Oaks preferring drier ones, pine trees

[fenruyun]

Oaks preferring drier ones, pine trees thrive in relatively wet climates.

(A) Oaks preferring drier ones, pine trees thrive in relatively wet climates.
(B) With oaks preferring drier ones, pine trees thrive in relatively wet climates.
(C) Whereas oaks prefer drier ones, with pine trees thriving in relatively wet climates.
(D) Pine trees thrive in relatively wet climates, whereas oaks prefer drier ones.
(E) Pine trees thriving in climates that are relatively wet ones, oaks prefer drier climates.

It's quite easy to choose the right answer, which is D by the way.

However, I do have a question about the use of "ones". I've once heard that this word can only refer to the plural nouns before it.Is that true? In what situations can this word be used and is there anything particular about the word? I've always have that feeling that the GMAC don't like this word...

I've been bothered a long time...

Thank you!

[esledge]

There's no absolute GMAC avoidance of "ones," and there isn't anything particularly different about its use as a plural pronoun--follow the same rules you would for other plural pronouns. Like other pronouns, "ones" doesn't have to follow its antecedent. Despite the fact that ante-= before, antecedents can come after the pronoun. What matters (esp. on the GMAT) is that we can clearly understand that "ones" refers to "climates."

[lindaliu9273]

Hi instructors,

Is it true that all pronouns(one/that/it/they/their) can show up before their antecedent? Or is it only for certain pronouns?

Thank you!

[RonPurewal]

Hi instructors,

Is it true that all pronouns(one/that/it/they/their) can show up before their antecedent? Or is it only for certain pronouns?

Thank you!

This is not an issue. If ...
... it's obvious what the pronoun stands for,
... there's a NOUN for that idea/person/thing,
... the pronoun and noun match (singular/plural),
then the pronoun is fine.

Pronouns are a simple concept. It's important to keep that concept simple.

[thanghnvn]

why A and B is wrong, Pls, explain as much as possible

[thanghnvn]

I also do not know when the pattern in A and B is used. pls explain the case in which the patterns in A and B is used. thank you

[jlucero]

Both A + B have a modifier-comma-core, which means the modifier should be describing the word at the beginning of the core, pine trees. That's incorrect. We're not comparing pine trees, we're comparing the climates in which two types of trees thrive.

(modifier) - pine trees thrive in relatively wet climates.

[thanghnvn]

the fisrt thing

pronoun "one/ones" is special. "one" can refer to a plural noun and "ones" can refer to a single noun.

the second thing

in the pattern
main clause+(with)+noun+noun modifier

the phrase "with+noun..." dose not need to refer to the subject of the main clause. this pattern is used to show a reason, method, manner and effect of the main clause, the relations which are not a contrast. for exam ple
with many person studying gmat, only a few win gmat.

the reason why other choice wrong is we need only a contrast between two actions in choice D. we do not need a other meaning relations between main clause and the "with+noun"

for the second thing, I do not thing this problem is from gmatprep because the meaning relation between main clause and "with+noun..." is controvertial in grammar books.

do you agree with me?

[aflaamM589]

Hello Experts,
In A,B and,C , pronoun ones comes before the referent (climates).
Is this allowed or another potential error in AB and C?
Many thanks

[RonPurewal]

that's bad writing, yeah.

if "ones" comes in front, then it's actually impossible to understand the sentence in a single read-through -- you'd HAVE to back up (after seeing "climates") in order to understand it.

that should never, ever, EVER happen. if a sentence is written in a way that's impossible to understand by just reading through it normally... it's wrong.

the correct answers will not contain bad writing.

[aflaamM589]

Thank you Ron.
Feeling confident.
Is what you wrote also holds true for pronouns that and those when they are used in comparisons?
i.e pronouns that and those coming before antecedents?
Thanks a million.

[RonPurewal]

can you phrase your question more specifically, please?

[aflaamM589]

that's bad writing, yeah.

if "ones" comes in front, then it's actually impossible to understand the sentence in a single read-through -- you'd HAVE to back up (after seeing "climates") in order to understand it.

that should never, ever, EVER happen. if a sentence is written in a way that's impossible to understand by just reading through it normally... it's wrong.

the correct answers will not contain bad writing.

What i wanted to know is, is this reasoning also holds true for pronouns that/ those.
i.e these pronouns coming before nouns they are standing for?

Like that of joe, height of John is longer.
Thank you

[RonPurewal]

not necessarily. a sentence like that could work, especially if the initial modifier is quite short.

again, this is why you want to ask these questions about specific problems. if you find a GMAC problem in which this kind of thing is actually an issue, then of course you should ask about it. otherwise, you are just making things unnecessarily complicated.