SC: With surface temperatures estimated at minus 230 degrees

[ShuyanC939]

Hi instructors,

I have a question about choice A. Why the first with structure does not parallel with the second with structure？

With surface temperatures estimated at minus 230 degrees Fahrenheit, Jupiter's moon Europa has long been considered far too
cold to support life, and with 60 square miles of water thought to be frozen from top to bottom.

Thank you all.

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

To be clear, answer A is not the correct answer.

I agree with you that these two phrases are parallel, but they are not positioned together. Actually, the following sentence would be fine:

With surface temperatures estimated at minus 230 degrees Fahrenheit and with 60 square miles of water thought to be frozen from top to bottom, Jupiter's moon Europa has long been considered far too cold to support life,

[JbhB682]

Hi Ron

I did not select B because I thought "its 60 square miles of water thought to be frozen from top to bottom" is an independent clause and should be accompanied by a conjuntion.

Please advise. GMAT next week

Sorry, that's not an independent clause.

Hi Tim - in response to your question to the above post...why isn't this an independent clause

"its 60 square miles of water thought to be frozen from top to bottom" = seems to be as an independent clause with a subject and verb

a) 60 square miles of water is the subject
b) "thought" i assumed was the verb

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

The word 'thought' is not a verb here, and we can see that in two ways. First, consider the meaning: did the '60 square miles' actually do some thinking? That would be odd. Second, by analyzing the grammar we can see that 'thought to be frozen...' is a modifier that is modifying '60 square miles'.

Confusingly, in English the same words are often used for verbs and participles. Use the two techniques I mentioned above to say whether these are complete sentences or not:
1) The soccer team beaten by their opponents.
2) This is a book written by a Japanese author.
3) My aunt loved her son.
4) A city situated on the slopes of a volcano.

Answers: 1) incomplete 2) complete 3) complete 4) incomplete

[JbhB682]

Hi Experts - i keep reading B is preferred over C because -- the stuff AFTER the comma (its 60 square miles of water thought to be frozen from top to bottom) - LOGICALLY MODIFIES the essential clause of the sentence (coded in blue below)

Could you perhaps explain how does the pink modify the blue exactly ?

I ask because per my understanding, the initial modifier (green) already modifies the essential clause in Blue by describing 'why' ?

Are we saying in the OA (B) -- Europa has long been considered far too cold to support life is being modified by modifiers [each modifier is giving us a reason for the blue ?]
- temperatures below 230 F
- water frozen

Thank you

Option B)

With surface temperatures estimated at minus 230 degrees Fahrenheit, Jupiter's moon
Europa has long been considered far too cold to support life, its
60 square miles of water thought to be frozen from top to bottom.

[TiffanyB]

Hi JbhB682,

Hi Experts - i keep reading B is preferred over C because -- the stuff AFTER the comma (its 60 square miles of water thought to be frozen from top to bottom) - LOGICALLY MODIFIES the essential clause of the sentence (coded in blue below)

To ensure that we're on the same page (I think we are), the essential clause of the sentence is simply "Jupiter's moon Europa has long been considered far too cold to support life."

I ask because per my understanding, the initial modifier (green) already modifies the essential clause in Blue by describing 'why' ?

You're absolutely correct. This sentence has one essential clause and two modifying phrases:

Essential: Jupiter's moon Europa has long been considered far too cold to support life
Modifer: With surface temperatures estimated at minus 230 degrees Fahrenheit
Modifier: its 60 square miles of water thought to be frozen from top to bottom

Think about this example: The big, blue house on the corner with yellow shutters, which was owned by my father, was sold in 1982.

There are a LOT of modifiers here (in bold) and they are all absolutely permissible.