David nguyen wrote:
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B. In a recently conducted study by Harvard scientists, a molecule PGC-1 alpha FNDC5, a protein enhancing the expression of brain-health, not only promotes the development of new nerves and synapses in the hippocampus of the adult brain, but also preserves existing brain cells.
-> "In a recently conducted study by Harvard scientists, a molecule" a molecule cannot promote the development of new nerves in the study. The subject is wrong as it is not correctly associated with the modifier in the beginning of the sentence.
— Wait. So a molecule PGC-1 alpha FNDC5 is different to a molecule to PGC-1 alpha FNDC5 right?
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C. In a recently conducted study by Harvard scientists, the researchers have linked a molecule to PGC-1 alpha FNDC5, a protein that enhances the expression of brain-health, saying that it not only promotes the development of new nerves and synapses in the hippocampus of the adult brain, but also preserves existing brain cells.
-> Correct answer. The structure of the sentence as follows: "In a recently conducted study by Harvard scientists, the researchers have linked a molecule to PGC...C5, [modifier of PGC-1 alpha FNDC5], [adverbial modifier of the action "the researchers have linked" explaining further about the linkage made by the researchers]"
—Doesn't (C) change the meaning of the original sentence? They were the Scientists who did the job. Now they are the researchers.
"Harvard Scientists have linked a molecule to PGC-1 alpha FNDC5, a protein that enhances the expression of brain-health, not only as promoting the development of new nerves and synapses in the hippocampus...."
I am confused with the sentence. Which one is the subject? Is it the [molecule to PGC-1] or [the molecule] or [PGC-1] or [the protein]?
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— Wait. So a molecule PGC-1 alpha FNDC5 is different to a molecule to PGC-1 alpha FNDC5 right?
Yes. The first option (as in choice B) suggests that "PGC-1 alpha FNDC5: IS the molecule. The second option (as in choice C) refers to two distinct things that have been linked (the "molecule" and "PGC-1 alpha FNDC5").
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—Doesn't (C) change the meaning of the original sentence? They were the Scientists who did the job. Now they are the researchers.
Yes, it does! But, as explained in
this post, there is nothing special about the meaning in choice (A), and we certainly do not have to stick with it.
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"Harvard Scientists have linked a molecule to PGC-1 alpha FNDC5, a protein that enhances the expression of brain-health, not only as promoting the development of new nerves and synapses in the hippocampus...."
I am confused with the sentence. Which one is the subject? Is it the [molecule to PGC-1] or [the molecule] or [PGC-1] or [the protein]?
Well, the
subject is the
scientists. And those scientists have linked two things: (1) a molecule and (2) PGC-1 alpha FNDC5.
The phrase starting with "a protein..." simply modifies (gives us more information about) "PGC-1 alpha FNDC5" - What is "PGC-1 alpha FNDC5"? It's "a protein that enhances...".
Abhishekrao12 wrote:
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C. In a recently conducted study by Harvard scientists, the researchers have linked a molecule to PGC-1 alpha FNDC5, a protein that enhances the expression of brain-health, saying that it not only promotes the development of new nerves and synapses in the hippocampus of the adult brain, but also preserves existing brain cell
In this option, saying has to modify the action of the previous clause .
verb-ing modifier can do either of the two things : 1) How the action happened ? or 2 ) what was the result of the previous action.
I dont think that saying something can help to modify the previous action of linking properly. Just because the scientists say something about the proteins doesnt help in explaining the previous clause. But the OA is option C) Can you please help with this ? ...
Instead of worrying about whether an -ing modifier literally answers the two specific questions you mentioned, just ask yourself, "does it give me more information about the clause or the action?"
But, if you like, you could say that the "saying..." part tells us more about what the researchers did when they linked the molecule and the protein. It gives us more information about the "linking" action, and, in doing so, modifies the clause.
You could also think of the "linking" as the primary action and the "saying" as secondary action that occurs under the umbrella of the "linking". "Have linked" is an ongoing action, and, as part of that process, the researchers said "that it not only promotes the development of new nerves and synapses..." Again, the "saying" modifier tells us more about the "linking" action and, in doing so, tells us more about how the "linking" action happened.
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E. In a recently conducted study by Harvard scientists, which linked a molecule PGC-1 alpha to FNDC5, a protein enhancing the expression of brain-health, it not only promotes the development of new nerves and synapses in the hippocampus of the adult brain, but also preserves existing brain cells
This seems to be better answer compared to the rest of the options. which can modify the word 'study' even though its next to scientist.
The pronoun ambiguity for the word 'it' is similar to the one in option C).If we remove the "which" clause from (E), we are left with, "In a recently conducted study by Harvard scientists, it not only promotes the development of new nerves and synapses in the hippocampus of the adult brain, but also preserves existing brain cells." The opening modifier seems to describe "it", making it sound as though "it" promotes development IN a recently conducted study. So what happened in the study? "It" promotes development...?? That's not quite right because the "promoting" isn't something that only happens IN the study.
Compare that to choice (C), where the opening modifier clearly describes the "researchers". What happened in the study? The researchers
linked A to B. So it's the
linking that happens IN the study, not the
promoting (as in E), and that makes much more sense.
I hope this helps!
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04 Aug 2015, 08:39
35%
(02:16)
wrong 
. 
