A male musician can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra me

Question

A male musician can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher after he graduates from college with a degree in music, depending on his talent.

(A) A male musician can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher after he graduates from college with a degree in music, depending on his talent.

(B) After graduating from college with a degree in music, depending on his talent, a male musician can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher.

(C) After graduating from college with a degree in music, a male musician’s talent will determine if he can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher.

(D) Talent determines whether a male musician, after graduating from college with a degree in music, can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher.

(E) The talent of a male musician, after graduating from college with a degree in music, will determine whether he can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher.

daagh · Accepted Answer

This is essentially a question of the proper word order and modification.

(A) A male musician can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher after he graduates from college with a degree in music, depending on his talent. ----  ‘Depending on his talent’, modifies the entire clause and hence should find its place at the beginning of the sentence.

(B) After graduating from college with a degree in music, depending on his talent, a male musician can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher. --- Depending on his talent is unnecessarily intruding between the initial modifier and the modified noun.

(C) After graduating from college with a degree in music, a male musician’s talent will determine if he can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher ----  The initial modifier is modifying talent rather than the male musician.

(D) Talent determines whether a male musician, after graduating from college with a degree in music, can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher. ---  This is the best choice – 'After graduating' correctly modifies the male musician.

(E) The talent of a male musician, after graduating from college with a degree in music, will determine whether he can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher. ---  It looks as if the talent of a male musician will determine

To choose the correct version, the distinction of the modification logic between D and E should be deciphered.

thanhphong01 · Answer

A male musician can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher after he graduates from college with a degree in music, depending on his talent.
 
(A) A male musician can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher after he graduates from college with a degree in music,  depending on his talent . ==>  misplaced modifier. It should be in the begining of the sentence to modify a male musician

(B)  After graduating from college with a degree in music, depending on his talent , a male musician can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher. Awkward. Put 2 long modifiers in a row to modify a noun is awkward.

(C) After graduating from college with a degree in music,  a male musician’s talent  will determine if he can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher.  Be careful with possession.

(D) Talent determines whether a male musician, after graduating from college with a degree in music, can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher.  correct

(E) The talent of a male musician,  after graduating from college with a degree in music , will determine whether he can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher. ==>  Dangling modifier

thangvietname · Answer

choice A is correct
depending on work as a preposition working as an adverb. 
A is correct.

in D, talent determines is not clear. which talent?

daagh · Answer

This is simulation of yet another topic from the 1000SC series. One might be interested in seeing how MGMAT has reviewed it. The answer is D in that topic too.
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... t1988.html

abrakadabra21 · Answer

whats wrong with B.
D changes the meaning, focus became talent.

erica0223 · Answer

A:it isn't the degree that depends on the talent
B:the initial modifier must be immediately followed by the subject 
C: the talent can't graduate!
D:
E：the talent can't graduate!

TheRzS · Answer

Hi abrakadabra21

(B)   After graduating from college  with a degree in music,  depending on his talent ,  a male musician  can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra member, or a music teacher.

After graduating from college     with a degree in music   is a  modifier  that should  modify the subject  of the main clause -   a male musician  . In  B , it nonsensically  modifies another modifier    depending on his talent  , purely because of the  placement  of the 2nd modifier.

As a rule of thumb, 
-  2 modifiers - subsequently placed, should not be modifying the main subject or the clause . 
-  A sentence starting with participial phrase, should immediately be followed by the main subject of the sentence

Hope it helps
RzS

Bunuel · Answer

MANHATTAN REVIEW OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:

Choices A and B incorrectly imply that the degree in music depends on the talent of the musician. The modifier ‘depending on his talent’ is misplaced. C and E are incorrect as they imply the talent graduates from college. D is the correct answer.

_shashank_shekhar_ · Answer

very helpful. I also marked B in first attempt.

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

DivyaKnows  The placement of the modifier in E implies that the TALENT graduated from college. "The talent, after graduating, will determine." In D, the modifier comes in the middle of "a male musician can find a career," so it correctly indicates that the musician graduated.

I should add that indicating the gender of the musician is odd and gratuitous. There's no reason for this to apply to males in particular. I'm assuming whoever rewrote this problem wanted to use "he" without any worries, but the GMAT wouldn't operate this way.

VerbalBot · Answer

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A male musician can find a career as a solo performer, an orchestra me

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