The dolphin, one of nature’s most intelligent animals, has been known

Question

The dolphin, one of nature’s most intelligent animals, has been known to cover its snout with ocean sponges to better forage for food,  in effect creating their own farming equipment .

(A) in effect creating their own farming equipment
(B) so that it creates its own farming equipment
(C) so that they create their own farming equipment
(D) in effect creating its own farming equipment
(E) creating effective farming equipment

winterschool · Answer

The dolphin, one of nature’s most intelligent animals, has been known to cover its snout with ocean sponges to better forage for food, in effect creating their own farming equipment.

(A) in effect creating  their  own farming equipment  Incorrect

pronoun error - The dolphin singular, their plural

(B)  so that it creates its own farming equipment   Incorrect

run-on sentence - independent clause must be separated by ';'

(C) so that  they  create their own farming equipment  Incorrect

pronoun error - The dolphin singular, their plural

(D)  in effect creating its own farming equipment   Correct

(E)  creating effective farming equipment   Incorrect

changes meaning, D is better than E

GMATE1 · Answer

winterschool ,  GMATNinja 
I got this question wrong and did not notice this. I was stuck between D&E and choose E because it is more compact and leaves away (what I though are unecessary) words such as "in effect" & " its". Only upon my review did I notice the subtle differences in meaning. In effect of course does not mean that the equipment is effective as E lets us believe. Futhermore E leaves away the the information about who's euqipment is created.

Besides the meaning difference is there any grammatical mistake? Isn't the phrases "in effect" unnecessary? Of course it is a nice introduction, but does actually add anything to the meaning? In effect can be used to show that something is the result of something but isn't the comma + verb-ing modifier already fullfilling this function? (It just seems a bit inefficient and redudant to me)

winterschool · Answer

GMATE1

look at meaning, -ing modifier modifies previous clause
that process (cover its snout with ocean sponges to better forage for food) cant be an effective farming equipment

by using this process dolphin create its own farming equipment, that is better

I was also stuck between D & E and took time, after look at meaning I choose D

Hope its helpful

MBAB123 · Answer

GMATE1 , On the contrary, I think the phrase  in effect  is necessary. The dolphins are not literally creating a farming equipment. They create something which works in the same fashion as a farming equipment does (gives the same effect). I am really not sure about what my reasoning, but this option is definitely better than option E. With E, I don't think there is anything wrong with the word effective. It is the hint at  the literal creation of a farming equipment  that bothers me.

VerbalBot · Answer

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The dolphin, one of nature’s most intelligent animals, has been known

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The dolphin, one of nature’s most intelligent animals, has been known

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