by LazyNK Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:59 am
Hey Nakul,
Before trying to identify splits, lets try to understand the meaning of the sentence.
What are the US legislators citing ? They are citing a concern about something, and they view this concern as an obstacle to congressional passage. The correct choice will reflect this meaning correctly.
Now, lets try to identify splits. The first useful split may be identified at the end of the choices.
1) the concern
2) obstacle to congressional passage
3) the concern
4) obstacle to congressional passage
5) the concern
Since the non underlined part of the sentence which follows the above choices is a relative clause modifier "that the bank's loans...", the preceding word(phrase) should be the intended object of the modifier.
We can eliminate 2) and 4) because in these choices, the relative clause modifier "that the bank's loans..." modifies "obstacle". But, the modified object should be concern and not obstacle, as it only makes sense to say "concern that the bank's loans...". Infact, the entire subordinate clause "the concern that banks loans..." is an obstacle cited by the US legislators.
So we have 1), 3) and 5) left.
Lets identify another split
1) an obstacle to congressional passage
3) as an obstacle to congressional passage
5) as an obstacle for Congress to pass
Eliminate 5) as "obstacle for congress to pass" is unidiomatic and ambiguous as it could mean that "something is an obstruction to congress", but infact "something is an obstruction to the act of passing of the bill by the congress".So, 1) and 3) are remaining.
1) an obstacle to congressional passage being the concern
3) as an obstacle to congressional passage the concern
Not only is 1) awkward because of the presence of "being the concern", but also there is a problem with its meaning.
1) says "cite an obstacle being the concern" (removed the modifier "to congressional passage" to understand better). Are they citing the obstacle because it is a concern OR are they citing the concern as an obstacle. It should be concern as an obstacle, as I mentioned right at the beginning. But 1) means that they are citing the obstacle because it is a concern. Hence eliminate 1).
Correct answer is 3), all modifiers are correctly placed and it is clear in this choice, that they are citing the concern as an obstacle.
-NK