Baseball is unique for the major sports because it is the only ball

Question

Project SC Butler: Day 198: Sentence Correction (SC2) 
 For SC butler Questions  Click Here

Baseball is unique  for the major sports because it is the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense  .
 
A) for the major sports because it is the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense
 
B) for the major sports in that it is the only ball game that the team on offense does not have possession of the ball
 
C) among major sports as the only ball game that the team on offense does not have possession of the ball
 
D) among major sports in that it is the only ball game in which the team on offense does not have possession of the ball
 
E) among the major sports by being the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense

generis · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Project SC Butler: Day 198: Sentence Correction (SC2)

Because unique for the major sports because it is the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense .

A) for the major sports because it is the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense

B) for the major sports in that it is the only ball game that the team on offense does not have possession of the ball [missing verb for "ball game"]]

C) among major sports as the only ball game that the team on offense does not have possession of the ball [missing verb for "ball game"]

D) among major sports in that it is the only ball game in which the team on offense does not have possession of the ball

E) among the major sports by being the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense[/quote]

In the set "major sports," baseball is unique because is it the only ball game in which team on offense does not have the ball,

• Split #1: FOR or AMONG?

The sentence means that baseball is different from other major sports.
Baseball is unique FOR the major sports is not correct.
One definition of among means "being a member of a larger set." HERE
-- Oxford Dictionary online (linked) uses this examples: Snakes are among the animals most feared by [human beings].

Baseball is a unique member of the set "major league sports."
Baseball is unique among those sports because . . . .

Options A and B incorrectly use "for."
Eliminate A and B

• Split #2: the case of the Missing Verb

-- remember this little fact: relative pronouns (that, who, and which) "eat up verbs."
One of GMAC's favorite tricks is to tack on a relative clause without also adding a verb for the antecedent of that clause

-- In options B and C, the relative pronoun that takes ("eats up") the verb "does not have."
As a result, the only ball game is a subject without a verb.
Eliminate C (Option B is already gone)

• Split #3: Noun modifier error: Keep nouns and their modifiers close to each other.

The phrase "on offense" describes the team.
Because "on offense" is a noun modifier, it should be "touching" or very close to its noun.

In options A, B, and E we have
... that only ball game does not have possession of the ball on offense
Those three options "on offense" seems to modify "the ball" and is not close enough to "the only ball game."

Eliminate E (A and B are already gone)

• By process of elimination, the answer is D
• Option D:
-- uses the correct preposition among
-- uses "in that," which means "because.'
-- places "on offense" right next to "team"

• NOTES - extra details

-- In option (C), the word as is inferior to (D)'s language, "in that."

-- "In that " means because.
"As" can mean because but in option (C), "as" works strangely.
Option D is better than option C

-- "by being" in (E) is probably grammatical but much too intentional.
IF we have Subject + Verb + object + comma + BY ____ING, then the "by verbING" construction shows how the result in the main clause was achieved.
Correct: He made the special bread by mixing two kinds of flour.

-- Option D is better than Option E; option E

The answer is D

COMMENTS

hero_with_1000_faces , you asked whether E were grammatical.
You think it is.
I think it probably is grammatical, although my native ear wants to hear "why" MLB is unique, a question that is answered in D's construction "in that," which means because.
On the other hand, (E) tells us how MLB is unique, and although the idea is logical, the phrasing is not as good as that in D.
And E puts the modifier in the wrong place.

@mykrasowski , I was hoping to convince some of you to become codebreakers by analyzing my answer patterns . . .

I'm kidding.
My mind finds patterns in everything. I am unconsciously drawn to them. I am glad you said something.
I seem to have chosen identical answers on the same day quite frequently.
Someone else mentioned my doing so.

This question is hard.
And these answers are good. Well done.

I'm kidding. My mind finds patterns in everything. I am unconsciously drawn to them. I am glad you said something. I seem to have chosen identical answers on the same day quite frequently. Someone else mentioned my doing so. This question is hard. And these answers are good. Well done.

chaitralirr · Answer

Baseball is unique  for the major sports because it is the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense  .

A) for the major sports because it is the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense. The use of for doesnot compare correctly

B) for the major sports in that it is the only ball game that the team on offense does not have possession of the ball. Same error as A

C) among major sports as the only ball game that the team on offense does not have possession of the ball. The use of among corrects the error; however the use of as is incorrect

D) among major sports in that it is the only ball game in which the team on offense does not have possession of the ball. The use of in that it is incorrect

E) among the major sports by being the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense
IMO E clears all error

minustark · Answer

The sentence has an idiom error and the modifier 'on offence' is not properly placed. 'Unique among ... in that' is the right idion, not unique for. 'on offence' is modifying 'the team', so they should be placed together. All these make D the correct option.

hero_with_1000_faces · Answer

This question is testing modifier knowledge and use of comparison words – Among

The first split for and Among, IMO among is right as per meaning, there are more than two major sports and hence “among” is needed.
A and B eliminate.

