Question
Because an oversupply of computer chips has sent prices plunging, the manufacturer has announced that it will cut production by closing its factories for two days a month.
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
The sentence says that an oversupply of computer chips has resulted in a drop in the prices of the chips. As a result, the manufacturer has announced that it will cut production by closing its factories for two days a month.
The sentence is logically and grammatically correct.
Option Analysis
(A) Correct.
(B) Incorrect. Singular verb “is” doesn’t agree with plural “prices” (‘which’ refers to ‘prices’)
(C) Incorrect. The antecedent for “which” is not clear or, rather, doesn’t logically exist in this option. One way to correct this option is: “because computer chip prices have been sent plunging by an oversupply”. However, in this case too, option A is better because option A communicates the idea in a more direct – active – voice.
(D) Incorrect. “plunging computer chip prices from an oversupply” doesn’t communicate the idea clearly that computer prices are plunging from an oversupply.
(E) Incorrect. The use of “due to” and “with the result” together creates redundancy.
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Hi CJ,
I was bit confused about the use of “plunging” in option A, C and E. As per cambridge dictionary, “plunging” is an adjective and that’s why I thought it would make sense for plunging to modify a noun (“plunging prices”) and rejected option A.
What does “plunging” act as in option A, C and E – a verb (present continuous) ?
I think it’s acting as an “object complement”. Here’s an article on this jargon: https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/object_complement.htm
Hi CJ,
Thank you for the explanation.
I still have doubts in B, D and E.
I eliminated B because ‘which’ seemed to refer to computer chips. I somehow had this understanding that in a ‘comma plus which’ construction, which is not allowed to jump over a prepositional phrase to modify another noun. Whereas, the same is possible in case of a ‘that’ modifier. Please correct me if my understanding is incorrect.
I eliminated D since the phrase ‘Due to plunging computer chip prices from an oversupply’ was trying to modify the verb announced. I had the understanding that phrases that begin with ‘due to’ can only modify nouns and not verbs. I eliminated E for a similar reason.
Is this understanding correct?
Also, I did not understand the second error in E mentioned in the solution. It points to the second error in D. But there is only one error mentioned in D which is that the meaning is not communicated clearly. And the meaning aspect that an oversupply caused the computer chip prices to plunge seems to have been communicated properly in E.
Thanks and Regards,
Udit
B. There is no such rule.
C. Please refer to this article.
E. Edited. Thank you!
Hi CJ,
Comparing Option B and Option C, why do you feel the antecedent for “which” is not clear in Option C.
Is it because it could refer back to “computer” or “prices”?
Compared to “B”, where prices are modified by prepositional phase “for computer chips”?
A noun modifier, including a dependent clause, cannot jump over a verb to modify a noun. Thus, ‘which’ cannot jump over “have been sent plunging” to modify the subject.
:O
Hi CJ,
In options C, D and E, I thought that computer chip prices is wrong. How can a single computer chip from a particular manufacturer have prices (plural).
Shouldn’t it be either computer chips prices or computer chip price ?
Do we talk about share prices or shares prices?
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