SC: In July 1965 Mariner IV passed by Mars

[roshin.nair]

In July 1965 Mariner IV passed by Mars and took the first-ever close-up photographs of another planet, which showed that the Martian surface was like that of the Moon’s in that it was pockmarked by moonlike craters and was dry and apparently dead.

a.
b. which showed a dry, apparently dead Martian surface, and it was pockmarked by craters like the Moon has
c. which showed the Martian surface as a dry, apparently dead one, which was pockmarked with craters such as the Moon’s
d. photos showing the Martian surface to be like that of the Moon’s, dry and apparently dead, and it was pockmarked by moonlike craters
e. photos that showed a dry, apparently dead Martian surface pockmarked with craters like those on the Moon

My question here is:
1) is "which" in the above answer choices really ambiguous? I feel it clearly refers back to photographs and not planet, but GMAT prep explanation says it is ambiguous.
Infact usage of "Photos" in answer choice d and answer choice e seems redundant.
Also could you explain what is wrong with the usage of the phrase "showed the martian surface as dry" in answer choice c ?

Thanks!!!!!!

[RonPurewal]

1) is "which" in the above answer choices really ambiguous? I feel it clearly refers back to photographs and not planet, but GMAT prep explanation says it is ambiguous.

well, if you say black and GMAC says white, you should go with white.

the good news is that "pronoun ambiguity" is not an essential concept on this exam. i.e., you will not need to use this concept to solve any of the problems; there will always be more objective errors.

Infact usage of "Photos" in answer choice d and answer choice e seems redundant.

don't question the official answers; it's a waste of your time.

Also could you explain what is wrong with the usage of the phrase "showed the martian surface as dry" in answer choice c ?

Thanks!!!!!!

not idiomatic.

[messi10]

Hi Ron,

Just need a clarification on the structure of choice D. Is it:

Main Clause, Modifier, Clause

i.e. plugging it into the sentence:

In July 1965 Mariner IV passed by Mars and took the first-ever close-up photographs of another planet ...[modifier]...and it was pockmarked by moonlike craters

So does choice D incorrectly imply that the Mariner IV was pockmarked by moonlike craters?

Thanks

[RonPurewal]

Hi Ron,

Just need a clarification on the structure of choice D. Is it:

Main Clause, Modifier, Clause

i.e. plugging it into the sentence:

In July 1965 Mariner IV passed by Mars and took the first-ever close-up photographs of another planet ...[modifier]...and it was pockmarked by moonlike craters

So does choice D incorrectly imply that the Mariner IV was pockmarked by moonlike craters?

Thanks

yes, very perceptive. that would be another problem with that choice.

[SC312]

Ron,

Can you explain the difference and the use of the "which" and the appositive modifier "photos" here ?
Also, in the current problem, is the use of any one of two modifiers preferable than the other one. ?

[vietmoi937]

when there are many post modifiers, the order is
noun+prepositional phrase+participle phrase+relative clause.

regarding choice C.

though there is not "of" phrase at the first place, we still can use
" 's" at the end ( Moon's " )
is that right?

[kiranck007]

Hi, what is the official answer? E?

[RonPurewal]

Ron,

Can you explain the difference and the use of the "which" and the appositive modifier "photos" here ?
Also, in the current problem, is the use of any one of two modifiers preferable than the other one. ?

they both seem ok to me.

(the use of "which" here is similar to that in OG12 #26; check it out. that problem proves that GMAC is ok with using "which" to refer to noun+prep phrase.)

[RonPurewal]

Hi, what is the official answer? E?

yes.

[SC312]

thanks Ron

[jlucero]

Glad it helped.

[manhhiep2509]

Hello.

Are A, B, C, D incorrect because of the use of past tense?

Specifically, what the photographs showed are fact, so past tense is incorrect.

Thank you.

[ramendra.awesome]

Ron,

Can you explain the difference and the use of the "which" and the appositive modifier "photos" here ?
Also, in the current problem, is the use of any one of two modifiers preferable than the other one. ?

they both seem ok to me.

(the use of "which" here is similar to that in OG12 #26; check it out. that problem proves that GMAC is ok with using "which" to refer to noun+prep phrase.)

I think there is a point to notice here.

The use of which is ambiguous here because in

the first-ever close-up photographs of another planet, which showed

which can modify to either of photographs and planet.

Lets not mistake it with the use of which in OG12 #26. Why because in

Emily Dickinson’s letters to Susan Huntington Dickinson, which were written over a period beginning a few years before

which clearly modifies letters not Susan Huntington Dickinson. Susan Huntington Dickinson is a person, and which can not used for people. Who should have been used rather than which.

Share your thoughts!

[thanghnvn]

[quote="roshin.nair"]In July 1965 Mariner IV passed by Mars and took the first-ever close-up photographs of another planet, which showed that the Martian surface was like that of the Moon’s in that it was pockmarked by moonlike craters and was dry and apparently dead.

a.
b. which showed a dry, apparently dead Martian surface, and it was pockmarked by craters like the Moon has
c. which showed the Martian surface as a dry, apparently dead one, which was pockmarked with craters such as the Moon’s
d. photos showing the Martian surface to be like that of the Moon’s, dry and apparently dead, and it was pockmarked by moonlike craters
e. photos that showed a dry, apparently dead Martian surface pockmarked with craters like those on the Moon

between e and c

in c, "which" is far from "photographs". This pattern is not prefered on gmat though it appear in offiical answers in many other sc problem. however, if we can avoid this pattern we have to do so. this is why c is wrong.

avoidance of this pattern is a preference not an absolute rule. and the patterin sometimes in condidered correct, other times incorrect.

[RonPurewal]

in c, "which" is far from "photographs". This pattern is not prefered on gmat though it appear in offiical answers in many other sc problem. however, if we can avoid this pattern we have to do so. this is why c is wrong.

avoidance of this pattern is a preference not an absolute rule. and the patterin sometimes in condidered correct, other times incorrect.

Incorrect.
Please stop making posts like this, unless you are asking the moderators a question. Thanks.

There's no problem with "which" in choice C; it's used the same way as in the Susan Huntington Dickinson problem (#26 in OG 12, probably somewhere around there in OG 13).

In choice C:

* "Such as" is wrong; the function of "such as" is to introduce actual examples of something.
If I write I have taught my dog basic commands such as "sit" and "stay", then "sit" and "stay" are two commands that I've actually taught my dog.
In this sentence, "such as" would imply that the Moon's craters are actually on Mars. Nonsense.

* "Showed ____ as ____" is questionable usage. Even if it's accepted, it does not refer to showing what something literally looks like. (E.g., This book showed/depicted Stalin as much less evil than he really was.)