SC Guide - Verb Modifier

[enniguy]

Hi,

I have a few questions in 4th edition SC guide that I did not understand. Please help me understand them.

1. I am not able to understand "Verb Modifier". I do know that it should modify verbs but apart from that it gets very confusing to me. As in this example, in SC guide,
[*]Based on the recent decline in enrollment, the admissions office decided to reevaluate its recruitment strategies.
According to the explanation this is a noun modifier and it has to be replaced with a verb modifier. But I did not understand the replacement, "Because of the recent decline in enrollment".

2. How should I use "Whose"? I know that "who" is subject pronoun and "Whom" is object pronoun. I did not understand "Whose".

[esledge]

1. I am not able to understand "Verb Modifier". I do know that it should modify verbs but apart from that it gets very confusing to me. As in this example, in SC guide,
[*]Based on the recent decline in enrollment, the admissions office decided to reevaluate its recruitment strategies.
According to the explanation this is a noun modifier and it has to be replaced with a verb modifier. But I did not understand the replacement, "Because of the recent decline in enrollment".

It might help you to turn the phrase into a question:
Based on the recent decline ... ---> WHAT was based on the recent decline..?

WHAT = noun, so a noun is what this phrase modifies. Thus, the given sentence implies that the admissions office (i.e. the noun after the comma) was itself based on the recent decline... This doesn't make sense.

Because of the recent decline ... ---> WHAT HAPPENED because of the recent decline ...?

WHAT HAPPENED = verb, so this sentence implies that the admissions office decided to reevaluate because of the recent decline... This makes sense.

2. How should I use "Whose"? I know that "who" is subject pronoun and "Whom" is object pronoun. I did not understand "Whose".

Whose is the possessive pronoun.

Examples:
Whose socks are these?
The cat, whose fur was shaved before the surgery, is starting to look normal again.
The teacher whose students score highest on the exam will get a bonus.

[Haaress]

Emily, thanks for the simple way used to explain such a difficult concept. I am simply enthused by your explanation!

[mschwrtz]

We're glad that Emily was able to sort that out.

[gmatalongthewatchtower]

Ok. I have another question.

I am referring to manhattan GMAT SC Series - Chap 12 / Pg 229.

After the agreement surfaced, the commission dissolved it.

Now, I will ask the question, "What happened after the agreement surfaced"? Going by Emily's logic, I would say the answer is the verb "dissolve"??? HEnce, the modifier is not a noun modifier but a verb modifier. Given that, commission shouldn't be placed after comma.

Am I missing anything ? Please confirm. I am a bit lost :(

Thanks
Voodoo child

[gmatalongthewatchtower]

Any thoughts please ?

[tim]

of course you're missing something - the rule that says you can't put a comma after "surfaced". you can't just decide you don't want a comma somewhere and then mark the answer choice wrong because it doesn't do what you want..

[gmatalongthewatchtower]

of course you're missing something - the rule that says you can't put a comma after "surfaced". you can't just decide you don't want a comma somewhere and then mark the answer choice wrong because it doesn't do what you want..

MGMAT Staff - I did some research after this and found that the difference between a verb modifier and a noun modifier is that one modifies noun and the other modifies verb. However, it doesn't mean that we cannot have a noun/subject after the noun.

e.g. Based on graphs, prediction was done by Sandra.

Here, "based on graphs" is a noun modifier modifying prediction.

"Because of rains, the commission canceled the football match"

Here Because of rains is a verb modifier. We need a subject that acts upon on that verb.

Hence, "verb modifier",subject verb....

Am I correct ?

Please let me know.

Thanks
Voodoo Child

[tim]

you're fine here. the problem was when one of the posters made up a fake rule about commas; there is no rule that says you can't have a comma after that modifying clause. although they are all grammatically incorrect for other reasons, your examples use modifiers (and the comma) correctly..

[HSI5858]

Does "whose" have the same rule as is the case with "which"? Which usually modify the noun preceding comma, but can be flexible sometimes.

For example,
OG #26, Dickinson's letter to Susan Huntington dickinson, which were written....
Which modify Dickinson's letter. "which", most of the time, modify the noun preceding comma but "which" can also modify letter in the sample shown above

THEREFORE

It is rare to see John running to his father, whose nose was bleeding.
Does "whose" modify "John" or "his father"?
Does "whose", "in which", "where" ALWAYS modify the noun preceding comma?

[tim]

if "whose" is serving as a nonessential modifier, it follows the same rules "which" does. if it is serving as an essential modifier, it follows the same rules "that" does..

[yly.tr9]

1. I am not able to understand "Verb Modifier". I do know that it should modify verbs but apart from that it gets very confusing to me. As in this example, in SC guide,
[*]Based on the recent decline in enrollment, the admissions office decided to reevaluate its recruitment strategies.
According to the explanation this is a noun modifier and it has to be replaced with a verb modifier. But I did not understand the replacement, "Because of the recent decline in enrollment".

It might help you to turn the phrase into a question:
Based on the recent decline ... ---> WHAT was based on the recent decline..?

WHAT = noun, so a noun is what this phrase modifies. Thus, the given sentence implies that the admissions office (i.e. the noun after the comma) was itself based on the recent decline... This doesn't make sense.

Because of the recent decline ... ---> WHAT HAPPENED because of the recent decline ...?

WHAT HAPPENED = verb, so this sentence implies that the admissions office decided to reevaluate because of the recent decline... This makes sense.

2. How should I use "Whose"? I know that "who" is subject pronoun and "Whom" is object pronoun. I did not understand "Whose".

Whose is the possessive pronoun.

Examples:
Whose socks are these?
The cat, whose fur was shaved before the surgery, is starting to look normal again.
The teacher whose students score highest on the exam will get a bonus.

I vaguely understand what you are saying here, but could we have some more examples like this please + with explanation as well.

Thank you

[tim]

what is it you are referring to? you quoted a long post. and what further explanation would you like? was there something you didn't understand in what was already said?