A 5 min read

In this article, we’ll look at the solution to the 700-level GMAT Official Guide Sentence Correction question. SC37561.01- “Evidence of some shifts in the character…”.

Here is some general information about this OG question – Evidence of some shifts in the character of violence on television is emerging from a new study of 500 television programs by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, a nonprofit research center in Washington D.C., a study that is underwritten by a number of educational institutions.

Watch the video solution of this official guide question below:

1. OG Question – Evidence of some shifts in the SC37561.01- Evidence of some shifts in the character…

GMAT OG question – SC37561.01- Evidence of some shifts in the character of violence on television is emerging from a new study of 500 television programs by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, a nonprofit research center in Washington D.C., a study that is underwritten by a number of educational institutions.

[Refer to the Official Guide for options]

For me, this question is a medley of modifiers. Just look at those back-to-back modifiers right from the beginning to the end of the sentence. Their sheer number tells me that we need to tread super carefully while dealing with the sentence so that every modifier correctly modifies the entities it is meant to modify. So, let’s just read the sentence really slow and ascertain what each modifier must modify here.

2. Video Solution- SC37561.01- Evidence of some shifts in the character…

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3. Meandering through Modifiers on the Mean-ing Machine

The sentence talks about some evidence – evidence of some shifts. Shifts in what? Shifts in the quality of violence in television. So, what about this evidence? The sentence says that this evidence is cropping up from a new study of 500 TV programs.

Next, the sentence mentions the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) and describes it as a nonprofit research center located in Washington D.C. The sentence shifts gear here and starts talking about this study of 500 TV programs. It says that many educational institutions support this study.

Frankly, there is nothing majorly wrong with this sentence. But I must admit that the gear shirt I mentioned just above jolts me slightly. My smooth ride through this dense sentence is disturbed a bit here. To be honest, I also felt a slight jolt when I read “TV programs by the CPMA.” My logical mind is convinced that a research center generally does not produce TV programs. But the structure here just acts as speedbump.

So, can I prevent these jolts? Most certainly. All I need to do is rearrange the sentence so that the description of this study appears next to it. Then, there will be no shifting needed and hence, no jolt.

Also, the speedbump can be smoothened out by the same process. We just need to traverse through all the answer choices to pick the right one.   

4. Choice D – The Perfect Mix

Choice D: programs, a study underwritten by a number of educational institutions and conducted by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, a non-profit research center in Washington D.C.

It is choice D that does the trick. No jolts, no bumps. Just a smooth ride through the medley of modifiers. Very deftly, this choice combines the two descriptions for the study, places them together, and seamlessly conveys everything it needs to say. Every modifier correctly connects with its partner to present the logical meaning.

The wonderful disconnect between the “TV programs” and the CPMA makes this choice a joy ride.

5. Choose Not, Challenge Choice C

Choice C:  programs underwritten by a number of educational institutions and conducted by the Centre for Media and Public Affairs, non-profit research center based in Washington D.C.

Whoa! This choice has these high-voltage jolts. The arrangement of the modifiers present a weird meaning. Can you see them? This choice seems to suggest that TV programs are underwtitten by many education institutions. Then, it seems to say that these programs are conducted by the CMPA. These jolts really hurt my head (and my accuracy level too). Dump it and jump to D.

6. A Quick Look At All of Them

A. programs by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, a nonprofit research center in Washington D.C., a study that is underwritten by a number of educational institutions

B. programs by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, a non-profit research center in Washington D.C., and it is underwritten by a number of educational institutions

Apart from those lousy logical jolts, the pronoun demon (Stacey’s nomenclature) “it” is on the prowl here. Because it is a subject, it gravitates toward the subject of the first clause – Evidence – as its antecedent and ruins the logic.

C. programs underwritten by a number of educational institutions and conducted by the Centre for Media and Public Affairs, non-profit research center based in Washington D.C.

D. programs, a study underwritten by a number of educational institutions and conducted by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, a non-profit research center in Washington D.C.

E. programs, a study conducted by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, a non-profit research center based in Washington D.C., and it is underwritten by a number of educational institutions

The same pronoun demon we encountered in Choice C is present here. So, let’s just make a U-turn back to Choice D.

7. Practice Question:

Try your hand on this question to make sure that you understand the importance of the placement of a modifier in a sentence.

You may also review our very famous article on Noun + Noun Modifiers here.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha

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