forming/ to form

[NhiT708]

Dear Ron,

I would like to ask about the Verb-ING modifier in the clause: "There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay, ..."

What is being modified by "using just mud or clay"?
It seems to me that "using just mud or clay" modifies "to build".

However, isn't it true that Verb-ING modifier modifies (a) the preceding noun or (b) the verb in the preceding clause ? In this case, "using just mud or clay" doesn't seem to modify either a noun or a verb. What am I missing here?

Could you please shed some light on it?

Thank you very much!

[RonPurewal]

yeah, it's best to think of "using" as a preposition, like "with".
build walls with just mud or clay
build walls using just mud or clay

it's not a coincidence that this falls outside the underlined part, by the way. this is not the sort of thing that will ever actually be tested.

(in the same way, you should not think of comma + "including" as a comma+__ing construction; "including" doesn't obey those rules, either.)

[MdAbuAsad]

One more from Real GMAT question

According to some analysts, the gains in the stock market reflect growing confidence that the economy will avoid the recession that many had feared earlier in the year and instead come in for a "soft landing"

here in the 2nd part "come" alone cannot act as a verb and the 1st part has a helping verb too "will" hence the "will" is understood / implied in the 2nd part

According to some analysts, the gains in the stock market reflect growing confidence that the economy will avoid the recession that many had feared earlier in the year and instead WILL come in for a "soft landing"

But if we have a complete verb form in the 2nd part the helping verb does not apply

As far I know, your example will work when there'll be NO comma before AND.
I want to ask many more questions to Manhattan instructors and to know the technique of the sentence correct.
According to you, this sentence is something like below:
I want to ask many more questions to Manhattan instructors and WANT to know the technique of the sentence correct.
But, it will be wrong, probably, if we INSERT a COMMA before AND like below.
I want to ask many more questions to Manhattan instructors, and WANT to know the technique of the sentence correct

Original sentence is something different.
Here, the original sentence:
There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay, but the most extensively used method has been to form the mud or clay into bricks, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, to lay them in the wall in mud mortar.
The bold part is modifier. So, if we eliminate the modifier from the original sentence, then the remaining part will be:
There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay, but the most extensively used method has been to form the mud or clay into bricks, and to lay them in the wall in mud mortar.
According to jp.jprasanna, the sentence may be:
There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay, but the most extensively used method has been to form the mud or clay into bricks, and HAS BEEN to lay them in the wall in mud mortar.
In the above example, we can't trespass COMMA to put HAS BEEN in the last part of the sentence; it works when there'll be no comma before AND.
If i'm wrong, then correct me, Ron.
-------
here is my own question about the problem. Ron, the question is given in the Manhattan syllabus as 'Easier Verbal-5'
The original sentence, which is considered correct choice, is given below.
There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay, but the most extensively used method has been to form the mud or clay into bricks, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, to lay them in the wall in mud mortar.
If we remove the modifier from the main sentence, then the remaining part will be:
There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay, but the most extensively used method has been to form the mud or clay into bricks, and to lay them in the wall in mud mortar.
In this sentence, there is a COMMA before the final AND. that means, this one is the list of 3 three things. But, if I consider this sentence as list of 3 things, then i can't have any consistency among the list. Ron, can you please help me to find the list with proper meaning?

Appreciate you always for your nice explanation, Ron!

[RonPurewal]

the presence/absence of punctuation is not tested on this exam. there is no systematic difference between "xxxxxxx and yyyyyyy" and "xxxxxxx, and yyyyyyy".

__

if there is a list of THREE OR MORE things, then THAT list will ALWAYS be punctuated "X, Y, and Z".

MOST lists of just TWO things are just written "X and Y".
however, if there's a compelling reason—for instance, if the "X" and the "Y" are just really, really long, and/or contain commas themselves—then such a list CAN be written "X, and Y".

as usual, though...
...the presence/absence of punctuation is not tested on this exam
...there will ALWAYS be MUCH MORE OBVIOUS PROBLEMS with the wrong answers!
in this problem, the lack of parallelism in the wrong answers is VERY blatant.
parallelism is the single most fundamental error in all of SC, so, if you're looking at ANYTHING before parallelism—especially something that isn't tested on this exam in the first place (e.g., the presence/absence of punctuation)—your priorities are very badly misaligned.

[JbhB682]

Hi Instructors --- i had a question from a "meaning perspective" specifically on the red...my understanding is YOU should first look at meaning first prior to looking at parallelism ...

In D, how is possible to form mud or clay into bricks ?

Is it not the other way around, where you form bricks from mud or clay ?

Because i am trying to improve on my ability to eliminate based on meaning (which is the first criteria per my understanding) -- i eliminated D because i thought its not possible to form mud or clay into bricks...

Where am i going wrong

----------------------------------------------

There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay, but the most extensively used method has been the forming of bricks out of mud or clay, and, aftersome preliminary air drying or sun drying, they are laid in the wall in mud mortar.

A. the forming of bricks out of mud or clay, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, they are laid

B. forming the mud or clay into bricks, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, to lay them

C. having bricks formed from mud or clay, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, they were laid

D. to form the mud or clay into bricks, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, to lay them

E. that bricks were formed from mud or clay, which, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, were laid

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

Good point about that difference in meaning. It turns out that you can use the word 'form' in that way: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/form

Checking for meaning is a great step, but, like any method, go for the easy wins first. You might see that it's quite a subtle point about meaning that you've touched upon, so check for something more obvious. I'd apply that approach to future problems.