Question
Employing many different techniques throughout his career, Michelangelo produced a great variety of art works, including paintings, for example, in the Sistine Chapel, to sculpture, for example, the statue of David.
Option A
Option B
Option C
Option D
Option E
(This question is from Official Guide. Therefore, because of copyrights, the complete question cannot be copied here. The question can be accessed at GMAT Club)
Solution
Sentence Analysis
- Employing many different techniques throughout his career, (Verb-ing modifier modifying the main clause)
- Michelangelo produced a great variety of art works, (Main Subject: Michelangelo; Main Verb: produced)
- including paintings, for example, in the Sistine Chapel, (Prepositional phrase modifying ‘art works’)
- to sculpture, for example, the statue of David. (seems to present the second part of the ‘from x to y’ structure)
The sentence says that by employing many different techniques, Michelangelo produced a great variety of art works, which included paintings, such as those in the Sistine Chapel and sculpture, such as the statue of David.
The sentence has the following problems:
- The use of both ‘including’ and ‘for example’ leads to redundancy. The meaning of this part is ‘including, for example, paintings in the Sistine Chapel’. Clearly, a redundant construction.
- ‘to’ requires a ‘from’ to precede it. ‘from’ is absent.
- When ‘for example’ is used in the middle of a sentence, the example precedes this phrase. In this construction, ‘the statue of David’ appears after this phrase. This use is thus not correct.
Option Analysis
(A) Incorrect. For the reasons mentioned above.
(B) Incorrect. For the following reasons:
- 1st error of the original sentence.
- 2nd error of the original sentence
(C) Incorrect. Standalone ‘as’ cannot be used to offer examples. Thus, this use of ‘as’ is incorrect in this option.
(D) Correct.
(E) Incorrect. For the following reasons:
- ‘ranging from…and’ is not correct. ‘and’ needs to be replaced with ‘to’.
- A slightly better construction than ‘such as in the Sistine Chapel’ would be ‘such as those in the Sistine Chapel’.
If you have any doubts regarding any part of this solution, please feel free to ask in the comments section.
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Employing many different techniques throughout his career, Michelangelo produced a great variety of art works,ranging from paintings, such as those in the Sistine Chapel, to sculpture, such as the statue of David.
In the above correct option Michelangelo produced a great variety of art works, ranging (verbing modifier modifying the preceding clause and neither explains the how aspect and result of preceding clause. How this aspect of , ranging can be ignored. I wasted a lot of time to figure out this option because of clausal modifier aspect of ,ranging. I was looking for option without comma,but there was no such option:()
Good observation, Shekhar. So, what can we take away from this question? That verb-ing does not modify the preceding clause only in the two ways you have mentioned.
Sir,
Is comma + ‘ranging’ modifying the preceding clause by providing more details for it? (instead of the how aspect or the result)
Yes.
Thank a lot for all the brilliant explanations!!
Hi CJ,
Original error found:
When ‘for example’ is used in the middle of a sentence, the example precedes this phrase. In this construction, ‘the statue of David’ appears after this phrase. This use is thus not correct.
Does this mean:
Clause, ….. example….. , for example. -> is this construction correct always? Or preferred over the below one?
Clause, for example,…… example…….
Could you expand your thoughts on this more?
A few examples would be really helpful.
Cheers!
AC
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