The electronics company has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs less than 11 ounces.

A. to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs
B. to be the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, weighing
C. is the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, and it weighs
D. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, which is as long as a handheld computer and weighs
E. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, weighing

Does which always refers to the noun immedeatly before the comma?

The question is one of the GMATPrep questions.

If the sentence is rewritten to:
The electronics company has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, which is as long as a handheld computer and weighs less than 11 ounces.

Is it okay?
I just wonder whether "claim to be" is okay.

Thanks in advance.

It should be 'D'

TO BE OR WHICH is not the problem. There are clear modifying and anteceden issues in all choices except for D. QA please

Hei - They are claiming that it IS something - not that it "to be" something - so, no, we wouldn't use "to be" here. We'd say "the company has unveiled what it claims is the world's smallest..."

I could say, though, "she claims to be a violinist, but I've heard her play and she's terrible." So there are circumstances in which you could use "claim to be" - but this isn't one of them.

And, yes, answer is D.

Thanks Stacey.

You're welcome (on behalf of Stacey).

can 'which' ever refer to an object of a prepositional phrase? so in C), putting everything else aside, does 'which' gramatically refer to 'camcorder' or 'world'?

by default it would be 'world', which makes choice (c) almost laugh-out-loud funny (the world is as long as a handheld computer? i guess all those people who talk about 'small world' are right!)

if you encounter a problem on which ALL of the answer choices become absurd if you attribute the 'which' in this way, THEN, and only then, should you start assigning the 'which' to the entire noun + prepositional phrase construction. in general, the gmat is not very liberal at all with its use of 'which', so following the 'right next to the comma' rule should get you through most everything.