MGMAT CAT 2:SC

[jainvikasvirgo]

QID=18974383:

According to Italy's top anti-Mafia prosecutor, the ailing mobster came to take refuge in Corleone, a town famous because of the "The Godfather" and near to those he most trusted.

A)the ailing mobster came to take refuge in Corleone, a town famous because of "The Godfather" and near to those he most trusted

B) Famous because of "The Godfather," the ailing mobster came to take refuge in Corleone, a town near to those he most trusted

C) the ailing mobster, famous because of "The Godfather," came to take refuge in Corleone, a town near to those he most trusted

D) near to those he most trusted, the ailing mobster came to take refuge in Corleone, a town famous because of "The Godfather"

E) Corleone, famous because of "The Godfather," was the town that the ailing mobster came to take refuge in because it was near to those he most trusted

Acc. to MGMAT, the correct answer is A. But the only grammatically correct choice is E. How can "those" in choice A is grammatically correct."Town" is singular and "those" is plural.Whom is "those" referring to? Logically it should refer to the people ,the mobster was closer to....Please help me clear the confusion.

[mschwrtz]

Yes, this is tough. The GMAT is stricter about the use of demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) than are most guides, but it does allow this use.

It's alright to use "those" without any antecedent and in place of a noun so long as one modifies "those" Here, "those" is modified by "he most trusted."