Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
batliwala wrote:
Since the 1930's aircraft manufacturers have tried to build airplanes with frictionless wings, shaped so smoothly and perfectly that the air passing over them would not become turbulent.
(A) wings, shaped so smoothly and perfectly
(B) wings, wings so smooth and so perfectly shaped
(C) wings that are shaped so smooth and perfect
(D) wings, shaped in such a smooth and perfect manner
(E) wings, wings having been shaped smoothly and perfectly so
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that “wings” (and not “airplanes”) were smooth and perfectly shaped; hence, “so smooth and perfectly shaped that the air passing over them would not become turbulent” must clearly modify “airplanes”; only choices B and E do that.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Modifiers + Tenses• "so cause that effect" is the correct, idiomatic usage.
• In a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction.
• An adjective can only modify a noun; it cannot modify another adjective; to modify an adjective, an adverb must be used; generally, adjective+ly leads to an adverb.
A: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly uses the phrase “shaped so smoothly and perfectly” to modify the noun “airplanes” rather than the noun “wings”, altering the sentence to incorrectly imply that the
airplanes are shaped in a
smooth and perfect manner; the intended meaning is that the
wings are
smooth and perfectly shaped; remember, in a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun.
B: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase “wings so smooth and so perfectly shaped” to modify the noun “wings”, preserving the intended meaning of the sentence- that the
wings are
smooth and perfectly shaped. Further, Option B correctly modifies the noun "wings" with the adjectives "smooth" and "perfectly shaped". Additionally, Option B correctly uses the idiomatic construction "so cause that effect". Besides, Option B is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
C: Trap. This answer incorrectly uses the adjectives “smooth” and “perfect” rather than their adverb forms to modify the verb "shaped”; please remember, an adjective can only modify a noun; generally, adjective+ly leads to an adverb.
D: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly uses the phrase “shaped in such a smooth and perfect manner” to modify the noun “airplanes” rather than the noun “wings”, altering the sentence to incorrectly imply that the
airplanes are shaped in a
smooth and perfect manner; the intended meaning is that the
wings are
smooth and perfectly shaped; remember, in a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun.
E: This answer incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "cause so that effect”; please remember, "so cause that effect" is the correct, idiomatic usage. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the needlessly wordy phrase “having been shaped”, leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
Hence, B is the best answer choice.To understand the concept of "Phrase Comma Subject" and "Subject Comma Phrase" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1minute):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
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