In Last part of the split there is issue of “That” vs “In which”
And placement of preposition modifier “on offense”

C) among major sports as the only ball game that the team on offense does not have possession of the ball

I would eliminate “C”, because of the phrase “ball game that the team” 
I think “in that” usage should have been better, as it is within that game certain situation/thing exist.
Further, “That the team on offense” doesn’t logically modify “the Ball Game” or In other words doesn’t seem fit to modify “The ball Game”

E) among the major sports by being the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense

I would eliminate “E” because of misplaced modifier “On offense” which should be closed to “Team”.
My question to you  generis  is the “Being” usage in option “E” is correct ? I think yes.

Correct “D”

ankaua · Answer

Baseball is unique for the major sports because it is the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense .

for vs among : among does make much more sence, so A and B are out.

the subject "the only ball game" does not have working verb.

Correct

"being" can be used for modification only when it's trying to say about some temporary condition. 
"Being a man of his word, John does smth" is wrong, because presumably, John has this attitude permanently.
"In the 1970s, John, being a student, was always late for Mr. Jonhson's lectures" - per my understanding, in absence of better choices, such sentence can be considered correct, because "being" here is used to refer to some temporary attitude.

mykrasovski · Answer

Quick read through reveals that one must love MLB to solve this question, lol. Just kidding

There is a 2-3 split that tests "for" vs. "among". Baseball is one of the sports in a group of major sports, so we need to use among. We can quickly eliminate options (A) and (B). A) for the major sports because it is the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense Eliminate for the reason discussed above. B) for the major sports in that it is the only ball game that the team on offense does not have possession of the ball Eliminate for the reason discussed above. C) among major sports as the only ball game that the team on offense does not have possession of the ball This option looks nice until one reaches the word that - it is wrongly used. We need "in which" or something similar to describe what is going on in baseball compared to other sports. D) among major sports in that it is the only ball game in which the team on offense does not have possession of the ball Few minutes before I solved this question, I solved another question which included in that that is synonymous to "because". Let's look at the sentence from another angle Baseball is unique among major sports because it is the only ball game in which the team on offense does not have possession of the ball Makes sense to me. Keep. E) among the major sports by being the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense This option looks quite nice, too. But I think (D) is a better choice. I do not think "by being" is wrong, but there is a subtle issue with the highlighted part. We want to say that the team which is on offense does not possess the ball. But our option says "the ball on offense" and this is not quite right. generis perhaps this is a coincidence, but I noticed that lately both of the two questions that you post have the correct answer under the same letter. In the latest thread, both questions have answer (D), unless I am terribly wrong in my analysis

I recall that in one of your posts both questions had answer (E). Is this a lovely coincidence?

zhanbo · Answer

My answer is  (D) . I took me almost 2 minutes to narrow down my answer.

In reading (A), I found the use of "for the major sports" a bit strange. When I scanned answers and saw "among", I focus my attention on (C)(D)(E).

"The team on offense" is much clearer than "the team .... on offense". Ruling E out.

Between C and D, preposition "in" is needed for the clause to be complete. So, the answer is (D).

eakabuah · Answer

Baseball is unique for the major sports because it is the only ball game in which the team does not have possession of the ball on offense.

Baseball is unique among major sports. Why? Because it is the only ball game in which the team on offense does not have possession of the ball.

I can see two key splits, which helped me to narrow down to the right answer.
Split #1: among major sports vs for major sports.
The meaning of the sentence was key to choose between the prepositions for and among. For is not a conjunction per the context of the sentence.
Baseball is unique for major sports could imply that the uniqueness of baseball applies to major sports as a whole. But when you read the remaining part of the sentence, you get a feeling that baseball is cited as an example or instance or type of major sports. Based on this understanding, among fits into the sentence better than for. On this basis, I eliminated A and B, which use for instead of among.

In option C, as needs to be followed by it is whereby it unambiguously refers to baseball in order to for the sentence to be logical. usage of  as  in C suggests that  as the only ball game  modifies major sports. In C,  as  serves as  a preposition  rather than  a conjunction . So, as a prepositional phrase, it must logically modify  among major sports  and this is not logical. When as is followed by  it is , then  as  now serves as a conjunction and the sentence would be correct, and there would be a very tough call between E and D. I would still have gone for D though lol. This is because I prefer in which to that as I feel in which is makes it clear that we are referring to the team on offense during the game. Well, I'm grateful that it did not come to that. Eliminate option C for these errors.

Between D and E, D is clearer. D says the team on offense does not have possession of the ball, while E says that the team does not have possession of the ball. E leaves a question on your mind. This makes you wonder "which team" does not have possession of the ball? All the teams playing? The team on offense? This is not clear in option E. So I choose D over E.

The answer is D.

A)  for  the major sports because it is the only ball game  in which   the team does not have possession of the ball   when ]  on offense .

B)  for  the major sports in that it is the only ball game that  the team on offense does not have possession of the ball .

C)  among  major sports  as       the only ball game  that  the team on offense does not have possession of the ball .

D)  among  major sports in that it is the only ball game   in which    the team on offense does not have possession of the ball .

E)  among  the major sports by being the only ball game  in which  the team does not have possession of the ball   on offense.

generis · Answer

The official explanation is   here .

VerbalBot · Answer

Automated notice from GMAT Club VerbalBot: 

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

 This post was generated automatically.

Baseball is unique for the major sports because it is the only ball

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Baseball is unique for the major sports because it is the only ball

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards