The demystified computer, considered by most analysts the

Question

The demystified computer, considered by most analysts the major breakthrough of the 1980s, was the pivotal event that caused technology and mass communication to unite.
(A) The demystified computer, considered by most analysts the
(B) The demystified computer, which most analysts have been considering
(C) Demystifying the computer, which most analysts consider to be
(D) The demystification of the computer, which most analysts consider the
(E) The demystified computer, which most analysts consider a

nocilis · Answer

A and B and E are out as "The demystified computer" is ackward

C uses bad idiom "consider to be" and 'which' refers to computer and not demystification - error

D) (not sure whether which refers to 'computer' or 'the demystification of the computer')

I still pick D.

ywilfred · Answer

(B) is out. 'have been' is the wrong tense.
(C) is out. Changes the demystified computer (an object) to the act of demystifying it. 
(D) Same as (C). Changes the meaning of the sentence from an object to an act.
(E) a major breakthrough here suggests it's not the most important breakthrough, but one of many breakthroughs that occured in the 1980s.
By doing this, it changes the meaning of the original sentence slightly.

I'll go with (A)

MA · Answer

(D) The demystification of the computer, which most analysts consider the

Paul · Answer

What is a "demystified computer"? :shock:

Indeed, it is the demystification which is considered by analyst. (D) it is.

ywilfred · Answer

demystified computer as in a computer that is not complicate enough for home-users like us ??? frankly, it's a lousy term. The answer ought to be (D). Pardon the pun, but i'm mystified why i chose (A) ! :beat

qhoc0010 · Answer

OA Is (D)
In (D)
The  demystification  of the  computer ,  which most analysts consider the ... 

Which one the "which..." modifies? demystification or computer?

Paul · Answer

It is true that the referrent for "which" could be ambiguous in D. However, given that all other choices have "which" improperly referring to "computer", for it is the "demystification" which is considered by analysts, D seems best. D allows "which" to refer to the demystification.

Remember that the GMAT is also not about the perfect but the best answer

HongHu · Answer

Something was the event ... So the computer can't be the subject, eliminate A, B and E. Between C and D, the idomatic usage for consider is "consider X Y" not "consider X to be Y", plus C is also missing a "the" in the end. Therefore the correct answer is D.

I first looked at Demystifying vs the demystification, I prefered the latter, but was not hundred percent sure. So I found the other two points to confirm that C is indeed wrong. This is what I've been talking about. A wrong sentence in GMAT often have multiple errors, if you can't be sure from one angle, go to look for another angel. This has helped me immensely.

qhoc0010 · Answer

Yep, this sometime confuses me: meaning vs. grammar
If I go by meaning (D), but according to what we learned in the past, "which" always stays close to the "noun" it modifies.

Paul · Answer

not necessarily qhoc. Consider this example:

The department of chemistry, which received the grant 2 weeks ago, is two blocks away from my house.

"which" in the above logically refers to "department".

ywilfred · Answer

I think the key to this 'which' business is to recall that 'which' is used to introduce modifiers for things. As such, if we want the modifying phrase to modify a thing (for instance, a house), we use 'which'. 

E.g. The house, which is red, .....

In the example i gave above, 'which' is used as a relative pronoun and it would naturally stick to the noun preceding it.

For this question, 'which' appears to be used not as a relative pronoun, but simply as a means to introduce a non-essential modifier (since the information that what the analysts considered the breakthrough to be is not really critical information)

The demystified computer, considered by most analysts the

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