According to psychologists, many dieters

[wfzhang20]

According to psychologists, many dieters subconsciously prefer a diet plan whose effectiveness is uncertain -- a consideration that, in case of failure, lets them blame the supposed ineffectiveness of the plan rather than their own lack of self-control.

A) a diet plan whose effectiveness is uncertain -- a consideration that, in case of failure, lets them blame the supposed ineffectiveness of the plan rather than their own lack of self-control

B) an uncertain diet plan in terms of effectiveness: such plans allow them to believe that the supposed ineffectiveness of the plan is to blame, rather than that they lack self-control in case of failure

C)diet plans with uncertain effectiveness, which will allow them to blame the supposed ineffectiveness of the plan, rather than to lack self-control, in case of failure

D)uncertainly effective diet plans, allowing them to believe the plans that are supposedly ineffective, rather than that they lack self-control, in case of failure

E)diet plans uncertain in effectiveness; in case of failure, allowing them to believe that the plan itself is ineffective rather than that they lack self-control

The correct answer is A.

QUESTION: I had immediately eliminated answer choice A due to the usage of the word "whose". I learned from various GMAT instructors, including an older Manhattan GMAT Staff post (Source: whose-whom-pronoun-reference-issue-t15835.html), that the GMAT will only use whose to refer to people and living things.

In answer choice A, "whose" seems to refer to the diet plan, as the intent of the sentence seems to question the diet plan's effectiveness. The other noun that "whose" could refer to are the many dieters, but it doesn't make sense to question their effectiveness. It makes even less sense to have it refer to Psychologists, as their efficacy is not what the sentence pertains to.

Can someone explain why A is correct? Specifically, why "whose" is used correctly as is.

[RonPurewal]

Can someone explain why A is correct? Specifically, why "whose" is used correctly as is.

Whose is the possessive form of who, but it's also the possessive form of that/which.

e.g.,
The man who spoke at the graduation ceremony...
("that/which" would be wrong here)
The man whose son spoke at the graduation ceremony...

and...
The table that was moved into the dining room...
("who" would be wrong here)
The table whose legs were broken in the earthquake...

all correct.

by the way, if you want hard GMAC-style proof, just check out OG12 #114 / OG13 #116. Can't reproduce it here (GMAC has kindly asked us not to reproduce its materials), but it contains a clear and unambiguous use of "whose" to refer to a thing, not a person.

[wfzhang20]

Thank you for the response.

I'll keep in mind that it's not wise to eliminate an answer choice with 'whose' simply on the basis of it pointing to a non-person.

[jnelson0612]

Thank you for the response.

I'll keep in mind that it's not wise to eliminate an answer choice with 'whose' simply on the basis of it pointing to a non-person.

That was a good clarification for everyone here. Thanks for asking!

[umang.gmat]

Dear Manhattan Team,

I eliminated choice C, because of the usage of "WHICH". It would modify uncertain effectiveness, and not the diet plan.

Was I right in eliminating C because of the above reasoning ?

Cheers!!!
Umang

[JbhB682]

Hi experts , could you please confirm why B and C can be eliminated

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

The following is taken from the explanation we provide in the CAT exam:

(B) The phrase “an uncertain diet plan in terms of effectiveness” is not only awkward, but also unclear: it seems to indicate that the diet plan itself, rather than the plan's effectiveness, is “uncertain.” There is a lack of agreement between the plural “plans” (at the start of the second clause) and the singular “plan” (in the first clause); better agreement would be achieved if “such plans” were replaced with “such a plan.” Finally, the modifier “in case of failure” is attached only to the second option in the parallel structure (“that they lack self-control”); this modifier should be placed so as to modify that entire parallel structure.

(C) This choice places the two infinitives to blame… and to lack… in parallel, thus creating a nonsense meaning: the (illogical) implication that the diet plan "will allow them to blame" and "[will allow them] to lack self-control." This is incorrect; the dieters' second option is to blame a lack of self-control.