OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
THE PROMPTQuote:
With the use of CT scans and careful virtual reconstructing of fossilized bones from the ears of our ancient human relatives, researchers have demonstrated how our ancient ancestors heard the world.
• Modifiers
→ the underlined portion must describe the noun immediately after the comma:
researchers• Meaning
→ The researchers were using two things: CT scans and virtual reconstructions of fossilized bones.
OPTIONSQuote:
A) With the use of CT scans and careful virtual reconstructing of fossilized bones from the ears of our ancient human relatives,
• The use of
with to create a modifier describing
researchers is not very clear
I cannot say that the usage is completely wrong. Just weird.
• what on earth does "careful virtual reconstructing" mean?
•
reconstructing is not as good as the dedicated noun
reconstructionRemember that if all else is equal, dedicated nouns are preferred to gerunds (verbINGs).
The option is grammatical. It is also stylistically poor. KEEP, but look for a better answer.
Quote:
B) Using CT scans and careful virtual reconstructions of fossilized bones from the ears of our ancient human relatives,
• I do not see any errors
• The sentence uses
using to set up a participial phrase that correctly modifies
researchers.
• Now, compare to option A. This option is better.
→
Using . . . careful virtual reconstruction makes a lot more sense than the nebulous
With . . . careful virtual reconstructing→ Above all, "using ___ and ___" creates a more direct link to its target, researchers, than does
With ___ and ____. "With" often connotes accompaniment, an idea that makes very little sense in this context. The researchers are not
accompanied by CT scans and "careful virtual reconstructing."
Eliminate A.
KEEP
Quote:
C) They made use of CT scans and careful virtual reconstructions of fossilized bones from the ears of our ancient human relatives,
• comma splice
→ The part before the comma is an independent clause
→ The part after the comma is also an independent clause:
Researchers have demonstrated how our ancient ancestors heard the world.
Two independent clauses cannot be "stuck together" by nothing more than a comma.
The comma must be accompanied by a conjunction such as
and.
In this case, even adding a conjunction after the comma would not rescue this train wreck because the construction of the two sentences does not lend itself to their being sutured. The first part (this option) needs rewriting.
ELIMINATE C
Quote:
D) Based on CT scans and on careful virtual reconstructions of fossilized bones from our ancient human relatives’ ears,
•
Based is the wrong word to modify
researchers.
→ The researchers cannot be based on something.
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
E) Using CT scans and carefully virtually reconstructing of fossilized bones from the ears of our ancient human relatives,
• as a matter of diction generally,
carefully virtually reconstructing is awkward.
I'll be blunt: that phrasing is horrid.
• the phrasing is nonsensical, too
There is no such thing as
carefully virtually reconstructing OF fossilized bones.The phrasing should be
careful virtual reconstruction OF fossilized bones.The correction resembles option B.
• not nearly as clear or effective as option B
ELIMINATE E
The correct answer is B.COMMENTSlathikashyam , welcome to SC Butler.
swim2109 , you wanted to know why
with is not correct.
First, please see my analysis above for options A and B.
Second, "with" is not the only thing wrong with option A.
Third, perhaps you could elaborate?
To describe
researchers, why is
with ____ in option A
better than
using _____ in option B?
I'm glad that you asked your question, because it gives me a segue to remind everyone that
(1) we are trying to eliminate the four worst answers rather than find the one right answer, and
2) we are often deciding between two options in such a way that we must ask, "Which one is better? Which one is worse?"
This better/worse analysis allows us to let go of a situation in which no hard and fast grammar rule exists.
On the GMAT, the word
with is among the most difficult to pin down in terms of generating a guideline that is predictable and consistent.
If "with" becomes an issue, compare other parts of the options.
These answers range from very good to excellent. Stay safe, all.