Bunuel
12 Days of Christmas 🎅 GMAT Competition with Lots of Questions & FunA substance derived from tartaric acid, which has proved to be a popular food additive in many parts of the world, is produced as a byproduct of wine fermentation and collected by winemakers to be sold as raw material for the processed food industry.
(A) A substance derived from tartaric acid, which has proved to be a popular food additive in many parts of the world,
(B) A derivative, which has proved to be a popular food additive in many parts of the world, of tartaric acid
(C) A tartaric acid derivative, which has proved to be a popular food additive in many parts of the world,
(D) Tartaric acid, a derivative of which has proved to be a popular food additive in many parts of the world,
(E) Tartaric acid has a derivative which has proved to be a popular food additive in many parts of the world, that
Experts' Global Official Explanation:
Modifiers + Meaning + Redundancy/AwkwardnessUnderstanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that tartaric acid is produced as a byproduct of wine fermentation, and a derivative of tartaric acid has proved to be a popular food additive.
• “who/whose/whom/which/where”, when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.
• “that” is used to provide the information needed to preserve the core meaning of the sentence, and the “comma + which” construction is used to provide extra information.
A. Trap. This answer choice incorrectly modifies “tartaric acid” with “which has proved to be a popular food additive…”, incorrectly implying that tartaric acid itself has proved to be a popular food additive in many parts of the world; the intended meaning is that tartaric acid is produced as a byproduct of wine fermentation, and a derivative of tartaric acid has proved to be a popular food additive; please remember, “who/whose/whom/which/where”, when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.
B. Trap. This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “A derivative… of tartaric acid is produced…”; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the derivative of tartaric acid is produced as a byproduct of wine fermentation; the intended meaning is that the tartaric acid itself is produced as a byproduct of wine fermentation.
C. Trap. This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “A tartaric acid derivative… is produced”; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the derivative of tartaric acid is produced as a byproduct of wine fermentation; the intended meaning is that the tartaric acid itself is produced as a byproduct of wine fermentation.
D. Correct. This answer choice correctly modifies “Tartaric acid” with “a derivative of which…” and “is produced as a result of…”, conveying the intended meaning- that tartaric acid is produced as a byproduct of wine fermentation and has a derivative that has proved to be a popular food additive. Further, Option D correctly uses the “comma + which phrase (“a derivative of which”)” construction to provide extra information.
E. This answer choice incorrectly uses the “comma + that” construction to provide extra information about a noun; please remember “that” is used to provide the information needed to preserve the core meaning of the sentence, and the “comma + which” construction is used to provide extra information.
D is the best answer choice.____________________________
Video Explanation: