With companies spending large parts of their advertising budgets onlin

Question

With companies spending large parts of their advertising budgets online,  the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger, and by individual users, are expanding  rapidly.

A. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger, and by individual users, are expanding

B. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by professional writers, bloggers, and by individual users, are expanding

C. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger, and individual users, is expanding

D. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, are expanding

E. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, is expanding

The list of creators, "by a professional writer, a blogger, and by individual users"
violates the principle of parallelism in two ways. First, while "a professional writer" and
"a blogger" are singular, the third element in the list, "individual users," is plural.
Second, the word "by" introduces the first and third elements in the list ("by a
professional writer . . . by individual users") but not the second element in the list ("a
blogger"). To create a parallel sentence, the word "by" should introduce the entire list
and should not be repeated. In addition to the parallelism problem, the subject of the
underlined portion is the singular "market" which does not agree with the plural verb
phrase "are expanding."
(A) This choice is incorrect as it repeats the original sentence.
(B) This choice fails to resolve the subject-verb agreement issue, as the singular
"market" does not agree with the plural verb phrase "are expanding." In addition, this
- 24 -
choice fails to maintain parallel structure because the word "by" introduces the first
and third elements in the list of creators ("by professional writers . . . by individual
users") but not the second element ("bloggers"). To create a parallel sentence, the
word "by" should introduce the entire list and should not be repeated.
(C) This choice has proper subject-verb agreement since the singular "market"
agrees with the singular verb phrase "is expanding." However, the list of 3 types of
creators is not written in parallel form. While "a professional writer" and "a blogger"
are singular, the third element in the list, "individual users," is plural.
(D) The phrase "created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users" lists
elements in parallel form. However, this choice fails to resolve the subject-verb
agreement issue, as the singular "market" does not agree with the plural verb phrase
"are expanding."
(E) CORRECT. The phrase "created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual
users" lists elements in parallel form. Each element in the list is plural and the entire
list is introduced by the word "by" which is correctly not repeated. In addition, the
singular subject "market" agrees with the singular verb phrase "is expanding."

jugglerG2 · Accepted Answer

First off, we need to fix singular/plural issue: "the market" is singular and hence requires "is" -> Rule out A, B and D. Secondly, since the statement is talking about "feature articles and opinion essays", in general written by any writer, blogger or individual user, we have to use plural form which rules out C as well as it uses singular forms "a professional writer, a blogger..." E, the triumphant one. 8-)

chetan2u · Answer

hi,
there is a 3-2 split in term of are/is. ' the market ' should take 'is', so only C and E are left...
the three categories- professional writers, bloggers, and individual users require to be parallel.. so C is out as two are singular and third is plural
ans E

smartyguy · Answer

SV error in A,B and D
In C ||ism issue
Hence E ans

Can anyone please explain me the rule or part marked red in the question below .

With companies spending large parts of their advertising budgets online,  the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger, and by individual users, are expanding  rapidly.

A. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger, and by individual users, are expanding

B. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created  by professional writers , bloggers, and  by individual users , are expanding (Are they parallel to each other ??)

C. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger , and  individual users, is expanding ( What does this comma signifies before "AND" can we remove it what importance does it carry)

D. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays  created  by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, are expanding (Is created verb-ED modifier if yes then it is referring to what)

E. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users,  is expanding  ( expanding is verb-ING modifier and modifying the preceding clause and the subject market but the placement of "expanding" is not after "," why is it so ??)

Request you guys to explain in as much detail as you can because most of the times these small things make me prone to mark wrong choice.

Regards
SG

chetan2u · Answer

Can anyone please explain me the rule or part marked red in the question below .

With companies spending large parts of their advertising budgets online,  the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger, and by individual users, are expanding  rapidly.

A. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger, and by individual users, are expanding

B. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created  by professional writers , bloggers, and  by individual users , are expanding (Are they parallel to each other ??)
 the three are supposed to be parallel, but by using 'by ' at two places , we are removing parallelism

C. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger , and  individual users, is expanding ( What does this comma signifies before "AND" can we remove it what importance does it carry)
 comma is used before and, when it joins two independent clauses , whereas it is not used when the two clauses are dependent..
eg.. he went to the market, and ram went along with him.....
 he fell down and cried...
when we are joining three or more items we generally use comma but the sentence would do without that too...
eg.. by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users..

D. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays  created  by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, are expanding (Is created verb-ED modifier if yes then it is referring to what)..
  created by is modifying the market. read the sentence as "created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays .

E. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users,  is expanding  ( expanding is verb-ING modifier and modifying the preceding clause and the subject market but the placement of "expanding" is not after "," why is it so ??)...
 expanding here has same role as any verb would have

smartyguy · Answer

Thanks Chetan2u
for your explanation it logically helps me in getting confidence.

Just one more doubt want to clarify

D. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays  created  by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, are expanding  (Is created verb-ED modifier if yes then it is referring to what).. 
 created by is modifying the market. read the sentence as "created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays  .

As you have mentioned that created is modifying market then "created" must be placed next to the market isn't it ??
Or am i missing something i think i am please clarify ?

E. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, is expanding ( expanding is verb-ING modifier and modifying the preceding clause and the subject market but the placement of "expanding" is not after "," why is it so ??)...
expanding here has same role as any verb would have

you mean to say that "expanding" can be placed like this after "is".

Regards
SG

sheolokesh · Answer

E is the best choice.. Market "is" not "are".. writers, bloggers, and users are good and ||al...

chetan2u · Answer

hi,
firstly there are various modifiers.. adverb , adjective ,participle, gerund etc....
what is most important is that the modifier should unambigiously refering back to the subject it is modifying..

As you have mentioned that created is modifying market then "created" must be placed next to the market isn't it ??
Or am i missing something i think i am please clarify ?

if you read the sentence, created refers directly to market..
 the market for content  such as feature articles and opinion essays  created by professional writers.... here the underlined portion is just an example of content and if you remove this portion you can see that the market is being directly referred to... .....

E. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, is expanding ( expanding is verb-ING modifier and modifying the preceding clause and the subject market but the placement of "expanding" is not after "," why is it so ??)...
expanding here has same role as any verb would have

you mean to say that "expanding" can be placed like this after "is".

here by usage of 'is', the clause becomes like an adverbial clause and does not create any dangling modifier.... Also 'is' unambigously refers to singular 'market'..

and an advice, . just be sure that every word correctly refers to the word it is ..
yes where it is most important to check modifiers in GMAT is..
1) partciple clauses, gerund etc.. eg looking at the sky,  it  was hot.., here I should be used..
2) whenever single word modifier such as only, also,but etc are used.

Pags · Answer

With companies spending large parts of their advertising budgets online, the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger, and by individual users, are expanding rapidly.

A. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger, and by individual users, are expanding
 Incorrect.  , such as ....,  .
 B. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by professional writers, bloggers, and by individual users, are expanding
 Incorrect.  , such as ....,  .
 C. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by a professional writer, a blogger, and individual users, is expanding
 Incorrect. Parallelism problem: created by a X, a Y, and Z (missing determiner, such as some).
 D. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, are expanding
Incorrect.  , such as ....,  .
E. the market for content such as feature articles and opinion essays created by professional writers, bloggers, and individual users, is expanding 
 Correct .

ydmuley · Answer

A - Market is Singular ---- Hence, will take -- Is expanding, Not "Are Expanding" & list of is mix of Singular and Plural hence it is not parallel 
 B - Market is Singular ---- Hence, will take -- Is expanding, Not "Are Expanding" 
 C - Subject verb agreement issue is resolved but list is still not parallel 
 D - Market is Singular ---- Hence, will take -- Is expanding, Not "Are Expanding" 
 E - Correct - Subject Verb issue is Fixed and List is now Parallel

Hence, Answer is E

arvind910619 · Answer

Imo E 
The correct idiom for list is  by x,y and z or by x, by, y by Z 
Note here the subject is market so the verb should be singular

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