Use(s) of 'what'...

[bodhisattwabiswas]

Hello Ron,
Could you please explain the legitimate use(s) of 'what' in GMAT...
can 'what' be used instead of 'that' somewhere?
for example, is the use of what in the following sentence correct?
"Even though more money was removed out of stock funds in July than in any other month since October 1987, sales of fund shares in July were not as low as what an industry trade group had previously estimated."

[bodhisattwabiswas]

My another query is regarding the sentence -- "Geologists once thought that the molten rock known as lava was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days, sporadically erupting through volcanoes, but xxxxxxxxxx."
In another thread I have read --- "the modifier 'sporadically erupting...' does not describe anything in the preceding part, so it doesn't make sense as a 'comma + __ing' modifier (which must meaningfully describe the subject+action of the preceding sentence)."
Well, should not the 'comma + -ing' modifier describe either the subject OR the action of the preceding sentence? or should it describe both the subject AND the action of the preceding sentence??

[RonPurewal]

Hello Ron,
Could you please explain the legitimate use(s) of 'what' in GMAT...

This question is too general for a forum; you'll get a better (and faster!) answer by using Google.

I can think of 2 principal ways in which "what" is used:
1/ to ask questions (irrelevant on SC)
2/ to create constructions that can act as nouns. e.g.,
Her purchases shocked her boyfriend.
What she bought today shocked her boyfriend.

There are probably others that aren't immediately popping into my head at the moment.
(No native speaker could ever give an easy answer to a question like this, because native speakers don't learn exhaustive lists of how things are used. Think about any word that's really common in your own language; ask yourself whether you can list all the ways in which it's used. Chances are that you can't.)

Try searching it. Or even look up "what" in a dictionary, and look at the examples.

can 'what' be used instead of 'that' somewhere?

If one of these makes sense, the other won't.

for example, is the use of what in the following sentence correct?
"Even though more money was removed out of stock funds in July than in any other month since October 1987, sales of fund shares in July were not as low as what an industry trade group had previously estimated."

It'd be better with "what" taken out -- ...not as low as an industry trade group had estimated -- but, no, it's not necessarily wrong.

[RonPurewal]

should it describe both the subject AND the action of the preceding sentence??

One question mark is enough. Two or more is rude. Thanks.

--

It should be relevant to both.

E.g.,
Tyler was slapped by a girl at recess, infuriating his father.
--> Tyler's dad was mad at Tyler for letting a girl slap him. He wasn't necessarily mad at the girl.

A girl slapped Tyler at recess, infuriating his father.
--> Tyler's dad was mad at the girl for slapping Tyler.

[bodhisattwabiswas]

should it describe both the subject AND the action of the preceding sentence??

One question mark is enough. Two or more is rude. Thanks.

--

It should be relevant to both.

E.g.,
Tyler was slapped by a girl at recess, infuriating his father.
--> Tyler's dad was mad at Tyler for letting a girl slap him. He wasn't necessarily mad at the girl.

A girl slapped Tyler at recess, infuriating his father.
--> Tyler's dad was mad at the girl for slapping Tyler.

Sorry for the typo...the additional '?'
And thanks for the explanation...
So, is the sentence "Geologists once thought that the molten rock known as lava was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days, sporadically erupting through volcanoes, but xxxxxxxxxx." wrong? I mean...the lava was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest day, and it erupted through volcanoes from underground...does not that make sense?
By the way, my intention is not to challenge any question/answer/explanation, I am just trying to improve my understanding regarding this structure.

[RonPurewal]

So, is the sentence "Geologists once thought that the molten rock known as lava was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days, sporadically erupting through volcanoes, but xxxxxxxxxx." wrong?

Yep, wrong.
"Erupting through volcanoes" has no meaningful relationship to being a "remnant of Earth's earliest days". Two completely different observations that have nothing to do with each other.

Modifiers have to describe the things that they "modify". That doesn't happen here.

The question you're talking about has been retired from our database.

[bodhisattwabiswas]

So, is the sentence "Geologists once thought that the molten rock known as lava was an underground remnant of Earth's earliest days, sporadically erupting through volcanoes, but xxxxxxxxxx." wrong?

Yep, wrong.
"Erupting through volcanoes" has no meaningful relationship to being a "remnant of Earth's earliest days". Two completely different observations that have nothing to do with each other.

Modifiers have to describe the things that they "modify". That doesn't happen here.

The question you're talking about has been retired from our database.

thanks a lot for the clarification...
By the way, I have read your explanation regarding 'in that' vs. 'because'...It is very very helpful. Could you please explain the uses of 'for' vs. 'because' likewise? I couldn't find it in the forum...

[RonPurewal]

Could you please explain the uses of 'for' vs. 'because' likewise? I couldn't find it in the forum...

Please give an example in which these constructions are contrasted with each other. Thanks.

[QIAND24]

Hi, Ron!
I am still confused about the usage of "what" in the question. I know we should not question the correct answer, but I just find a sentence without "what" in OG. I just paste the correct sentence here:

[redacted]

[RonPurewal]

we can't host or discuss any OG problems (or pieces thereof) here. please read the forum rules before posting; thanks.

if you see two different versions of something that are both acceptable, then ... they're both acceptable.