Question: Although improved efficiency in converting harvested trees into wood products may reduce harvest rates, it will stimulate demand by increasing supply and lowering prices, thereby boosting consumption.
(A) in converting harvested trees into wood products may reduce harvest rates, it will stimulate demand by increasing supply and lowering prices, thereby boosting
(B) in converting harvested trees into wood products may reduce harvest rates, demand will be stimulated because of increasing supply and lowering prices, which boost
(C) of converting harvested trees into wood products may reduce harvest rates, it will stimulate demand by increasing supply and lowering prices, which boosts
(D) of harvested trees being converted into wood products may reduce harvest rates, it will stimulate demand, because it will increase supply and lower prices, thereby boosting
(E) when harvested trees are converted into wood products may reduce harvest rates, demand will be stimulated because of increasing supply and lowering prices, which boost
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The phrase used in this answer choice “in converting harvested trees into wood products may reduce harvest rates” convey the meaning that is intended. The intended meaning of the sentence is that improved efficiency in the procedure of converting harvested trees into wood products may reduce harvest rates. Moreover, the clause “it (the efficiency) will stimulate demand by increasing supply and lowering prices” is correctly used in this answer choice. The structure of this clause used here implies the meaning correctly. It indicates that the improved efficiency in recycling harvested trees into wood products will encourage demand by rising supply and diminishing prices. Furthermore, the phrase “thereby boosting” is used correctly in this answer choice. The use of the “comma and present participle (“verb+ing” - “boosting”)” in this sentence represents the intended meaning of the sentence. This intended meaning represents that it will stimulate demand by increasing supply and diminishing prices because accomplishing so, boosts consumption. The use of the present participle (“verb+ing” - “boosting”) after the comma used in this sentence generally conducts a cause-effect relationship. Therefore, option A is the correct answer as it justifies the rules of grammar. Let’s take a look at the other answer choices.
Option B
The clause “demand will be stimulated because of increasing supply and lowering prices” used in this answer choice changes the actual meaning of the sentence. The structure of this phrase incorrectly suggests that increasing supply and lowering prices will stimulate demand. The actual meaning is that the improved efficiency in recycling harvested trees into wood products will boost demand by raising supply and lowering prices. Moreover, the phrase used in this answer choice “increasing supply and lowering prices” is erroneously modified with “which boosts consumption”. It incorrectly implies that increasing supply and lowering prices boost consumption. The actual meaning is that the improved efficiency will promote demand by raising supply and diminishing prices because accomplishing so, boosts consumption. It is required to remember that “who/whom/whose/where/which”, when preceded by a comma, indicates the noun just before the comma. Therefore, option B is incorrect and hence gets eliminated.
Option C
The phrase “which boosts consumption” used in this answer choice changes the meaning of the actual sentence. The structure of this phrase incorrectly suggests that increasing supply and declining prices will stimulate demand. The intended meaning is that improved efficiency in recycling harvested trees into wood products will boost demand by increasing supply and lowering prices. This will tends to increase consumption. Moreover, the “of ” used in this answer choice is an incorrect proposition. Furthermore “efficiency of converting…” is the wrong idiom that is used in this answer choice. It is required to remember that the idiom issue “of” needs to be followed by a noun rather than a clause. Therefore, option C is incorrect and hence gets eliminated.
Option D
The phrase “of harvested trees being converted into wood products” used in this answer choice transforms the original meaning of the sentence. The structure of this phrase suggests illogically that the improved efficiency of the harvested trees may reduce harvest rates. The intended meaning of the statement is that improved efficiency in the method of recycling harvested trees into wood products may reduce harvest rates. Moreover the sentence “...of harvested trees being converted into wood products…” is incorrect because of the use of “being”. The “being” is generally used when it is a continuous action. However, here, the action of converting is not considered an ongoing process. Option D implies that the demand will increase due to some action taken in future. Hence it makes the meaning of the sentence completely different. Therefore, option D is incorrect and thereby gets eliminated.
Option E
The phrase “when harvested trees are converted” used in this answer choice changes the actual meaning of the sentence. The use of “when” indicates the statement in an illogical way. It represents that improved efficiency that prevails at the time when harvested trees are recycled into wood products may reduce harvest rates. The intended meaning of the sentence is that improved efficiency in the method of recycling harvested trees into wood products may lower harvest rates. It is required to remember that “when” is used to indicate a moment in time. Moreover, the clause “demand will be stimulated because of increasing supply and lowering prices” further changes the meaning of the sentence. The structure of this phrase erroneously suggests that increasing supply and lowering prices will stimulate demand. The intended meaning is that the improved efficiency in recycling harvested trees into wood products will boost demand by increasing supply and reducing prices. Furthermore, The phrase “increasing supply and lowering prices” is incorrectly modified with “which boosts consumption”. It incorrectly indicates that increasing supply and lowering prices boost consumption. The intended meaning of the sentence is that the improved efficiency will raise supply and lower prices, and due to this, it boosts consumption. It is required to remember that “who/whom/whose/where/which” when preceded by a comma, indicates the noun just before the comma.
“Although improved efficiency in converting harvested trees into wood”- is a GMAT sentence correction question of the GMAT exam. These sorts of questions consist of grammatical errors in the underlined part of the sentence. The candidates need to select the correct statement given in the options. The GMAT sentence correction section needs sufficient grammar skills since the candidate has to determine the common grammatical errors. GMAT sentence correction is a part of GMAT verbal.
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