The yield per acre of coffee berries varies enormously in

[igordudchenko]

p

[jnelson0612]

I assume we're good here.

[violetwind]

I take the test on Wednesday so these are my last-minute questions. Thanks!

The yield per acre of coffee berries varies enormously in that a single tree, depending on both its size and on climate and altitude, could produce enough berries to make between one and twelve pounds of dried beans a year.

A) Same
B) enormously, in that a single tree, dependent on its size and also on climate and altitude, is able to produce
C) enormously, because a single tree, depending on its size and on climate and altitude, is able to produce
D) enormously, because a single tree, being dependent on its size, climate, and altitude, is capable of producing
E) enormously, because a single tree, dependent both on its size as well as on climate and altitude, could produce

I picked A. Answer is C. Should I know something about "in that" vs "because"? Thanks!

Oops - also, generally stay in the same tense unless there's a reason to change. This one starts us out with "varies" and doesn't give us a reason to switch to "could produce." "Is" is better.

Hi Ron, I'm not questioning the right answer, just wanna get more understanding about the "is" vs"could" here.

I feel that "could" is more proper to discribe the uncertainty of the possible performance of a tree, does "is able to" also have the implication of "uncertainty"?

Thank you so much!

[tim]

yes, "is able to" can also convey uncertainty..

[mcmebk]

Is there any difference in the sentence structure if the comma is removed between enormously and because? I'm just curious whether the comma is necessary.

not in terms of structure, no.

there's a rhetorical difference: with the comma, you're emphasizing the result (the fact stated before the comma), not the rationale (the reasons stated after "because"). without the comma, the emphasis is inverted.

compare:
everybody is going to be late to class, because there are protesters out on all the street corners in the neighborhood.
--> i'm emphasizing that everyone is going to be late.

everybody is going to be late to class because there are protesters out on all the street corners in the neighborhood.
--> (you probably already know that everyone is going to be late, and) i'm emphasizing the reason WHY everyone is going to be late.

Hi Ron

I am trying to figure it out whether "Comma+Depending on" / "Comma + According to" is similar to structures "Comma + Regular Verb-ing":

I changed the plan to continue my studies, saving money for my parents (The subject I somehow performs the verb save);

Sentence 1: I may change the plan to continue my studies, depending on the money would be saved for my parents
Or
Sentence 2: My plan to continue my studies may be changed, depending on the money would be saved for my parents.

Is sentence 1 or 2 correct? Is it necessary to follow the same principle in the first example that the subject should be a type of "performer" of the verb?

Similar questions with According to - I always get confused about who/what the performer of "according to".

Thank you Ron.

[jlucero]

Hi Ron

I am trying to figure it out whether "Comma+Depending on" / "Comma + According to" is similar to structures "Comma + Regular Verb-ing":

I changed the plan to continue my studies, saving money for my parents (The subject I somehow performs the verb save);

Sentence 1: I may change the plan to continue my studies, depending on the money would be saved for my parents
Or
Sentence 2: My plan to continue my studies may be changed, depending on the money would be saved for my parents.

Is sentence 1 or 2 correct? Is it necessary to follow the same principle in the first example that the subject should be a type of "performer" of the verb?

Similar questions with According to - I always get confused about who/what the performer of "according to".

Thank you Ron.

Both of the main clauses look fine, although the phrase "depending on" must be followed by either a noun or a conjunction that allows for a full clause:

Depending on money, I may go to college.
Depending on the money THAT I make this summer, I may go to college.

But to answer your question, either sentence is fine, because you could logically say that I am depending on money, or that my plan is dependant upon money. Until I see an OG answer choice eliminated based on this, I'm going to say either phrasing is acceptable.

[lemonperb]

Hi GMAT instructors,
I wonder in "B": is"...and also..." rebundant?

[RonPurewal]

Hi GMAT instructors,
I wonder in "B": is"...and also..." rebundant?

"And also" appears in the correct answer to this problem:
turning-away-from-literary-realism-to-write-romantic-stories-t5815.html

[thanghnvn]

I take the test on Wednesday so these are my last-minute questions. Thanks!

The yield per acre of coffee berries varies enormously in that a single tree, depending on both its size and on climate and altitude, could produce enough berries to make between one and twelve pounds of dried beans a year.

A) Same
B) enormously, in that a single tree, dependent on its size and also on climate and altitude, is able to produce
C) enormously, because a single tree, depending on its size and on climate and altitude, is able to produce
D) enormously, because a single tree, being dependent on its size, climate, and altitude, is capable of producing
E) enormously, because a single tree, dependent both on its size as well as on climate and altitude, could produce

I picked A. Answer is C. Should I know something about "in that" vs "because"? Thanks!

"dependent on" in B and E modifies the noun preceding. this modification is not logic.

we do not need to know that "depending on" is idiom which work as an prepositional phrase working as adverbial in order to choose this phrase. if we consider "depending on" a participle, a kind of doing , which refer to a noun in the sentence, we still choose "depending on" as adverbial.

the big problem here is the difference between "dependent" and "depending"

[tim]

Please let us know if you have a question here.

[thanghnvn]

why B is wrong? why "dependant on" is wrong in B.

is it adjectival or adverb. pls explain

[RonPurewal]

why B is wrong? why "dependant on" is wrong in B.

is it adjectival or adverb. pls explain

Please read the entire thread. "Dependent" vs. "depending" has already been discussed in considerable detail.

[eggpain24]

Hi Ron,

could you pls explain how we can eliminate on the basis of 'dependent' vs 'depending'?? Thanks!

the problem lies in the different meanings of the 2 words. "dependent" refers to reliance on another for some kind of support (as in "my children are dependent on me for their food and shelter"). so not only is that choice sketchy in terms of grammar, but its meaning is also all kinds of wrong: it makes no sense to say that a tree is "dependent" on its size (does its size provide it with food or water? etc)

HI，ron
I still not quite understand the difference. can you raise some examples? also，is it “dependent” and “depend” here both serve as noun modifier modifying the noun “a single tree”

thank you！！

[JaneC643]

Hi, all

I have read the entire thread, and everyone agrees that "depending" modifies the whole clause rather than "a single tree". Ron said that the place of the adverbial modifier is not restricted and more flexible, so such interpretation is justified here. However, I found a sentence in OG12-21: " Neuroscientists, having amassed...., are now drawing..." seems different from what we concluded. In this sentence, "having amassed.." apparently modify the preceding noun" neuroscientists" rather than the whole clause. So, why in this question, "depending..."modifies the whole clause rather than the noun, but in the og problem it is other way around.

My guess is , in this problem, the adverbial modifier is inserted into a clause that starts with" because...", so it modifies the whole clause. But how we understand the two sentence that Ron gives us:
1. Coming home from school, i was blown off my bike by the wind.
2. James, coming home from school, was blown off his bike by the wind.

Thanks.

[RonPurewal]

OG12-21: " Neuroscientists, having amassed...., are now drawing..." seems different from what we concluded. In this sentence, "having amassed.." apparently modify the preceding noun" neuroscientists" rather than the whole clause.

it describes the whole clause. because neuroscientists have amassed xxxx, they are now ready to do certain things.