Yes, "most of them at least as large as Jupiter" modifies "planets." Notice that the only verb in C is "have detected," so you don't have a run-on sentence.

A run-on sentence is one in which at least two independent clauses are joined without the appropriate punctuation. You can't have to independent clauses if you don't have two clauses, and you can't have two clauses if you don't have two verbs.

"Circling" is not a verb in C, but a modifier.

My questions are:
1. In choice D, since 'circle' is singular, 'which' therefore can only refer to 'massive planets'. Why 'which circle' is wrong and is illogical to refer to 'massive planets'? Is 'mostly' wrong here?
2. In OA choice C, "comma Ing form -, circling" can refer to a phrase "most of them...". I understand COMMA ING can only modify entire preceding clause instead of phrase.

Pls help with that, MG instructor. thx a lot

1) irrelevant question. none of us instructors said that "which circle" cannot refer to "massive planets"..

2) just plain wrong. read our materials on the use of comma -ING. pay particular attention to the difference between comma which, comma -ING, and -ING without comma..

_________________
Tim Sanders
Manhattan GMAT Instructor

Dear experts,

Why D is wrong?

As i understand, (1) "Mostly" is acceptable (but with minor flaw)(2) "at least as large as" - is ok
(3) "which circle" - clearly refers to palnetS

you shouldn't be thinking in terms of “minor flaws” -- basically, things are either correct or incorrect. this is quite binary: if something is not correct, then it's incorrect.

in any case, “mostly” is absolutely not acceptable here. “mostly” is an ADVERB, so it's stuck modifying the adjective(s) that follow -- i.e., the meaning of this sentence would be “mostly, but not entirely, at least as large as ...”
this is a total nonsense meaning -- there's no way to make sense of it -- so it's incorrect.
short version:
an adverb can't modify "planets", which is a noun.

(2) "at least as large as" - is ok
(3) "which circle" - clearly refers to palnetS

[/quote]

_________________
Being well-dressed gives a feeling of inward tranquillity [that] religion is powerless to bestow.
C.F. Forbes

Ron, many thanks

:)

_________________
Tim Sanders
Manhattan GMAT Instructor

I know that D is wrong but I have a question. What does 'which' refer to in choice D - Jupiter or planets?

In general we can have a construction as per the SC guide -

Main clause, appositive modifier, which modifier

In the above construction which will modify the ending noun of the main clause and the not the noun of the appositive modifier. Please correct me if I am wrong?

eg. Hari has a son, a consultant, who goes to Harvard.

In the above construction what noun will who refer to - consultant or son?

in general, it's not wise to opine about these kinds of things in wrong answers.
can you find any official problems that contain the same kind of construction in a correct answer?

in any case, it's definitely not jupiter, because in this particular instance “which” is plural (as required by the plural verb “circle” that follows it).
so, it's either “planets” or nothing. however, whether “which” is allowed to stand for something that's so far away from it is an issue that is best left unresolved until we see an officially correct answer.



in this example, “son” and “consultant” are the same person, so there is nothing that needs to be resolved.

_________________
Being well-dressed gives a feeling of inward tranquillity [that] religion is powerless to bestow.
C.F. Forbes

Hi Ron,

I'm splitting hairs here, but when I read that answer choice
i thought that the "mostly" adverb was modifying "astronomers have detected" and crossed it out. i looked for the nearest verb. How did you know it was modifying the following clause? I'm in agreement it is wrong either way.


In the past several years, astronomers have detected more than 80 massive planets, mostly at least as large as Jupiter, which circle other stars.

dave, look at the stuff directly attached to the adverb. if the adverb is attached to things without an intervening comma, then its primary commitment is to describing those things.

_________________
Being well-dressed gives a feeling of inward tranquillity [that] religion is powerless to bestow.
C.F. Forbes

In the correct answer, the modifier

"circling other stars" seems to imply that astromers discovered 80 massive planets while they were circling other stars.

In the past several years, astronomers have detected more than 80 massive planets, ..... , circling other stars.

Is the above interpretation wrong?

some2none,

this looks like a case Ron brought up before. Since the modifier "most of them at least as large..." is blocked off by commas on both sides, then it makes comma + circling look like a + -ing modifier for everything that comes before, modifying the subject of the sentence, astronauts.

however, that comma does not exist for the comma + ing purpose. just imagine removing that entire non-essential modifier

astronmers have detected more than 80 massive planets circling other stars

i think that's what you meant, because that's the only way circling could modify astronomers.

dave, that is a nice analysis.

_________________
Being well-dressed gives a feeling of inward tranquillity [that] religion is powerless to bestow.
C.F. Forbes

Hi Ron

I am still confused about circling modifying the entire clause here.

I believe that -ing modifier can also be used when the action is simultaneious with the main action.

sc-crack-gmat-test-q-t704-15.html

Inlining your post to give a context:
the "comma + ing" modifier should only be used when:
(A)
it MODIFIES THE ENTIRE ACTION of the preceding clause, and it APPLIES TO THE SUBJECT of that clause;

AND

(B)
one of the following is true:
(1) the "ing" action is SIMULTANEOUS with the main action;
- i ran down the sidewalk, flapping my arms wildly
(2) the "ing" action is a DIRECT CONSEQUENCE of the main action.
- i got a 100 on the most recent exam, bringing my average up to 91


Reason I am asking is I eliminated the correct answer choice .

Is it just common sense that determines the role of the -ing modifier or is there a rule that I should revisit.

Cheers
Vinayak