Register    Login    Search    Rss Feeds

Forums Home » Ask An Instructor » GMAT Verbal » Manhattan GMAT CAT Verbal


 Page 1 of 1 [ 3 posts ] 



  Print view Print view Previous topic Previous topic | Next topic Next topic
 

Really confusing

Author Message
contact.sumeshn
 Post subject: Really confusing
 Post Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:16 am 
Offline
Forum Guests


Posts: 12
Both the below mentioned answer choices are from mgmat CAT exams

Rather than accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, Christopher Columbus sailed west to see whether he could reach India, having been sent by the king and queen of Spain. - This option is the OA

Classical guitar was neither prestigious nor played often in concert halls until it was revived by Andres Segovia in the mid-twentieth century, having been won over by the instrument's sound despite its relative obscurity. - This option has been marked incorrect for its incorrect usage of the modifier "having been won over.."

Can someone please explain why "having been " usage in sentence 1 is correct, whereas the usage in sentence 2 is incorrect?

Thanks!
Top 
chitrangada.maitra
 Post subject: Re: Really confusing
 Post Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:34 pm 
Offline
Course Students


Posts: 75
Hi,

Let me take a shot at this.

In the first sentence, the subject is Christopher Columbus. The modifier 'having been sent by the king and queen of Spain' is modifying the subject, Christopher Columbus. There is no other plausible antecedent. So, the modifier is modifying the subject as intended by the author.

However, in the second sentence, the subject is 'guitar'. The modifier is 'having been won over'. So, the modifier is inadvertently modifying the subject - this is not the intended meaning of the author. The guitar was not won over by its own sound; Andres was. So, the structure of the sentence should be changed to accurately reflect who / what is being modified.

Hope that helps!
Top 
mschwrtz
 Post subject: Re: Really confusing
 Post Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:30 pm 
Offline
ManhattanGMAT Staff


Posts: 506
That explanation is almost right.

Actually neither having been sent nor having been won over is a noun modifier. In general, -ing words after commas modify the preceding clause or the verb in that clause. One way to modify a clause is to attribute action to its subject, perhaps in order to explain the subject's behavior. Having been sent attributes something to CC, though it in fact modifies the entire clause of which he is the subject. Having been won over attributes something to classical guitar, nonsensically.

I don't mean to logical chop, but it's very important to remember that noun modifiers must touch the nouns they modify.
Top 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
 
 Page 1 of 1 [ 3 posts ] 





Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests

 
 

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: