOME OF WHICH"
SAY,IF THIS WERE THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPTION A and option E,then which option would be correct?
THANK YOU
User avatar
sayantanc2k
User avatar
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Last visit: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 2,393
Own Kudos:
15,523
Given Kudos: 26
Location: Germany
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
WE:Corporate Finance (Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)
Expert
Expert reply
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
Posts: 2,393
Kudos: 15,523
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 29 Jan 2018, 09:16
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
JAIN09
hello sir
here my doubt is regarding SOME OF WHICH used in option C
what is the difference between "SOME OF THEM" and "SOME OF WHICH"
SAY,IF THIS WERE THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPTION A and option E,then which option would be correct?
THANK YOU
Show more

The following post addresses your query:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/john-s-nephe ... l#p2005604
User avatar
Skywalker18
User avatar
Retired Moderator
Joined: 08 Dec 2013
Last visit: 15 Nov 2023
Posts: 2,039
Own Kudos:
9,963
Given Kudos: 171
Status:Greatness begins beyond your comfort zone
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Strategy
GPA: 3.2
WE:Information Technology (Consulting)
Products:
My Reviews
Posts: 2,039
Kudos: 9,963
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 18 Mar 2018, 20:22
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
sayantanc2k
EBITDA
Hi sayantanc2k,

Could you explain this in a clearer way by putting an example, for instance?

"If a pronoun is subject of a clause and has two possible antecedents, one of them the subject of another clause within the sentence, then the pronoun would unambiguously refer to that subject antecedent."

I do not think that what you are stating is always the case.

Let us take option B as an example:

Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

"If a pronoun is subject of a clause..": They is the subject of a clause (they are so far away from the Earth ....).
"..has two possible antecedents..": The pronoun they has two possible antecedents - planets and stars.
"..one of them the subject of another clause..": Stars is the subject of another clause (the stars are in motion...).
"...pronoun would unambiguously refer to that subject antecedent": The pronoun they refers to the SUBJECT antecedent stars.
Show more


https://gmatclub.com/forum/joan-of-arc- ... 35813.html

The below is an explanation in above link -
daagh
An important thumb rule to follow while handling compound sentences is the omission of the subject in the second IC, if the subject of first IC can fit in as well as the subject. Here the subject of both the ICs is Joan and hence you can drop the pronoun – she - in the second IC. The whole sentence will still be //. Secondly, the right idiom is to claim. Both these combinations, you find in choice D only
Show more

In a compound sentence, is the repetition of the subject in the part that follows the connector FANBOYS(by replacing with a pronoun) considered redundant?

AjiteshArun , GMATNinja , mikemcgarry , egmat , sayantanc2k, DmitryFarber , MagooshExpert ,chetan2u , daagh , other experts- please help
User avatar
AjiteshArun
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 15 Jul 2015
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 5,949
Own Kudos:
5,080
 [1]
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: 5,080
 [1]
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 18 Mar 2018, 21:45
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Skywalker18
In a compound sentence, is the repetition of the subject in the part that follows the connector FANBOYS(by replacing with a pronoun) considered redundant?
Show more
In this case, it's just unnecessary (wordy). In another sentence, adding the she might create ambiguity if there is more than one noun to which the she could refer.
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatVerbal
User avatar
EMPOWERgmat Instructor
Joined: 23 Feb 2015
Last visit: 17 Feb 2025
Posts: 1,694
Own Kudos:
15,177
 [4]
Given Kudos: 766
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 1,694
Kudos: 15,177
 [4]
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 20 Mar 2019, 17:07
4
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello Everyone!

Let's tackle this question, one issue at a time, and narrow it down to the correct choice! First, let's take a closer look at the original question and highlight any major differences between the options in orange:

The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being
(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet
(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but

After glancing over the options quickly, a few key differences pop out that we can focus on:

1. yet being / but they are / yet / but (Coordinating Conjunctions)
2. placement of the phrase "some of them at tremendous speeds" (Modifiers/Meaning)
3. just as the planets are / like the planets / as the planets (Idioms/Comparisons)

Let's start with #1 on our list: coordinating conjunctions! Whenever we see coordinating conjunctions as one of our key differences, we MUST check to see that they are being used properly. Coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) can only be use to connect 2 independent clauses. Let's take a look at each option to figure out if they are using conjunctions correctly. (I've added the non-underlined portion of the sentence to help see the problem.)

(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + yet + dependent clause = WRONG

(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + but + independent clause = OK

(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + yet + dependent clause = WRONG

(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + but + independent clause = OK

(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + but + dependent clause = WRONG (This is also missing a comma before the conjunction "but.")

There you go - we can eliminate options A, C, & E because they don't use coordinating conjunctions properly!

Now that we have it narrowed down to only 2 options, let's take a closer look at each one and see if we can find any problems:

(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

This is the CORRECT choice! The preposition "like" should always be used after a noun, which it is here.

(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

This is INCORRECT. The word "as" should only be used as a conjunction to join two clauses together. Since the phrase "As the planets" isn't a clause with a subject and verb, this doesn't work.


There you have it - option B is our correct choice!


Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.
User avatar
surendrasaini1
User avatar
Joined: 15 Feb 2017
Last visit: 25 Oct 2025
Posts: 242
Own Kudos:
126
Given Kudos: 50
Location: India
Schools: Stern '26
Schools: Stern '26
Posts: 242
Kudos: 126
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 19 May 2019, 08:25
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being[/u] so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.


(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being (yet introduces 2nd clause, but there is no subject for 2nd IC)

(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are ( correct construction)

(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet ( Although & yet both are conjunctions, Use of two conjunctions is not correct, again no subject for the 2nd IC)

(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are( Use of as to introduce comparison is not correct)

(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but ( There is no comma before conjunction but)

Will go with choice B, but i couldn't find the error in option E.I request somebody to please help me on this.

Thanks
User avatar
AjiteshArun
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 15 Jul 2015
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 5,949
Own Kudos:
5,080
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: 5,080
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 19 May 2019, 19:01
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
sonusaini1
Will go with choice B, but i couldn't find the error in option E.I request somebody to please help me on this.
Show more
I think what HKD1710 pointed out is probably the best way to take option E out. Here are a couple of other issues we could look at:

B. Like the planets, the stars are in motion...
E. The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion...

Using in motion twice doesn't help us in any way.

Also, because E introduces planets after stars, we're not quite sure what the information after but points to.

... the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but so far away... ← This seems to say "the planets are in motion but (are) so far away that their apparent positions in the sky..."

It's better to connect apparent positions in the sky to stars (we can see stars more easily than we can see planets).
User avatar
rashwiniyer
User avatar
Joined: 18 Aug 2012
Last visit: 09 Jan 2024
Posts: 65
Own Kudos:
6
Given Kudos: 78
Posts: 65
Kudos: 6
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 18 Jun 2019, 18:49
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Isn't 'they' ambiguous in option B? I read one comment that priority is to first check the structure. Do we have any order of checking the sentence correction. I know first is the meaning of the sentence, then the rules, and then idioms and awkwardness. But within rules also we have some orders?
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatVerbal
User avatar
EMPOWERgmat Instructor
Joined: 23 Feb 2015
Last visit: 17 Feb 2025
Posts: 1,694
Own Kudos:
15,177
Given Kudos: 766
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 1,694
Kudos: 15,177
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 20 Jun 2019, 11:01
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
rashwiniyer
Isn't 'they' ambiguous in option B? I read one comment that priority is to first check the structure. Do we have any order of checking the sentence correction. I know first is the meaning of the sentence, then the rules, and then idioms and awkwardness. But within rules also we have some orders?
Show more

Hello rashwiniyer!

Thanks for your question! Let's take a look at option B and answer your questions:

(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

For this option, the pronoun "they" isn't ambiguous at all. It's clearly referring back to "stars." We know this because it's the only main noun that "they" could be referring back to. It can't refer to "planets" because that's part of a modifier, and pronouns don't refer back to modifiers - they refer back to nouns or subjects of sentences.

While some people use a hierarchy when checking SC questions for the GMAT, we at EMPOWERgmat don't think that's helpful. It forces you to look for problems that may not be there, or focus on grammar concepts you're not great with! We prefer to use this method:

1. Do a quick scan over the options, and eliminate any that you can tell right away are just plain wrong.
2. Highlight/Note the major differences between each option. That's a hint of what you should focus on!
3. Start with the major differences that will eliminate 2-3 options right away, or choose the difference you're most familiar with to start. For example, if the options use two different conjunctions (let's say 2 use "but" and 3 use "and"), this is a great place to start because no matter which one is correct, you will easily remove 2-3 options quickly. Or, if you're more familiar with using pronouns, and there are major differences with the pronouns in each one, start there.
4. Eliminate options that don't work until you only have one left!

I hope this helps! I highly recommend checking out our site (https://www.empowergmat.com) for more helpful tools to beat the SC portion of the GMAT!
User avatar
Pritishd
User avatar
UNC Kenan Flagler Moderator
Joined: 18 Jul 2015
Last visit: 05 Jul 2025
Posts: 233
Own Kudos:
304
Given Kudos: 120
GMAT 1: 530 Q43 V20
WE:Analyst (Consumer Packaged Goods)
GMAT 1: 530 Q43 V20
Posts: 233
Kudos: 304
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 21 Dec 2019, 06:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
EMPOWERgmatVerbal
Hello Everyone!

