Unlike the short flights of the shuttle and earlier spacecraft, which

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 meaning of this sentence is that the shuttle and earlier spacecraft were capable of carrying sufficient power in fuel cells and batteries for their short flights and are unlike a permanently orbiting space station, it that it will have to generate its own electricity.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Modifiers + Comparisons

• A comparison must always be made between similar things.
• "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.

A: This answer choice incorrectly modifies the noun phrase "the short flights...spacecraft" with "which carried...and batteries", illogically implying that the flights of the shuttle and earlier spacecraft carried enough power in fuel cells and batteries for some unspecified purpose; the intended meaning is that the shuttle and earlier spacecraft were capable of carrying sufficient power in fuel cells and batteries for their short flights; please remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma. Further, Option A incorrectly compares "the short flights" to "a...space station"; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar things.

B: This answer choice uses the redundant phrase "sufficient enough", rendering it awkward and needlessly wordy; this phrase is redundant, as both sufficient and "enough" convey a sense of sufficiency.

C: This answer choice incorrectly modifies the noun phrase "the short flights...spacecraft" with "which enabled...and batteries", illogically implying that the flights of the shuttle and earlier spacecraft allowed them to carry enough power in fuel cells and batteries for some unspecified purpose; the intended meaning is that the shuttle and earlier spacecraft were capable of carrying sufficient power in fuel cells and batteries for their short flights; please remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma. Further, Option C incorrectly compares "the short flights" to "a...space station"; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar things. Additionally, Option C uses the redundant phrase "sufficient enough", rendering it awkward and needlessly wordy; this phrase is redundant, as both sufficient and "enough" convey a sense of sufficiency.

D: Correct. This answer choice correctly modifies "the shuttle and earlier spacecraft" with "which were capable...their short flights", conveying the intended meaning - that the shuttle and earlier spacecraft were capable of carrying sufficient power in fuel cells and batteries for their short flights. Further, Option D correctly compares "the shuttle and earlier spacecraft" and "a...space station". Besides, Option D is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.

E: This answer choice incorrectly modifies the noun phrase "the flights...spacecraft" with "whose shortness enabled...and batteries", illogically implying that the flights of the shuttle and earlier spacecraft allowed them to carry enough power in fuel cells and batteries for some unspecified purpose; the intended meaning is that the shuttle and earlier spacecraft were capable of carrying sufficient power in fuel cells and batteries for their short flights; please remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma. Further, Option E incorrectly compares "the flights" to "a...space station"; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar things.

Hence, D is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Which/Who/Whose/Where" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

i go with D

in GMAT,correct usage of unlike would be,

Unlike X<noun>,....,<Y><noun>....

Unlike X , Y is the idiom being tested here. Only B and D are the contenders. In B their is a modifier error , with is xxx is incorrect , further their is no verb present. D wins.

Apart from 'sufficient enough' which is redundant, is there any other issue in B?

yea.

use of 'with' is unwarranted. You should use 'which' when you are presenting a non-essential information.

'with' is generally used when you want to use the modifier as well or show the modifier plays an important role.

see this question: the-javelin-has-a-sharp-point-which-is-more-obviously-137306.html

look at option B and E.
E means, because the javelin has a sharp point it is dangerous.
B means javelin has a sharp point AND it is dangerous. (states 2 facts about javelin without connecting them)

Isn’t this odd? Apart from that A, C and E are out because of a devilish comparison, and B is out due to a blatant redundancy error, we have still not reached the right choice. The only remaining choice D has errors that I would reckon are more serious than the redundancy of B. How?

D says ‘which were capable of’, using the past tense. This is a factual error. The shuttle and earlier spacecraft were not only capable in the past, but also today and may be ever. We must use a present tense to focus on this generalization of this aspect, rather than a past tense. Please note that the main clause itself is in the future perfect tense; so, use of past tense is not justified.

Secondly, it would be better to say actively that the shuttles and spacecrafts could carry sufficient power rather passively as ‘capable of carrying’.
Which error should we pardon: redundancy or wrong tense?

Experts,

Can anyone clarify the quoted doubt?

Sure...first of all be careful with how you evaluate tense. There are many times when you have to maintain a certain tense by force (due to parallelism and perfect tenses), but tense shifts in themselves are not incorrect. They are only incorrect if they lead to improper/illogical meaning. There is nothing illogical in this sentence that creates a comparison between the historical capabilities of shuttles/space craft and the future needs of the space station.

As for the active vs. passive construction, the GMAT shows no preference for active construction. Passive construction is grammatically correct and should not be used for eliminations.

KW

[ Excuse my obvious question. I want to make sure I understand which statements.

In the correct answer choice sentence, "Unlike the flights of the shuttle and earlier aircraft, which were capable of carrying..."

"Which" refers to "flights of the shuttle and earlier aircraft," or "shuttle and earlier aircraft," or "earlier aircraft?"

Basically, if a question asks, "Unlike x and y, which blah blah blah," can I understand that which refers to "x and y" rather than just "y? ]

Hi Experts I am re-posting the doubt asked by Banaorange. What is 'Which' referring to here? As it is a pronoun, it should refer to only one antecedent and that also with no ambiguity. Here it is not clear. How can 'Which' refer to both shuttle and earlier aircraft??

Please help. As a non native, I am very confused about such rules. Whether they are hard rules or are flexible?

With "shuttle and earlier aircraft" you are dealing with a compound noun. This compound noun is viewed as a single, plural grouping. It would take a plural verb and can be referred to as a grouping with "which".

KW

Hi Kyle,

Thanks for the reply.

I checked more on compound noun and how it is made by combining at least one noun and another noun or adjectives.

So does it holds true for any pronoun such as that, whom, when, who etc. They can refer to a compound noun in a sentence just like which does?

Correct idiomatic usage of Unlike is -

Unlike X , Y ( Where X and Y are both Nouns.)

A. the short flights of the shuttle and earlier spacecraft, which carried sufficient power in fuel cells and batteries - Incorrect
B. the shuttle and earlier spacecraft, with sufficient enough power in fuel cells and batteries for their short flights - Incorrect
C. the short flights of the shuttle and earlier spacecraft, which enabled them to carry sufficient enough power in fuel cells and batteries - Incorrect
D. the shuttle and earlier spacecraft, which were capable of carrying sufficient power in fuel cells and batteries for their short flights - Correct

Unlike the shuttle and earlier spacecraft,which were capable of carrying sufficient power in fuel cells and batteries for their short flights, a permanently orbiting space station will have to generate its own electricity.

E. the flights of the shuttle and earlier spacecraft, whose shortness allowed them to carry sufficient power in fuel cells and batteries - Incorrect

Hence IMHO (D)

These relative pronouns can refer back to either a singular or plural antecedent and the antecedent could be a compound noun (plural). You need to be aware of number agreement with the personal/impersonal pronouns that show do indicate number: he, she, it, its, they, them, their.

KW

Unlike the short flights of the shuttle and earlier spacecraft, which carried sufficient power in fuel cells and batteries, a permanently orbiting space station will have to generate its own electricity.

"short flights of the shuttle and earlier spacecraft" which makes it plural, so i think using "whose" make it sound better than using which. Please clarify

"Which" is both the plural form and the singular form.
The pen, which you gave me, is lost.
The pens, which you gave me, are lost.

"Whose" is also both the plural form and the singular form, but in possessive. Note that "whose" is the possessive form of both "which" and "who".

The briefcase, whose handle is broken, is lost. (possessive of "which" - singular)
The briefcases, whose handles are broken, are lost. (possessive of "which" - plural)
The girl, whose father came yesterday, is sick. (possessive of "who" - singular)
The girls, whose fathers came yesterday, are sick. (possessive of "who" - plural)

Whether relative pronouns such as who, that, which etc can refer to both the elements of a compound noun or should it modify only the noun just in front.
Let's take the cue from Official examples.

Published in Harlem, the owner and editor of the Messenger were two young journalists, Chandler Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader.

(A) Published in Harlem, the owner and editor of the Messenger were two young journalists, Chandler Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader. -- Wrong, since the relative pronoun' that' refers to both the people but Chandler OWEN was never a labor leader.

(B) Published in Harlem, two young journalists, Chandler Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader, were the owner and editor of the Messenger. --- wrong as for the same reasons in A.

(C) Published in Harlem, the Messenger was owned and edited by two young journalists, A. Philip Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader, and Chandler Owen.-- correct structure. Note the interchange of the placement of the two nouns, since only PR became the labor later.

(D) The Messenger was owned and edited by two young journalists, Chandler Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader, and published in Harlem. -- same error as in A and B

(E) The owner and editor being two young journalists, Chandler Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader, the Messenger was published in Harlem.-- same error as in A, B, and D.

OA is C. It is clear that wherever the pronoun has to refer to a particular individual thing. Then the noun and its pronoun should be separately stated; Otherwise, it is bound to refer to the compound noun. For example, we can say that the US and Britain, which fought the WWII together won a decisive victory. Therefore, pronoun reference is context related and not formula related.

Responding to a pm:


Option (B) is not correct. "the shuttle and aircraft" were not "with" sufficient power. The shuttle and aircraft could carry sufficient power in fuel cells. Of course, redundancy is a problem too.
In option (D), the use of past tense is not a problem. We are talking of "earlier spacecraft." So it tells us what was true in the past. That is compared with what will be required in the future.
So (D) is correct.