The Cotton Gin - Question from Question Bank

[RonPurewal]

This thread doesn't seem to contain the answer choices to the problem.

Per the forum rules, please post the complete problem, with all answer choices; then we can address the question(s).
Thanks.

[Tadashi]

Oh, my bad.
The invention of the cotton gin, being one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century, had turned cotton cloth into an affordable commodity; it was costly before that.

A. being one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century, had turned cotton cloth into an affordable commodity; it was costly before that

B. having been one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century, turned cotton cloth into an affordable commodity, costly previously
C. one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century, turned cotton cloth into an affordable, however costly previously, commodity
D. one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century, turned cotton cloth into an affordable commodity, whereas it had previously been costly
E. being one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century, turned cotton cloth from a previously costly commodity to an affordable one

OA: D

[Tadashi]

My question updated.

Would u like to shed some light on why B is wrong?

Question1:
Is there something wrong with the modification:"having XXX" ?
I can't understand.

Besides, if my memory serves me right, "Subject, having XXX, Verb... "is a correct sentence pattern in the GMAT world.

Could someone elaborate the use of the modification "having XX" . Just want to understand better.

Question2:
Is there something wrong with the "cotton cloth into an affordable commodity, costly previously"

I don't know why the boldface is wrong but every time I read this part, I felt it sounds awkward.

ARIGATO.
Tadashi.

[RonPurewal]

Could someone elaborate the use of the modification "having XX" . Just want to understand better.

This modifier implies a timeframe before the timeframe of the original sentence. Since this sentence is already in the past tense, this modifier corresponds to writing that the cotton gin had been one of the most important inventions.

That doesn't make sense"”it implies that, at some point before the timeframe of the sentence, the cotton gin stopped being one of the most important inventions!

The issue here is similar to the topic of this post, but shifted into the past:
the-acoma-and-hopi-are-probably-the-two-t9670-30.html

[RonPurewal]

Question2:
Is there something wrong with the "cotton cloth into an affordable commodity, costly previously"

I don't know why the boldface is wrong but every time I read this part, I felt it sounds awkward.

ARIGATO.
Tadashi.

You can't cut "however" out of that construction.

With "however", the construction is ... a thing, although it's seldom used.
The doctors and nurses, however accustomed to disgusting sights in the operating room, were completely unprepared for the grotesque condition of the next patient.

I do agree with you that it's fatally awkward here.
The test will never require a judgment of "fatal awkwardness", of course, but ... sure.

[Tadashi]

Thanks Ron.
Already read your post.

B.The invention of the cotton gin, having been one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century, turned cotton cloth into an affordable commodity.

I am trying to understand and applying what I've just learnt.

In B., "having XX" seems to convey the idea that then invention of the cotton gin was one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century but isn't now, thus making the intended meaning of the sentence distorted.

Hope you can shed some light.

DOMO ARIGATO
Tadashi,

[RonPurewal]

That's right.

[lsyang1212]

The invention of the cotton gin, being one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century, had turned cotton cloth into an affordable commodity; it was costly before that.

OA: D: one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century, turned cotton cloth into an affordable commodity, whereas it had previously been costly.

Could you explain why "it" in answer choice D is unambiguous and correct? Couldn't "it" refer to the invention, the cotton cloth, or the affordable commodity?

What's the general rule of when a pronoun is used correctly in situations like these (where there seem to be multiple possible antecedents)?

Thank you.

[tim]

The rule is that you will always be able to tell what the pronoun is supposed to refer to if you're being honest with yourself. Based on this sentence, it is 100% clear what the "it" is supposed to refer to. I would like you to take a moment to read through the sentence again, considering everything it's trying to tell you, and tell me honestly what had previously been costly.

Once you come to see that pronouns are NEVER ambiguous on the GMAT, it will be much easier for you to focus on the real issue: the correct antecedent must be present in the sentence. That's pretty much all there is to pronouns!

[boruc106]

hi Ron, I have problem to rule out
C one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century, turned cotton cloth into an affordable, however costly previously, commodity
isn' t "affordable" and "however costly previously" a comparison? adj. vs adj. ?

[RonPurewal]

"however" (an adverb) doesn't work like that.