When it ruled that the government couldn’t track an individua

Question

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When it ruled that the government couldn’t track an individual by attaching a GPS device to a vehicle without a warrant, the Supreme Court curtailed many covert  operations, which set new standards for future intelligence missions.

A) operations, which set new standards for future intelligence missions.

B) operations, having set new standards for future intelligence missions.

C) operations and set new standards for future intelligence missions.

D) operations and will set new standards for future intelligence missions.

E) operations, new standards were set for future intelligence missions.

generis · Answer

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zhanbo · Answer

My answer is  (C) . It took me 38 seconds.

(A) The Supreme Court set new standards, but this version states that "many covert operations" set new standards.

(B) When a present participle phrase is used after a comma, different opinions emerge regarding what it modifies. Some argue that it should modify the nearest noun ("many covert operations") while others believe it modifies the subject ("the Supreme Court"). Either won't work in this version.

(C) Straightforward and meaningful.

(D) "will" is not parallel with "curtailed". (Simple future tense also does not make sense.)

(E) Comma splice.

elavendan1 · Answer

Answer is C. Below are the reasons for eliminating other choices

A. relative pronoun 'which' modifies covert operations. Those operations do not set new standards. Eliminate
B. Let us rearrange the sentence this way. Having set new standards for future intelligence missions, the Supreme Court curtailed some covert operations. Meaning error is apparent here. The court's objective is to curtail the operations, and the court does not want that to be a by product of setting standards. Subtle, but wrong. Eliminate. 
C. Now the sentence makes more sense. SC curtailed X and set Y. Keep C 
D. The court curtailed, and will set new standards ?? No, this will change the intended meaning, since nowhere it is mentioned that setting standards is a future action. 
E. Interesting answer choice. Multiple options to eliminate. Two Subject verb pairs are connected without any conjunction, and we do not know who set the standards. Eliminate E.

Shikhar22 · Answer

Very nice explanation, mate. I was wondering if the option b was on the lines of ‘setting new standards’ than ‘having set new standards’, would that have been correct?

Posted from my mobile device

zhanbo · Answer

In my opinion, "setting new standards" should work. "Comma + present participle phrase" typically provides additional information that accompanies / shows the consequence of the event discussed in the main clause. Besides, the present participle phrase is also compatible with the subject of the main clause.

Crytiocanalyst · Answer

A) operations, which set new standards for future intelligence missions. 
Which is not having the right refernce back and the meaning isn't perfect therefore out

B) operations, having set new standards for future intelligence missions. 
The new set of rules were implemented after the curtailing the operation which is not the intended meaning conveyed by the addition of having therefore out

C) operations and set new standards for future intelligence missions. 
The meaning is perfect therefore let us hang on to it

D) operations and will set new standards for future intelligence missions. 
The implementation of the standards has been already set ,therefore out

E) operations, new standards were set for future intelligence missions.
Independent clauses are seperated through commas therefore out

Therefore IMO C

Green2k1 · Answer

When it ruled that the government couldn’t track an individual by attaching a GPS device to a vehicle without a warrant, the Supreme Court curtailed many covert  operations, which set new standards for future intelligence missions.
 
 Two meaning can be inferred from the given sentence
- Supreme Court did two things - curtailed many covert operations and set new standards 
- Supreme Court curtailed many covert operations and as result set new standards

POE

A) operations, which set new standards for future intelligence missions.
- Modifier error leading to meaning error- Which is referring to operations

B) operations, having set new standards for future intelligence missions.
- "having" is generally used to show sequence of previous action - which does not make sense here

C) operations and set new standards for future intelligence missions.
 - Conveying the first meaning
- Seems grammatically and logically correct

D) operations and will set new standards for future intelligence missions.
- SC will set new standard - Verb tense error

E) operations, new standards were set for future intelligence missions.
- Two ICs incorrectly connected

sivatx2 · Answer

By Slash & burn we can simplify the sentence as:

When it   ruled   that the government couldn’t track an individual by attaching a GPS device to a vehicle without a warrant,  the Supreme Court   curtailed   many covert  operations, which set new standards for future intelligence missions.

A) operations, which set new standards for future intelligence missions.
  which incorrectly refers to closest noun 'many covert operations' instead of 'the Supreme Court'. Eliminate.

B) operations,  having  set new standards for future intelligence missions. 
   Tense error with 'having set' as it is not parallel with the other actions, 'ruled' and 'curtailed'. Eliminate

C) operations  and  set new standards for future intelligence missions. 
 The past tense usage in the sentence, like 'ruled' & 'curtailed', is not disrupted and hence has no grammatical errors. Answer is choice C.
 
 D) operations and  will  set new standards for future intelligence missions. 
  'will' usage( future tense) is incorrect because this sentence refers to actions that already completed - Eliminate.

E) operations ,  new standards were set for future intelligence missions. 
   An independent clause cannot be joined to another independent clause with just a comma. 'and' conjunction is necessary to make it grammatically correct. Eliminate

TarunKumar1234 · Answer

When it ruled that the government couldn’t track an individual by attaching a GPS device to a vehicle without a warrant, the Supreme Court curtailed many covert operations, which set new standards for future intelligence missions.

Two meaning can be inferred from the given sentence
- Supreme Court did two things - curtailed many covert operations and set new standards
- Supreme Court curtailed many covert operations and as result set new standards

POE

A) operations, which set new standards for future intelligence missions.
- Modifier error leading to meaning error- Which is referring to operations

B) operations, having set new standards for future intelligence missions.
- "having" is generally used to show sequence of previous action - which does not make sense here

C) operations and set new standards for future intelligence missions.
- Conveying the first meaning
- Seems grammatically and logically correct

D) operations and will set new standards for future intelligence missions.
- SC will set new standard - Verb tense error

E) operations, new standards were set for future intelligence missions.
- Two ICs incorrectly connected

VerbalBot · Answer

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When it ruled that the government couldn’t track an individua

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

When it ruled that the government couldn’t track an individua

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