Let's tackle this question, one issue at a time, and narrow it down to the correct choice! First, let's take a closer look at the original question and highlight any major differences between the options in orange:

The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being
(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet
(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but

After glancing over the options quickly, a few key differences pop out that we can focus on:

1. yet being / but they are / yet / but (Coordinating Conjunctions)
2. placement of the phrase "some of them at tremendous speeds" (Modifiers/Meaning)
3. just as the planets are / like the planets / as the planets (Idioms/Comparisons)

Let's start with #1 on our list: coordinating conjunctions! Whenever we see coordinating conjunctions as one of our key differences, we MUST check to see that they are being used properly. Coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) can only be use to connect 2 independent clauses. Let's take a look at each option to figure out if they are using conjunctions correctly. (I've added the non-underlined portion of the sentence to help see the problem.)

(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + yet + dependent clause = WRONG

(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + but + independent clause = OK

(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + yet + dependent clause = WRONG

(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + but + independent clause = OK

(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + but + dependent clause = WRONG (This is also missing a comma before the conjunction "but.")

There you go - we can eliminate options A, C, & E because they don't use coordinating conjunctions properly!

Now that we have it narrowed down to only 2 options, let's take a closer look at each one and see if we can find any problems:

(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

This is the CORRECT choice! The preposition "like" should always be used after a noun, which it is here.

(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

This is INCORRECT. The word "as" should only be used as a conjunction to join two clauses together. Since the phrase "As the planets" isn't a clause with a subject and verb, this doesn't work.


There you have it - option B is our correct choice!


Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.
Show more

Hi EMPOWERgmatVerbal,

The solution you have posted is very insightful and helped me eliminate a number of choices that I had confusion with. Thanks for the posting.
I have one last doubt which I request you to help with - I understand that 'Like' is used to compare and must be followed by nouns but in D the construction 'Like the planets, the stars are in motion' seems to compare the motion of stars with planets. Should it be not 'The stars are in motion as planets are'?

Warm Regards,
Pritishd
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatVerbal
User avatar
EMPOWERgmat Instructor
Joined: 23 Feb 2015
Last visit: 17 Feb 2025
Posts: 1,694
Own Kudos:
15,177
Given Kudos: 766
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 1,694
Kudos: 15,177
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as th 26 Dec 2019, 15:54
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Pritishd
EMPOWERgmatVerbal
Hello Everyone!

Let's tackle this question, one issue at a time, and narrow it down to the correct choice! First, let's take a closer look at the original question and highlight any major differences between the options in orange:

The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being
(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet
(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but

After glancing over the options quickly, a few key differences pop out that we can focus on:

1. yet being / but they are / yet / but (Coordinating Conjunctions)
2. placement of the phrase "some of them at tremendous speeds" (Modifiers/Meaning)
3. just as the planets are / like the planets / as the planets (Idioms/Comparisons)

Let's start with #1 on our list: coordinating conjunctions! Whenever we see coordinating conjunctions as one of our key differences, we MUST check to see that they are being used properly. Coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) can only be use to connect 2 independent clauses. Let's take a look at each option to figure out if they are using conjunctions correctly. (I've added the non-underlined portion of the sentence to help see the problem.)

(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + yet + dependent clause = WRONG

(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + but + independent clause = OK

(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + yet + dependent clause = WRONG

(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + but + independent clause = OK

(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.

independent clause + but + dependent clause = WRONG (This is also missing a comma before the conjunction "but.")

There you go - we can eliminate options A, C, & E because they don't use coordinating conjunctions properly!

Now that we have it narrowed down to only 2 options, let's take a closer look at each one and see if we can find any problems:

(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

This is the CORRECT choice! The preposition "like" should always be used after a noun, which it is here.

(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are

This is INCORRECT. The word "as" should only be used as a conjunction to join two clauses together. Since the phrase "As the planets" isn't a clause with a subject and verb, this doesn't work.


There you have it - option B is our correct choice!


Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.

Hi EMPOWERgmatVerbal,

The solution you have posted is very insightful and helped me eliminate a number of choices that I had confusion with. Thanks for the posting.
I have one last doubt which I request you to help with - I understand that 'Like' is used to compare and must be followed by nouns but in D the construction 'Like the planets, the stars are in motion' seems to compare the motion of stars with planets. Should it be not 'The stars are in motion as planets are'?

Warm Regards,
Pritishd
Show more

Thank you for your question, Pritishd!

In option D, this is what it would look like if you repeated the comparison on both sides:

Like the planets are in motion, the stars are in motion

Since we don't have to repeat the same phrase twice to get our point across, the writer simply left it out of the first half. The two things being compared are still the planets and the stars - which are parallel in kind - the basis on which they're being compared is that they're in motion. As long as we compare planets to starts, and not planets to motion, as it is in option D, we're fine.

You could also write it the way you suggested, which I think is how they do in option A - however, option A has other problems that remove it from our list of options.

I hope this helps! Feel free to tag us at EMPOWERgmatVerbal if you have any other questions!
   1   2   3   
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7443 posts
GMATNinjaTwo
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
231 posts
miag
189 posts