Together with Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, the John Pennekamp

Together with Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the United States, provide 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers, which includes more than 500 species of fish and 55 varieties of coral.

(A) provide 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers, which includes --> subject is singular
(B) provide for underwater explorers 165 square nautical miles of marine life, which include
(C) provide 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers and includes
(D) provides 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers and including --> not parallel
(E) provides underwater explorers with 165 square nautical miles of marine life, including --> correct

Together with Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the United States, provide 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers, which includes more than 500 species of fish and 55 varieties of coral.

(A) provide 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers, which includes
(B) provide for underwater explorers 165 square nautical miles of marine life, which include
(C) provide 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers and includes
(D) provides 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers and including
(E) provides underwater explorers with 165 square nautical miles of marine life, including

meaning:
a park together with another park provides someting, includes something

grammar:
1. to describe the additional info: comma+ verb-ing mod
2. park = provides

ans = e

Hello everyone,

In the correct answer, what is 'including' modifying? Is it a noun modifier? Can we use a noun modifier after a comma? Will it not lead to a misunderstanding that it is parallel to 'provide'?

Thanks!!

jesliwoo Although "comma + -ing" typically introduces an adverbial modifier, it's quite common to use "including" as a noun modifier that introduces an example of the noun just provided. However, sometimes the GMAT gets a little pedantic if the noun in question can't literally include the things that follow. See this tricky example: https://gmatclub.com/forum/as-an-actres ... l#p2445522

As for the parallelism part, I'm not sure what you mean. I don't see any kind of parallel marker connecting "provides" and "including."

Hi guys, taking everything else out, I wanted to ask if the below subject is plural or singular?

"provide 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers, which includes"

In this instance, are we referring to the MILES (which would be plural) or MARINE LIFE (which would be singular), I was wondering if we were to choose between INCLUDE vs INCLUDES- which would it be?

Again- this question is constructed with the assumption to excluding everything else out of the sentence.

Together with Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the United States, provide 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers, which includes more than 500 species of fish and 55 varieties of coral.

Subject: The John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (singular)
Verb : Provides (singular)

Eliminate A, and C
- for using plural verb for singular noun
- under water exploreres does not have "more than 500 species of fish and 55 varieties of coral"
- usage of "includes" plural verb, which has no SV agreement
(A) provide 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers, which includes
(C) provide 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers and includes

Eliminate B
- usage of Plural verb "provide" for singular noun
- usage of (,which) for essential information
- usage of "include" singular verb, which has no SV agreement
(B) provide for underwater explorers 165 square nautical miles of marine life, which include

Eliminate D:
- Intended meaning error, park provides X and including Y
- under water exploreres does not have "more than 500 species of fish and 55 varieties of coral"
(D) provides 165 square nautical miles of marine life for underwater explorers and including

(E) provides underwater explorers with 165 square nautical miles of marine life, including
Correct:
- Singular Verb: "provides" singular subject
- marine life have "more than 500 species of fish and 55 varieties of coral"
- Intended meaning, Park provides X, including Y

Hello everyone,

We hope this finds you well.

To provide clarity for anyone confused on this point, the subject here is, indeed, "miles".

All the best!
Experts' Global Team

EducationAisle sir,

Please have a look at my reasoning below particularly the usages of "which" and share your two cents.

Option A:-
1. Subject Verb Disagreement. We need singular verb "provides".
The usage of which is correct here. "Which" refers to the nearest grammatically eligible word. So over here "which" refers to marine life. "Which" cannot refer to underwater explorers.

Option B:-
1. Same error as option A.
2. Provide X for Y. So a better construction would be provide 165 square nautical miles for underwater explorers.
3. We need a singular verb "includes". Include is the verb of "which", and "which" refers to marine life. Hence, we need a singular verb.

Option C:-
1. Subject Verb Disagreement.
2. Parallelism Error. "includes" is not parallel to anything earlier in the sentence. If we take "includes" to be the verb of reef state park, then this does not make sense because the park does not include more than 500 species of fish. It is the marine life.

Option D:-
1. and including is not parallel to anything earlier in the sentence. Although the verb is correct in this sentence.

Option E:- This is the correct answer choice.

Very accurate analysis of all the options. Good job.

DmitryFarber

If you swapped out "including" for ",which includes" in Choice E, would that also work?

Is there a preference for "including" vs. ", which includes"?

Thank you for all of your time and help.

Hello woohoo921,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, yes; "which includes" would be perfectly correct in the context of Option E, but "including" is preferrable, as it is more concise.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.