During the early years of Himalayan exploration, Sherpas,

Question

During the early years of Himalayan exploration,  Sherpas, intimately knowing the shape of the mountains, were a help to European climbers in the exploring of  many trails and peaks.
 
(A) Sherpas, intimately knowing the shape of the mountains, were a help to European climbers in the exploring of
(B) Sherpas knew the shape and the mountains intimately and this enabled them to help European climbers in the exploration of
(C) Sherpas, with their intimate knowledge of the shape of the mountains, helped European climbers to explore
(D) having intimate knowledge of the shape of the mountains, Sherpas helped the exploration of European climbers in
(E) knowing intimately the shape of the mountains, Sherpas helped European climbers to explore

TeHCM · Answer

My answer is E During the early years is not modifying Sherpas...so A, B, C are out. E is wordy. "helped the exploration" :?:

justchill · Answer

Between C and E, choice C seems right to me.

(A) Incorrect. "exploring of" is wrong usage.
(B) Incorrect. Gives a meaning that Sherpas knew about the mountains only during early days of Himalayan exploration.
(C) Correct. 
(D) Incorrect. wordy.
(E) Incorrect. Gives a meaning that Sherpas knew about the mountains only during the early days.

automan · Answer

IMHO C is the best. 

A is wrong because "intimately knowing the shape of the mountains" is an adverbial phrase modifying the action that "Sherpas were a help". I addtion A is wordy. It doesn't make much sense the following "Sherpas were a help intimately knowing the shape of the mountains"

B is wrong because "this" is used instead of "knew the shape and the mountains intimately". "This" is a pronoun that can not be used to replace an action.

D contains a dangling modifier. "Having" is too far away from Shepars and thus it is not clear what it modifies.

E has the same problem as D. "knowing intimately the shape of the mountains" is a dangling modifier.

IMO C is the best choice. The prepositional phrase "with their intimate knowledge of the shape of the mountains" acts as an adverb and it modifies the main clause.

vivek123 · Answer

'C' or 'E'?

'C' sounds good.

'E' sounded to me as, "Sherpas knew the shape of the mountains only during the early years of Himalayan exploration".

GMATT73 · Answer

OA is C.

OE:

The descriptive phrase (intimately knowing the shape of the mountains) indicates the Modifier is being tested. 

Rule and Fix: 
A modifier must be as close as possible to the thing it describes. The phrase modifies Sherpas and is placed as close as possible. 

POE: 
D and E both move the modifying phrase so that it no longer modifies Sherpas. 

Chunk and Compare: 
Compare A to B. 
B removes the modifying phrase. B instead of using a modifier says that Sherpas knew the shape and the mountains intimately, this phrase ambigiously does not specify what shape the Sherpas knew since it separates the shape from the mountain as two different nouns. Eliminate B

Compare A to C. A uses Sherpas ... were a help while C states Sherpas helped, the more direct and clear phrase in C is more clear and succinct. 

Reread your choice: 
Choose C

During the early years of Himalayan exploration, Sherpas,

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