Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as

Question

Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340.000 years ago, emitting dazzling radiation that could have disrupted Earth's protective ozone layer and sunburned our Stone Age ancestors.

(A) that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago, emitting 
(B) that a star as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago, emitting 
(C) of a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago and that it emitted 
(D) of a star as bright as the full moon, exploding into view 340,000 years ago and emitting 
(E) of a star as bright as the full moon that exploded into view 340,000 years ago and that emitted

https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/25/us/a-stone-age-supernova-may-have-breathed-fire.html

Two teams of astronomers have turned up evidence that a star as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and that its dazzling radiation could have disrupted earth's protective ozone layer and sunburned our Stone Age ancestors.

pqhai · Accepted Answer

Hello guys.
This question is very good to practice Verb-ing modifier, Verb-ed modifier and relative clause "that".

NOTE:
Verb-ing modifier + NO commas ==> modifies preceding noun.
"that" + NO commas ==> modifies a preceding noun.
Verb-ed modifier ==> always modifiers preceding noun.

Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340.000 years ago, emitting dazzling radiation that could have disrupted Earth's protective ozone layer and sunburned our Stone Age ancestors.

A. that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago, emitting
Wrong. "exploding" modifies "moon" <-- wrong.

B. that a star as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago, emitting
Correct.. "emitting" is modifier + comma --> modifies the preceding clause --> give the result of the explosion of the star.

C. of a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago and that it emitted
Wrong. "exploding" modifies "moon" <-- wrong.

D. of a star as bright as the full moon, exploding into view 340,000 years ago and emitting
Wrong. "exploding" is modifier. But we need MAIN verb here --> "exploded" is correct, not "exploding".

E. of a star as bright as the full moon that exploded into view 340,000 years ago and that emitted
Wrong. "that" modifies "moon" --> moon exploded ? Wrong meaning.

Hope it helps.

egmat · Answer

Hi there, Thank you for posting your query here.

As the article tells you, a good way to test whether a modifier can 'jump over' the preceding modifier is to check whether the preceding modifier can be placed anywhere else. If it can, then the second modifier can't 'jump over' the first. In this sentence, "that was as bright as the full moon" can't be placed anywhere else, since it's clearly referring to the star. So, you're right: there's no issue with this modifier. The problem with this option is that it destroys the intended meaning of the sentence. According to the intended meaning of the original sentence, "emitting" was the result of "exploding". The star exploded, resulting in the emission of dazzling radiation. This cause-and-effect relationship no longer exists when we turn "emitted" into a verb and join the two words using "and". In this context, "and" only tells use that two actions were performed by the star: it exploded, and it emitted radiation. It doesn't tell us that the explosion caused the emission of radiation, and thus distorts the intended meaning of the sentence. I hope this helps to clarify your doubt! Regards, Meghna

ExpertsGlobal5 · Answer

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem: 
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and as a result, emitted dazzling radiation.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Verb Forms + Awkwardness/Redundancy

A:  This answer choice fails to form a complete sentence; as "exploding" and "emitting" are noun modifiers, there is no active verb to act upon the subject noun "star".

B:   Correct.  This answer choice acts upon the independent noun "star" with the active verb "exploded" to form a complete thought, leading to a complete sentence. Further, Option B uses the phrase "emitting dazzling radiation", conveying the intended meaning - that astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and as a result, emitted dazzling radiation; please remember, the introduction of the present participle ("verb+ing" - "emitting" in this sentence) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship. Additionally, Option B is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.

C:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "and that it emitted"; the use of "and" incorrectly implies that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and   as a separate action  , emitted dazzling radiation; the intended meaning is that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and   as a result  , emitted dazzling radiation. Further Option C uses the needlessly wordy phrase "of a star that was as bright as the full moon", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.

D:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "exploding into view 340,000 years ago and emitting"; the use of the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "exploding" and "emitting" in this sentence)" construction illogically suggests that astronomers have uncovered evidence of a star that is currently as bright as the full moon, and as a result, the astronomers exploded into view 340,000 years ago and emitted dazzling radiation; the intended meaning is that astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and as a result, emitted dazzling radiation; please remember, the introduction of the present participle ("verb+ing" - "exploding" and "emitting" in this sentence) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship.

E:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "and that emitted"; the use of "and" incorrectly implies that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and   as a separate action  , emitted dazzling radiation; the intended meaning is that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago and   as a result  , emitted dazzling radiation.

Hence, B is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Comma + Present Participles for Cause-Effect Relationships" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~3 minutes):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVLneikI70Q

All the best!
Experts' Global Team

sondenso · Answer

E. 
Because I need a parallelism btw "sunburned" and "emitted". 
I think "sunburned" can not parallel with "emitting" in A, B, D, so all of these out
C confusal "it"

mymba99 · Answer

To start with I am assuming it is the star that exploded , not the moon.
So, 'that' in E is modifying moon.( and incorrectly saying that moon exploded )
Same problem with A. 
In C, no clear referrent for 'it'. ( moon or star? )
In D, Astronomers have uncovered evidence of X, exploding...( you see something wrong here.Did Astronmers exploded?)

B clearly says, Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star(as bright as full moon) exploded...,emitting...
Clearly star exploded, and star is emitting.

bhatiagp · Answer

Answer B :

1) Correct Idiom :- evidence that

2) You have only two choices left now A, B . In A using exploding was a verb error. It should have been exploded

kinjiGC · Answer

The error which I can identify is “exploding” which modified “full moon” and there is no verb there.

So on the basis of that, I have eliminated Options A) , C) . Option D) has comma + verbing modifier so should either present “How” or results – both are not applicable from context.

Now in Option E) I have a doubt what “that” modifies.

I guess “that” modified star and not full moon as “as bright as the full moon” modifies the star and as per the article noun-modifiers-can-modify-slightly-far-away-noun-135868.html, it should modify the star.

In that case, the Option E) looks ok. Can you please clarify?

singshe · Answer

Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340.000 years ago, emitting dazzling radiation that could have disrupted Earth's protective ozone layer and sunburned our Stone Age ancestors.

First of all lets understand the role of  that  in a sentence ,  That  plays two function in a sentence 
 1. that is used to join two clauses  ( Subject+ working verb...) i.e.  that  simply works as connector and nothing else 
for example -  Astronomers have found an evidence  that   earth is blue in color  
 Subject + working verb .... that..subject+ working verb...
here that is used to join two clauses 
2.second role of  that  -  that  is used to modify the preceding noun , i.e. gives additional information about the preceding noun .  Here that play the role of the subject
 
for example , Astronomers use telescope that is highly complicated.
 in this clause "that is highly complicated" modifies telescope , in other words gives additional information about the telescope . here  That plays the role of the subject .

In above example 1 and 2 that precedes clause , i.e.  after that you will see a clause (subject+ working verb..). This is always true in GMAT

Now , how will you use this information in sentence correction - simply check for clause after  that

lets see how it work on the original sentence 
Clauase-1 Astronomers have uncovered evidence that   ( presence of that means another clause will come ) 
 a star   (but we did not find the verb for the above that ) 
Clause -2 that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340.000 years ago,
   ( Here additional  that   is modifying a star i.e. giving additional information that star was as bright as full moon ) 
 emitting dazzling radiation that could have disrupted Earth's protective ozone layer and sunburned our Stone Age ancestors.
   (V-ing provides the result of the preceding clause or the How part of the preceding clause)

Error analysis - you can see in above sentence there is no verb for “ a star “ and we have to provide the verb for this subject

A. that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago, emitting -  ERROR pointed out as above  
B. that a  star  as bright as the full moon  exploded  into view 340,000 years ago, emitting -  error is corrected by providing verb -exploded  
C. of a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago and that it emitted -  V-ING ,Exploding incorrectly modifying full moon , it gives sense that full moon is exploding in to...  
D. of a star as bright as the full moon, exploding into view 340,000 years ago and emitting -  as per the original sentence exploding and emitting has casual relationship and not independent of each other as in this option  
E. of a star as bright as the full moon that exploded into view 340,000 years ago and that emitted-   as per the original sentence exploding and emitting has casual relationship and not independent of each other as in this option

lakshya14 · Answer

Don't you think the modifier, "exploding" can also modify astronomers"?

lakshya14 · Answer

Why in (B), "explored" is a verb? Isn't it a modifier?

egmat · Answer

Hello lakshya14 , Thank you for the query.

The word exploded is NOT a modifier in Choice B. It is a verb because the full moon performed the action of exploding or appeared into view. The action of exploding was not done on the full moon. Please read our very popular article in the following link that explains how to distinguish between the simple past tense verb and the verb-ed modifier: https://gmatclub.com/forum/ed-forms-verbs-or-modifiers-134691.html Hope this helps.

Thanks. Shraddha

egmat · Answer

Hello lakshya14 , I am not sure if your doubt still persists, but here is my reply to the same. The verb-ing modifier is ALWAYS a noun modifier that modifies the preceding noun, and the comma + verb-ing modifier that is placed after a clause acts as an action modifier and modifies the action in the preceding clause. While modifying the action, the modifier must also logically associate with the subject of the modified action. This official sentence uses the verb-ed modifier exploding without any comma before it. So, it is a noun modifier that modifies the preceding noun the full moon . Please read our following articles that explain all about the correct usages of the verb-ing modifiers: https://gmatclub.com/forum/usage-of-verb-ing-modifiers-135220.html https://gmatclub.com/forum/verb-ing-modifiers-part-2-in-our-first-article-on-verb-ing-135567.html Hope this helps.

Thanks. Shraddha

sislam04 · Answer

Question. About the subordinating conjunction here. ‘That’ in b is preceded by a noun, doesn’t that make the whole phrase a modifier and not a a born in conjunction? The impact of this would mean that astronomers have uncovered is the only clause which emitting can refer to. That would make b incorrect.

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KittyDoodles · Answer

Hi,

After  that  in b, we have a clause-  a star  is the subject and  exploded  is the verb. Thus modifier beginning with  emitting  is describing the result of the action  exploded.

Thanks

Crytiocanalyst · Answer

(A) that a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago, emitting 
exploding is the right usage since it has already happened therefore out

(B) that a star as bright as the full moon exploded into view 340,000 years ago, emitting 
The maning is perfect therefore let us hang on to it

(C) of a star that was as bright as the full moon exploding into view 340,000 years ago and that it emitted 
Similar reasoning as A therefore out

(D) of a star as bright as the full moon, exploding into view 340,000 years ago and emitting 
exploded is the right usage therefore out

(E) of a star as bright as the full moon that exploded into view 340,000 years ago and that emitted
This gives us a meaning as though the full moon is what exploded therefore out

Therefore IMO B

Gijmaja · Answer

What is emitting relating to? I've been taught that -ing form would relate to the subject of the previous sentence. The subject of the previous sentence is "Astronomers". Any expert opinion?

TheUltimateWinner · Answer

I saw so many official questions where   that x that   format is always wrong. Can you share any official questions where   that x that   makes sense, expert? I appreciate your help.

EducationAisle · Answer

Generalizations might not be appropriate. You might want to look at the correction answer (option E) in  this question .

TheUltimateWinner · Answer

EducationAisle 
Sorry to say that I should clear my issue again. In your official SC it says:   that xy that  . I wanted to mean either X or Y.

^^ In this official example, choice A says   that X that.   From my study experience, this types of choice is wrong!

Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a star that was as

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