In January 1994 an oil barge ran aground off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, leaking its cargo of 750000 gallons into the ocean, while causing the pollution of the city's beaches.
A) leaking its cargo of 750000 gallons into the ocean, while causing the pollution of
B) with its cargo of 750000 gallons leaking into the ocean, and it polluted
C) and its cargo of 750000 gallons leaked into the ocean, polluting
D) while it leaked its cargo of 750000 gallons into the ocean and caused the pollution of
E) so that its cargo of 750000 gallons leaked into the ocean, and they were polluting
Tutors - Please correct my approach.
Rhetorical Construction; Logical Prediction
Meaning: The subject of the sentence is "oil barge". It "ran" aground and "leaked". This caused pollution of the city's beach.
a) The participle "leaking" modifies the entire previous main clause - "an oil barge ran aground off the coast of SJ" - leaking.
A present participle before a comma modifies the subject of the precious clause OR the entire previous clause. Correct?
This is not the intended meaning.
Moreover, "while causing" is awkwardly placed. This clause seems like a run-on.
b) with its cargo of 750000 gallons leaking into the ocean - Tense problem. Moreover, in "and it polluted" - it illogically refers to "oil barge". The leaking of oil caused pollution not the oil barge.
c) CORRECT. "its" correctly refers to oil barge. Parallel structure: oil barge "ran" and cargo "leaked" - polluting...
d) while it (oil barge) leaked its cargo of 750000 gallons into the ocean. It is illogical to say oil barge performing this action of leaking by itself. Again, "oil barge" can not "cause the pollution of ..."
e) the use of "so that" incorrectly means oil barge ran aground off the coast ON PURPOSE so that its cargo of 750000 gallons leaked into the ocean. Moreover, "they" lacks correct antecedent. Also, "were polluting" is wrong tense.
OA: C (GmatPrep Exam)
Kindly explain the hidden errors in option A, B and D.