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Are we not talking about specific cabinet in his window similar to buildings in Mesopotamian cities?
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Are we not talking about specific cabinet in his window similar to buildings in Mesopotamian cities?


Hi animesh_an,

In what context? Note the "buildings in Mesopotamiam cities" example is slightly different. In that example, the descriptive phrase "which were arranged haphazardly" - clearly modifies "buildings" - since that's the only way it makes sense.

In the "cabinet in his window, beautifully restored" - example, it's clear the descriptive phrase was INTENDED to describe CABINET. However, structurally - it is not a complete sentence.

"[He] displayed the cabinet in his window, beautifully restored to its original condition" - is not a complete sentence.

If it were:

"[He] displayed the cabinet in his window, which was beautifully restored to its original condition." - then this would be OK.

But with the original example, it is not a complete sentence - and so even though we know the descriptive phrase is intended to modify CABINET - we need to modify the STRUCTURE so it matches the intended MEANING.

So do you see the interplay here?

1) Sometimes you have the STRUCTURE and you have to check to make sure the MEANING matches the STRUCTURE.
2) Sometimes you have the MEANING and you have to check to make sure the STRUCTURE matches the intended MEANING.


In this case, we have a #2 scenario - we know the MEANING - but we have to check to make sure the STRUCTURE matches the MEANING.

Since it does not in this case, we have to modify the STRUCTURE (by adding "which was..")---in order to make the sentence a complete sentence.
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I am getting confused because I think the example here and in chapter 4 - Modifiers - "Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide" states the opposite.

Problem Set - Question 10 - Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide 6th Edition

Question - Regina returned the dress to the store, which was torn at one of the seams.
Correct the modifier
Answer - Regina returned the dress, which was torn at one of theseams, to the store.

Reason - which was...the seams: INCORRECT. This modifier is misplaced. It seemsto describe store, the adjacent noun; however, the modifier shouldmodify dress. Thus, move the modifier next to dress. Since the modifier is relatively short, simply insert it and set it off with commas.

Can someone please explain this?
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Thank you so much. This is really helpful
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This is excellent. Thank you for putting this together. All too often test-takers ignore the noun-phrase and focus too much on the immediate word. However, once they are made aware of the fact that a modifier can describe the entire noun phrase, they tend to go in the opposite direction and assume that prepositional phrases are always part of the noun phrase. Your post helps to clarify when a modifier can modify the further away noun, and when it cannot. A lot of test-takers would benefit greatly from reading it.

I also really enjoy the emphasis on structure because meaning alone is not enough to make these determinations. Prepositional phrases can do two structurally different things - they can describe nouns or verbs. When a prepositional phrase describes a noun, it is an adjective and becomes part of the noun phrase. However, when a prepositional phrase describes a verb, it is an adverb and is separate from the noun phrase. Sure, it is still the same word at the head of the prepositional phrase, and, sure, we need to understand the meaning to know the structure, but the issue here is actually one of structure. I guess that is more of a difference in how it is explained, but I think it helps in understanding. So, I like your emphasis on structure because I usually don't see that elsewhere.

Here is another easy example for readers:

I will buy the car, which can go faster than mine. - basic sentence with only a S + V + O + modifier. The noun modifier ("which") must describe the car because there is no additional part to create another potential noun for it to modify. This example is correct.

I will buy the car on the platform, which can go faster than mine. - now we have S + V + O + prepositional phrase + modifier. The added prepositional phrase is an essential noun modifier that describes which car because it lets us know which car I will buy. Therefore, structurally, it is part of the noun phrase. From a structural standpoint, the noun modifier ("which") can describe either the car or the platform. Based on meaning, it should describe the car, so the structure matches the intended meaning and this example is also correct.

I will buy the car on Monday, which can go faster than mine. - now we again have S + V + O + prepositional phrase + modifier. The added prepositional phrase is now describing the time frame in which I will buy a car. Therefore, structurally, it is an adverbial phrase and is not part of the noun phrase. Thus, the noun modifier ("which") would have to either jump over the adverbial phrase (not allowed) or describe "Monday" (improper meaning). This example is, therefore, incorrect.

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12arya129
I am getting confused because I think the example here and in chapter 4 - Modifiers - "Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide" states the opposite.

Problem Set - Question 10 - Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide 6th Edition

Question - Regina returned the dress to the store, which was torn at one of the seams.
Correct the modifier
Answer - Regina returned the dress, which was torn at one of theseams, to the store.

Reason - which was...the seams: INCORRECT. This modifier is misplaced. It seemsto describe store, the adjacent noun; however, the modifier shouldmodify dress. Thus, move the modifier next to dress. Since the modifier is relatively short, simply insert it and set it off with commas.

Can someone please explain this?

"dress to the store" - is not a noun phrase. Just because we see to (a preposition) in a phrase we cannot claim that phrase to be a noun phrase. There must be one idea conveyed in a phrase such as "dress in pink", here as you read "dress to a store" you think of dress and a store - two ideas.

Hence, we cannot jump over "to the store" to claim that which modifies dress.

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