Most of the exhibit’s 350 sculptures, monumental and minute, are natio

Question

Most of the exhibit’s 350 sculptures,  monumental and minute, are national treasures  in Bolivia and Peru and now can be seen by patrons across the globe.

(A) monumental and minute, are national treasures

(B) including those that are monumental and minute, are national treasures

(C) monumental and minute, is a national treasure

(D) including those that are monumental and that are minute, are a national treasure

(E) monumental or minute, have been a national treasure

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/11/arts/design/in-lost-kingdoms-national-treasures-from-asian-countries.html

It’s a show about faith, or faiths, that may initially need to be taken on faith by Met visitors for whom religious art from Southeast Asia is an unknown quantity. So let me offer a few belief-building facts: Most of its 160 sculptures,  monumental and minute, are national treasures  in an unprecedented transmigration from Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Myanmar, formerly Burma, whose antiquities have never traveled, signed a first-ever international loan agreement for the occasion and sent a king’s ransom in material.

BillyZ · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION 
A. The modifier "monumental and minute" in the original is properly used to describe the array of sculptures in question (some are big, some are small). Compare that with the modifiers in B and D, which each assign both adjectives to individual sculptures ("those that are X and Y" would mean "those that have both of these characteristics"). That is illogical, as a single sculpture cannot be monumentally large and minutely small at the same time, so B and D are incorrect based on the modifier. C is incorrect for Subject-Verb Agreement reasons, as "most of the sculptures" cannot be the subject of "is". And choice E has logic problems of its own, as the verb tense "have been' suggests a temporary state of national treasure status for a group of some-but-not-all of the sculptures. Choice A, which employs a proper modifier and verb tense, is correct.

akhil911 · Answer

I got this question incorrect.
It seemed to me that option A is incorrect as monumental and minute does not seem a correct modifier for 350 scluptures.
Can someone please explain this question in detail.

gmatgirl2012 · Answer

There are 350 scluptures. Monumental and minute are the categories. When you are reading you can cross them down and continue

aditya8062 · Answer

your doubt is not misplaced !! in the proclaimed answer A,the apposition  "monumental and minute"  is NOT CORRECT. this apposition is the description of  "350 sculptures"  . A sculpture that is  "monumental"  CANNOT be  "minute"  at the same time. i feel that the better option would have been:   Most of the exhibit’s 350 sculptures, monumental OR minute, are national treasures in Bolivia and Peru and now can be seen by patrons across the globe.  
 
having said all this, i feel that we can pick A by rejecting others on various other grounds

faults with others :

A)monumental and minute, are national treasures

B) including those that are monumental and minute , are national treasures----------->it is better to put the description in apposition rather than this construction

C)monumental and minute,  is  a national treasure

D) including those that are monumental and that are minute , are a national treasure------------> same reason

E)monumental or minute,  have been  a national treasure --------------> seems to indicate that they are NO MORE a national treasure

BassanioGratiano · Answer

I got this one right but is B wrong because it says

"Most of the exhibit's 350 sculptures, and some others that are not part of the exhibit's 350 sculptures..." ?

dinesh86 · Answer

Most of the exhibit’s 350 sculptures,  monumental and minute, are national treasures  in Bolivia and Peru and now can be seen by patrons across the globe.

A)monumental and minute, are national treasures - Correct

B)including those that are monumental and minute, are national treasures - wordy

C)monumental and minute, is a national treasure - Plural verb is required.

D)including those that are monumental and that are minute, are a national treasure - wordy

E)monumental or minute, have been a national treasure - Present perfect is wrong here.

scofield1521 · Answer

Confused between treasures & treasure.
How to use "are national treasures" and "is national treasure" in this question?
Please elaborate.

iamanorwhal · Answer

Most of the exhibit’s 350 sculptures, monumental and minute, are national treasures in Bolivia and Peru and now can be seen by patrons across the globe.

A. monumental  and  minute, are national treasures  – “monumental and minute” could be saying both types of monumental and minute sculptures are national treasures

B. including  those  that are monumental and minute, are national treasures  – Illogical: by saying “those that are” it is implying that a sculpture is monumental and minute which is illogical

C. monumental and minute,  is  a national treasure  – “is” needs to be “are”

D. including  those  that are monumental and that are minute, are a national treasure  – Illogical: by saying “those that are” it is implying that a sculpture is monumental and minute which is illogical

E. monumental or minute,  have been  a national treasure  – “have been” is incorrect

Even though I’d pick answer choice A, I feel like answer choice A has its own issues. Not sure if the actual GMAT would have a question like this one?

adityapareshshah · Answer

Only two options were the contenders for the right answer.
Option A and E.

In option E I am still not sure why present perfect is incorrect. The use of present perfect is complemented by the use of now. Therefore, the sentence means that the sculptures have been national treasure and now they can even been seen by patrons across the globe. This clearly shows a difference in timeline and hence justifies the use of present perfect. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Besides the use of ' and ' in A is inappropriate as a sculpture could be either monumental or minute. It can't be both the same time. So how can we justify the use of ' and ' in A.

Please enlighten me , If I am wrong.

shailabh · Answer

1. is 'monumental and minute' correct when referring to different sculptures?
2. why is 'have been' considered wrong? Understand that it implies they were and are still considered.
3. in this ques, how do you decide if 'national treasure' or 'national treasures' is correct? In my opinion, both can make sense given the context (a) treasure, if we are considering those sculptures as a group (b) treasures, if we are considering every individual sculpture on its own.

pls clarify.

sayantanc2k · Answer

1. The modifier is questionable - it may imply that all sculptures are both monumental and minute. Better would be: "some monumental and some minute".
2. Present perfect is used to depict an action in past that has some effect in the present, not that the action still continues in present. Hence present perfect is wrong.
3.Singular "treasure" is not correct - "most of the sculptures" is plural and cannot be considered singular (a group). Some collective noun should be there to use singular "treasure": e.g., "The collection of sculptures is a national treasure".

daagh · Answer

I do not think the description monumental and minute bring out what the passage intends to say in effect. The appropriate term for describing a huge or large sculpture is colossus and to describe a mini is statuette or figurine. Monumental means something of great importance, not necessarily of size. It may just mean something celebrated fervently or memorable for a long time. A sculpture whether a colossus or a statuette may be also monumental.

I feel that there is a diction error in this topic.

I feel that there is a diction error in this topic.

arvind910619 · Answer

Imo A

National treasures plural has to be used for plural scluptures

B is wordy 
C is a national treasure. It has to be plural.
D Same mistake as C and B 
E change of tense is not required also there is a change in meaning as well.

Innes · Answer

I am still not clear why E is wrong and the usage of 'have been' and 'monumental or minute' are incorrect. 
Please clarify.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Most of the exhibit’s 350 sculptures, monumental and minute, are natio

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Most of the exhibit’s 350 sculptures, monumental and minute, are natio

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