Desert are inhabited with several distinct animal species, with each t

Question

Desert are inhabited  with several distinct animal species, with each their  own method of adapting to long periods of moisture shortage.

A. with several distinct animal species, with each their
B. with distinctly several animal species, each with its
C. by several distinct animal species, each with its
D. by several distinct animal species, having each its
E. by several distinct animal species, that each has their

egmat · Accepted Answer

https://gmatclub.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/gmat2-banner11-e1373945998281.jpg Hi fozzy, Let’s insert choice E in the original sentence and then analyze it: Desert are inhabited by several distinct animal species, that each has their own method of adapting to long periods of moisture shortage. Yes, you are correct in saying that “that” and “each” both refer to “distinct animal species”. We don’t need the relative pronoun “that” the here because the sentence does not intend to talk about “distinct animal species” collectively. Also use of comma before “that” is not acceptable. And as you have identified already, use of plural “their” is incorrect. Hope this helps.

Thanks. Shraddha

mikeCoolBoy · Answer

I think in D having modifies Deserts rather than species. IMO the key is the comma before having, which makes having modify the completely clause before it.

Compare

Scientists have found  evidence suggesting  that ...

Scientists  have found evidence,  suggesting

This might not be a good example but in the first sentence suggesting refers to evidence, whereas in the second suggesting modifies the whole clause and refers to Scientists.

angel2009 · Answer

I choose C because I think sentence is a passive construct and hence we need a by
and having each its sounds awkward

fozzzy · Answer

Just curious E has multiple errors "their" is incorrect but in this option "that" and "each" are referring to the same thing? ---> animal species

fozzzy · Answer

Is this always incorrect on the GMAT?

egmat · Answer

Hi fozzy, Well, generally on GMAT, a "that clause" provides the information that is important for the overall logical meaning of the sentence. Hence, a "that clause" is never preceded by a comma on GMAT. I am yet to see an official sentence in which a "that clause" is preceded by a comma. Thanks.

Shraddha

Luanhoang · Answer

In my opinion, the correct answer is C.

Desert are inhabited with several distinct animal species, with each their own method of adapting to long periods of moisture shortage.

A. with several distinct animal species ->  inhabited by, not with, passive voice, and another error is that each and their not parallel . 
B. with distinctly several animal species, each with its ->  inhabited by, not with, distinct is correct. 
C. by several distinct animal species, each with its ->  the correct answer, "by" used in the passive voice, each with its : parallel  
D. by several distinct animal species, having each its ->  " having each its" sounds awkward  
E. by several distinct animal species, that each has their ->  the wrong answer, each and their not parallel.

Hope that helps !!!

apolo · Answer

Also use of comma before “that” is not acceptable  . And as you have identified already, use of plur

According to English grammar, ' that ' is used ONLY in restrictive (or essential) relative clauses; these clauses are not separated from the noun they modify by a comma.

iPen · Answer

It's (C).

(D) won't make sense if you take "having each its..." as an absolute phrase, as the phrase modifies "desert" instead of "different species". Whereas, (C) drops the use of the noun modifier "in which" out of redundancy, since "each" immediately precedes the noun "different species".

KrishnakumarKA1 · Answer

One another point that people fail to focus on is the differentiation between "distinct" and "distinctly" - One way in which GMAT wonderfully plays with the basics of Grammar.

Words with "ly" at the end are usually adverbs. Hence the word "distinctly" in Option B modifies the adjective "several". This makes Option B wrong.

The take-away from this question is this - Next time when you see the same word with an "ly" in one option and without an "ly" in another option the rule tested is that of adjectives and adverbs.

Hope that helps.

Thanks.

Dudyala Saikiran
Byju's GMAT Expert.

dabaobao · Answer

A. with several distinct animal species  - Wrong: "their"  
B. with distinctly several animal species, each with its  - Wrong: Modifier 
C. by several distinct animal species, each with its  - Correct 
D. by several distinct animal species, having each its  - Wrong: Meaning 
E. by several distinct animal species, that each has their  - Wrong: "their" 2) ", that"

jabhatta2 · Answer

Hi  avigutman  - clearly something wrong in my logic.

In (C),  several  and  distinct  are both adjectives to the noun :  animal species

But then, isnt " Several " as an adjective redundant ? If you have " distinct " animal species, dont you by implication have " several " animal species ?

If you have " distinct " animal species (Cats, dogs, lions, tigers = all of these are  distinct  animal species) -- you by definition have " several " animal species

jabhatta2 · Answer

Alternatively - i thought the adverb ( distinctly ) in (B) makes  **more**  sense.

Isnt this an example where  distinctly  is modifying the adjective  several

There are  distinctions  WITHIN the  several  animal species

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

jabhatta2

We can never say "distinctly several." This wouldn't convey any legitimate meaning. Either we have several things or we don't. There's nothing to be distinct there.

As to your interpretation, we don't know which species are meant here, but "distinct species" simply means that they are clearly different from each other. You are listing out subspecies (e.g. several different varieties of Panthera leo). These wouldn't count as "distinct species," so that can't be what the sentence is trying to say. Cats and dogs are distinct species, but retrievers and bulldogs are not. If the sentence wanted to talk about distinctions within species, that would need to be spelled out. Just adding "distinctly" to "several" does not turn it into "several distinct animals within a given species."

jabhatta2 · Answer

Hi  DmitryFarber  - thank you for responding.

Just wondering then -- what do you think is the difference between 
(i)  several  distinct   animal species 
vs 
(ii)   distinct   animal species

Both frankly seem to be the same to me (going to my first point re: reduduncy regarding  several  in the phrase :  several    distinct   animal species )

jabhatta2 · Answer

DmitryFarber  -- here is my attempt to explain why  distinctly several  animal species , never makes sense

Is it because perhaps that,

(i)  Distinct  HAS to be an adjective, given we are talking about different animal species in the desert (Dogs, lions, cats, tigers...) 
(ii)  Distinctly  playing the role of adverb -- i think there is no gaurantee that we are talking about Different animal species

I am not sure however

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

jabhatta2

You're right that "distinctly" is an adverb. But it's not just that it doesn't work here; "distinctly several" would never be correct in any sentence. The issue is that either we have several species or we don't. There's no additional meaning that "distinctly" can provide. I might be "distinctly taller" than others if I am noticeably quite a bit taller. One cake might be "distinctly different" from others. Being tall or different from others can come in degrees, and "distinctly" can clarify that the degree is strong enough to be noticeable. "Several" doesn't come in degrees, nor is it something that might be easier/harder to notice, so it doesn't make sense to apply the modifier "distinctly" to "several."

avigutman · Answer

jabhatta2  Several means more than two. And, as my friend and former colleague  DmitryFarber  pointed out, "distinct species" means that they are clearly different from each other (possibly just two of them). No redundancy as far as I can see.

Imtiazhq · Answer

Why not B? why "by" and not "with"?

Desert are inhabited with several distinct animal species, with each t

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Desert are inhabited with several distinct animal species, with each t

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