Until Berta and Ernst Scharrer established the concept of neurosecreti

Until Berta and Ernst Scharrer established the concept of neurosecretion in 1928, scientists believed that either cells secreted hormones, which made them endocrine cells and thus part of the endocrine system, or conducted electrical impulses, in which case they were nerve cells and thus part of the nervous system.

a) either cells secreted hormones, which made them - Parallelism issue - Either X or Y -- no subject for conducted

b) either cells secreted hormones, making them - same as A

c) either cells secreted hormones and were - same as A

d) cells either secreted hormones, in which case they were - Parallelism

e) cells either secreted hormones, which made them - illogical - The hormones did not make the cells endocrine cells. The fact that the cells produced these hormones shows that the cells are endocrine cells ; parallelism is better in D


Answer D

Until Berta and Ernst Scharrer established the concept of neurosecretion in 1928, scientists believed that either cells secreted hormones, which made them endocrine cells and thus part of the endocrine system, or conducted electrical impulses, in which case they were nerve cells and thus part of the nervous system.

a) either cells secreted hormones, which made them

b) either cells secreted hormones, making them

c) either cells secreted hormones and were

d) cells either secreted hormones, in which case they were

e) cells either secreted hormones, which made them

* PARALLELISM ISSUE (2 THINGS)
1) [ME PARAPHRASING]: Either cells secreting hormones making them.
OR (needed b/c of "either" in first condition)
2) conducted electrical impulses, [in which case they were nerve cells and thus part of the nervous system]
> FIRST PART MUST MATCH THIS LANGUAGE!

* KEY: ELECTRICAL IMPULSES, IN WHICH --> MEANS THE ANSWER MUST BE "D".
> D = CORRECT B/C "SECRETED HORMONES, IN WHICH"

Kudos please if you find this helpful

Main Issues:

1) Idiom: Either X or Y
2) Parallelism: Notice non-underlined part: "conducted electrical impulses, in which case they were" for Parallelism


a) either cells secreted hormones, which made them - Wrong: 1) Idiom 2) Modifier 3) Parallelism

b) either cells secreted hormones, making them - Wrong: 1) Idiom 2) Parallelism

c) either cells secreted hormones and were - Wrong: 1) Idiom 2) Meaning

d) cells either secreted hormones, in which case they were - Correct

e) cells either secreted hormones, which made them - Wrong: 1) Modifier 2) Parallelism

either cells secreted hormones, which made them


In this case, isn't the use of 'which' wrong and modifying hormones ? No one seems to mention that in the explanation.

There are two issues here. 1. The parallelism of correlative conjunctions 'either … or' and 2. The parallelism of the relative clause after the word 'hormones'

AS per the first tenet, only D maintains the proper parallelism and hence is the correct choice. In the case of the second tenet, yet again D is the only choice that uses the 'in which' format parallelly for both the items.
However, there may be no reason to look for all the errors in a given choice in the hall, if one can be damn sure about the correlative conjunction parallelism alone in this case.

However, if parallelism were not an issue, then the reference of 'which' and the modification of 'making' would be major issues and the easiest way of dumping three choices to the good.

"in which case" is refering to the case in which cells secreted homones, but is it correct to use "which" to refer to a "situation" (sentence)? I thought that "which" could only refer to independent words.

Greetings to you all ! I got the answer right by choosing option D but have a doubt nevertheless . In option D Isnt which referring to cell secreted hormone , the entire clause itself instead of just the secretion ? And if that is the case can which refer to a clause in accordance to grammar rules ?

How is "them" in option D NOT modifying the word "hormones"?

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.