Due to automobile-related jobs in the 1920's

[JackyF923]

Due to automobile-related jobs in the 1920's employing one of every eight workers, the automobile industry dominated the American economy.

• A. Due to automobile-related jobs in the 1920's employing one of every eight workers, the automobile industry dominated the American economy.

• B. One out of every eight workers were employed in automobile-related jobs in the 1920's, with the American economy being dominated by the automobile industry.

• C. The automobile industry dominated the American economy in the 1920's, with one of every eight workers having been employed in automobile-related jobs.

• D. In the 1920's, the automobile industry had dominated the American economy, when one out of every eight workers was employed in an automobile-related job.

• E. In the 1920's, the automobile industry dominated the American economy, with one out of every eight workers employed in an automobile-related job.

Can anybody tell me why A&C are incorrect?
How can I discern the absolute phrases?
The correct answer is E.
THX!

[RonPurewal]

"due to" is explained here:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... tml#p29817

choice A implies that the auto industry, as a whole, was somehow caused by these jobs. that doesn't make sense. (read the post above to understand why this is implied.)

--

also, it should be clear from the context that "in the 1920's" should modify "...dominated the American economy". in choice A this modifier is badly misplaced.

[RonPurewal]

choice C contains "having ___ed".

remember that, in general, "__ing" constructions adopt the same timeframe as the sentence to which they're attached.
if you want an __ing modifier that describes a previous timeframe--i.e., prior to the timeframe of the main sentence--then you use "having ____ed".

e.g.,
Russ came close to completing the challenge, finishing eleven of the twelve tasks. (same timeframe-- both "came close" and "finishing" describe the action of completing the tasks)

Russ was close to completing the challenge, having finished eleven of the twelve tasks. ("was close..." describes the situation in which russ found himself AFTER finishing the 11 tasks)

this construction is definitely nonsense here, since the "domination" clearly occurs in the same timeframe as the mass employment. (choice C implies that 1 of 8 workers had been employed in the auto industry at some point; it implies nothing about how many were employed in the 1920s!)

[JackyF923]

choice C contains "having ___ed".

remember that, in general, "__ing" constructions adopt the same timeframe as the sentence to which they're attached.
if you want an __ing modifier that describes a previous timeframe--i.e., prior to the timeframe of the main sentence--then you use "having ____ed".

e.g.,
Russ came close to completing the challenge, finishing eleven of the twelve tasks. (same timeframe-- both "came close" and "finishing" describe the action of completing the tasks)

Russ was close to completing the challenge, having finished eleven of the twelve tasks. ("was close..." describes the situation in which russ found himself AFTER finishing the 11 tasks)

this construction is definitely nonsense here, since the "domination" clearly occurs in the same timeframe as the mass employment. (choice C implies that 1 of 8 workers had been employed in the auto industry at some point; it implies nothing about how many were employed in the 1920s!)

Thanks Ron!!! Learn a lot!!!!
Love you all the time!

[RonPurewal]

you're welcome.

[yuhuanz565]

Hi, Ron

I have two questions.

What's wrong's choice D? I guess it has some problem about tense. The past perfect tense in choice D seems awkward. However, I see there is a past time point--" In the 1920's", so I'm not sure whether the past perfect is wrong here.

For the right choice E, is there any problem with the modifier "employed in an automobile-related job"? Is there any uncertainty about the content it modifies? It could modify either the every eight workers or one of the eight workers.

[RonPurewal]

Hi, Ron

I have two questions.
[list]What's wrong's choice D? I guess it has some problem about tense. The past perfect tense in choice D seems awkward. However, I see there is a past time point--" In the 1920's", so I'm not sure whether the past perfect is wrong here.

"had dominated" actually implies that, by the 1920s, the auto industry no longer dominated the economy.

read here (and following):
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... ml#p115153

the second post is about a situation very similar to this one.

[RonPurewal]

For the right choice E, is there any problem with

DO NOT question the correct answers!

here's a handy FAQ:

Q: Is the correct answer correct?
A: Yes.

Q: Is the correct answer wrong?
A: No.

Q: I disagree with the correct answer. Who's wrong, me or GMAC?
A: You.

Q: I wrote this other version. Is it better than the correct answer?
A: No.

[RonPurewal]

Is there any uncertainty about the content it modifies? It could modify either the every eight workers or one of the eight workers.

there is no uncertainty. whatever they're saying here should be evidence of the auto industry's domination.
so the message must be '1/8 of all american workers worked in the auto industry'.

[thanghnvn]

I get E but do not understand properly why choic B is wrong.

Please explain. Thank you

[Manihar.sidharth]

Hi Ron
Isn't meaning of the original sentence inverted in the correct answer E.
As per my understanding,original sentence is implying that"CAUSE: " because one in eight workers were working in automobile-related jobs , EFFECT : "the automobile industry dominated the American economy"

But in the correct answer E "the automobile industry dominated the American economy",-- how did it dominated it (with one out of every eight workers employed in an automobile-related job).It just explains the Automobile industry did the domination..

Please correct my understanding.

Thanks

[RonPurewal]

Hi Ron
Isn't meaning of the original sentence inverted in the correct answer E.

DO NOT question the correct answers!

here's a handy FAQ:

Q: Is the correct answer correct?
A: Yes.

Q: Is the correct answer wrong?
A: No.

Q: I disagree with the correct answer. Who's wrong, me or GMAC?
A: You.

Q: I wrote this other version. Is it better than the correct answer?
A: No.

[RonPurewal]

in any case, this sentence isn't a cause-effect relationship.

the following sentence makes sense as a cause-effect relationship:
Because half the town's population is employed in jobs that require typing all day, local doctors see many cases of carpal-tunnel syndrome.
THAT is cause/effect.
the point is that an effect must FOLLOW its cause.

in this problem, the 1/8 figure is just given as a metric to 'measure' the dominance of the auto industry. it's not a cause-effect relationship, because the 1/8 figure is not something that came first and then caused the dominance of the auto industry.

[Manihar.sidharth]

in any case, this sentence isn't a cause-effect relationship.

the following sentence makes sense as a cause-effect relationship:
Because half the town's population is employed in jobs that require typing all day, local doctors see many cases of carpal-tunnel syndrome.
THAT is cause/effect.
the point is that an effect must FOLLOW its cause.

in this problem, the 1/8 figure is just given as a metric to 'measure' the dominance of the auto industry. it's not a cause-effect relationship, because the 1/8 figure is not something that came first and then caused the dominance of the auto industry.

Sorry Ron if I gave the impression that I am questioning the right answer. I have no problem whatsoever following the fact that whatever answer is given is the right Answer.

The reason I think the given sentence as cause - effect relationship as because I see the sentence starting from "Due to".
Due to (relacing it by CAUSED BY) automobile-related jobs in the 1920's employing one of every eight workers, the automobile industry dominated the American economy.
Correct me if this a wrong interpretation.

Thanks.

[RonPurewal]

choice A will have the wrong meaning just as often as any other choice will.

there is NOTHING special about 'the original meaning'. choice A is just a random answer choice, like the other four. (they put something in the underline—as opposed to a blank underline—to make it easier for you to understand the intended meaning.)