In the search for alien life, astronomers have recently

Question

In the search for alien life, astronomers have recently begun studying a promising region, a solar system that is populated by a number of potentially life-friendly planets formed by fragments of an exploding star some 7 million years ago and features many of the geological and climatic prerequisites for the evolution of life.

a) features
b) featured
c) had featured
d) featuring
e) feature

a) features
b) featured
c) had featured
d) featuring
e) feature

dentobizz · Accepted Answer

This one boils down to meaning and parallelism (//m). The //m can be a bit tricky.

In the search for alien life (modifier) ,  astronomers  (subject/noun)  have  recently  begun  (main verb) studying a promising region,  a solar system that is populated by a number of potentially life-friendly planets formed by fragments of an exploding star some 7 million years ago and  features  many of the geological and climatic prerequisites for the evolution of life.  (long modifier)

a solar system that is populated by a number of potentially life-friendly planets   formed by fragments of an exploding star some 7 million years ago   and   featuring many of the geological and climatic prerequisites for the evolution of life .

Here the confusion could be whether the author intends to say the solar system ....features/featuring OR the life-friendly planets.....feature/featuring?

If the author intended to say the solar system...features then you would need THAT to make the two clauses parallel. A solar system THAT is populated .....AND THAT features..... But this is not the case. The author here means the Planets.

Planets  formed by  fragments of an exploding star some 7 million years ago AND  featuring  many of the .... (past participle FORMED BY // Present participle FEATURING).

Also,because "the geological and climatic prerequisites " are something that are still featured by the planets, the modifier should take the form of a present participle (featuring)

blueseas · Answer

test of parallelism. 
 formed ==>verb-ed modifier(past participle)
featuring==>verb-ing modifier(present participle) 
if you put features then SOLAR SYTEM (SUBJECT)===>2 VERBS is located ...and....features...  BUT  
because it is   not  the solar system  which features the geological and climatic prerequisites for the evolution of life.

it should modify planets... FEATURING is modifying planet.
 
hope it helps

Gian · Answer

Not convinced with the OA.

IMO A

a solar system that   is populated   by a number of potentially life-friendly planets...........
and
    features   many of the geological and climatic prerequisites...

maaadhu · Answer

Gian,

As per my understanding, A will be correct if it as below

i.e. A solar system that is populated ..... and that features....In this statement, "that features" will modify solar system.

However, In this statement , 'featuring' is correct as it modifies planets ...i.e. planets formed by and "featuring"......

BIGBULL · Answer

I agree with Gian
 
I think features is best suited here referring to the solar system.

Can someone please help on this why OA is not A but it is D

rohitmanglik · Answer

Blueseas,

To the best of my knowledge, only ing form cannot make a word verb, we need to be + ING form to make it a verb and then also we cannot always call it a verb.

e.g. Playing football makes a person fit.
The bouquet of flowers WAS a giving of love.

Here playing and giving are not verbs.

Also we are discussing about Planets not solar systems so feature S  is wrong.

"Formed by .." is modifying planets so it's an adjective.
So to maintain strict parallelism, we need another adjective for feature.

"feature" will alone act as a verb; however, "featuring", will act as an adjective.

Please correct me if you think my explanation is not well inclined with that of yours/GMAT.

qlx · Answer

Not clear as to why is D better than E?

mvictor · Answer

let's understand the structure and meaning of the sentence:
In the search for alien life, - introduces the purpose of the main idea
astronomers have recently begun studying a promising region,
a solar system that is populated by a number of potentially life-friendly planets (noun+noun modifier)
formed by fragments of an exploding star some 7 million years ago - -ed modifier, modifies planets
and  features  many of the geological and climatic prerequisites for the evolution of life. - features is a plural verb, while here we need a noun modifier which needs to be parallel to the "formed by.." modifier, and which needs to modify "planets"

a) features 
incorrect as discussed.

b) featured 
ed modifier changes the meaning, now we can understand that these planets featured some time ago.

c) had featured 
incorrect as discussed.

d) featuring 
correct, this choice changes the verb into an ing modifier, which is parallel to the first modifier.

e) feature 
same error as in A, but in plural form.

daagh · Answer

If 'features' is to be taken as a verb and has to match the verb 'that is populated ' then the structure should repeat the relative clauses connector 'that' in the second arm too in order to maintain parallelism. Therefore, in essence, 'features' should be amended as a modifier into 'featuring'. Use of 'featured' as an ed - modifier doesn't make much sense unless followed by a preposition such as 'with 'or 'by'.
The present participle 'featuring' is the correct structure maintaining parallelism and intended meaning. That is the reason choices containing verbs such as 'features, featured, had featured, and feature' are all wrong, leaving choice D as the correct one with a verb+ing modifier.

ZulfiquarA · Answer

I chose answer D as the right answer as I thought it is an ongoing event such as exploding but features also seems to do that job maybe. I got lucky I guess.

VerbalBot · Answer

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In the search for alien life, astronomers have recently

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In the search for alien life, astronomers have recently

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