Due to the rising cost of textbooks, some instructors are rethinking

Question

Due to the rising cost of textbooks, some instructors are rethinking traditional approaches to  publishing, including discovering new ways to deliver information to students,  open-source, print-on-demand, and digital marketplace alternatives.

A. publishing, including discovering new ways to deliver information to students,

B. publishing with new ways of delivering information to students,

C. publishing, discovering new ways to deliver information to students, which includes

D. publishing by delivering information to students in new ways, discoveries such as

E. publishing and discovering new ways to deliver information to students, including

mikemcgarry · Answer

I'm happy to help with this. :-)

What's intriguing about this, first of all, is that neither "rethinking" nor "publishing" is necessarily parallel to "discovering", so the proper connection between those is unclear. The giveaway is the list at the end ---- " open-source, print-on-demand, and digital marketplace alternatives ." First of all, those are and should be in parallel. Second, that's a list of examples, examples of " new ways to deliver information to students ", so it has to be introduced as a proper list of examples. On the GMAT, the only proper introduction for a list of examples is the phrase "such as" --- only (D) has this proper construction, so (D) must be the answer. Notice, (D) also has a satisfactory arrangement with respect to the gerund "discovering" ---- they " are rethinking ... by discovering .. " ---- in other words, the "discovering" phrase is the means by which they are rethinking. That makes sense in context. See this blog for more on gerunds (both "publishing" and "discovering" are gerunds in the OA) https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/gmat-gramm ... d-phrases/ The verb "are rethinking" is the present progressive: see this blog for more on that: https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/gmat-verbs ... ive-tense/ The phrase "to deliver ..." is an infinitive phrase: see this blog for more on that: https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/infinitive ... -the-gmat/ I hope all this helps. Let me know if you have any questions. Mike :-)

piealpha · Answer

"publishing and discovering" and "including" shows use of same tone in choice "e". So I think "e" is best answer

gmatchase · Answer

Hello Mike, initially I picked D, but later went for E as I thought that there is something missing between these two words  ways, discoveries . The last clause after comma didn't make sense. Any comments?

D) Due to the rising cost of textbooks, some instructors are rethinking traditional approaches to   publishing by delivering information to students in new ways, discoveries such as   open-source, print-on-demand, and digital marketplace alternatives.

E) Due to the rising cost of textbooks, some instructors are rethinking traditional approaches to   publishing and discovering new ways to deliver information to students, including   open-source, print-on-demand, and digital marketplace alternatives.

In E, instructors are rethinking ..... and discovering seems parallel

nanishora · Answer

I would say B. Why because I am looking for words that introduce examples for opensource, print-on-demand etc. The two that match the criteria are B and D. D is incorrect in communicating the intent of the originl sentence. Why? Because open-source,print-on-demand are not the discoveries. they have discovered the way to deliver information via these not these methods.

Vineetk · Answer

A. publishing, including discovering new ways to deliver information to students:  Incorrect. Open source, print-on- demand are all type of new ways that instructors are discovering.  
B. publishing with new ways of delivering information to students:  Incorrect. same error as A. 
C. publishing, discovering new ways to deliver information to students, which includes:  Incorrect. clause error. 
D. publishing by delivering information to students in new ways, discoveries such as:  Incorrect. Changes meaning. instructors are still discovering the new ways and are yet to start delivering. 
E. publishing and discovering new ways to deliver information to students, including:  Correct.

gmatbull · Answer

Hi nanishora,
I have a feeling B is not appropriate for some obvious reason.

B: " rethinking traditional approaches to 
  publishing with new ways of delivering information to students,  
 open-source, print-on-demand, and digital marketplace alternatives .

The examples (open-source, print-on-demand, and digital market place alternatives) are just listed
without recourse to the rule. "such as", "which include," and "including" are typical means 
of introducing examples.

these examples ARE NOT traditional approaches to publishing, BUT new ways of delivering information.

Vips0000 · Answer

Thats right. B is not correct. the list is given randomly without any proper connection.

A and B are simply not correct since various options are listed without any correct predecessor.
C is incorrect as which modifies students. Students do not include anything..
Ans D and E are only contenders.

D is incorrect- the meaning is not clear. what are these listed items? discoveries or methods to deliver?

And E remains and is the winner.

Ans E it is!

daagh · Answer

Hi Mike

I just need a small info. You mentioned:

Of course, your point on the use of ‘such as’ to describe examples is fine; in addition, the word ‘discoveries’ as an appositive modifier to modify the new ways is also perfectly in line. ; After all, when they are new ways, they have to be discoveries. But, where is the word ‘discovering’ in Choice D. It only says by delivering 
 
How about parsing E this way:

Due to the rising cost of textbooks, some instructors are (rethinking traditional approaches to publishing) and (discovering new ways to deliver information to students, including open-source, print-on-demand, and digital marketplace alternatives.

Here, the adverbial modifier ‘Including X, Y and Z’ is modifying the new ways

gmatbull · Answer

Obviously, the correct response is not far -fetched:  E .
Wonderful explanations by all, and I believe Mike agrees with the above explanations 
in favor of the OA

AliciaSierra · Answer

Bunuel ,

Can you update OA for this question ?

thanks,

Bunuel · Answer

____________________
Added the OA. Thank you.

vanam52923 · Answer

@daaagh including modifies the preceeding noun so doesn't it modify students here which makes no sense.

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Due to the rising cost of textbooks, some instructors are rethinking

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Due to the rising cost of textbooks, some instructors are rethinking

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