The computer company has announced that it will purchase the

[Hei]

The computer company has announced that it will purchase the color-printing division of a rival company for $950 million, which is part of a deal that will make it the largest manufacturer in the office color-printing market.
A) million, which is part of a deal that will make
B) million, a part of a deal that makes
C) million, part of a deal making
D) million as a part of a deal to make
E) million as part of a deal that will make

What does "as part of" modify? The entire preceding clause?

Thanks in advance.

[RonPurewal]

What does "as part of" modify? The entire preceding clause?

yes.

if you wanted to modify just the preceding noun, you'd use the following type of structure:

three days ago he received a payment for $1000, part of the long-overdue pension that had been delayed for various bureaucratic reasons.

[Guest]

Hello,

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I thought it was a suitable location for my question.

What is the difference between "a part of" and "part of"?

(In this case Answer B vs. Answer C and Answer D vs. Answer E)

Thanks.

[RonPurewal]

Hello,

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I thought it was a suitable location for my question.

What is the difference between "a part of" and "part of"?

(In this case Answer B vs. Answer C and Answer D vs. Answer E)

Thanks.

hmm... that's a good one.

first off, the most important observation you could make: both can be used correctly. neither one is straight-out wrong.

i'm not sure whether there's a clear distinction in their usage - you could try googling; i searched for a few minutes without finding anything definitive - but i came up with the following after taking a bit of mental inventory:
i'd use part of for things that are more abstract in nature, and/or where the divisions between the "parts" aren't quite as clear (confidence, in addition to skill, is part of what's necessary for success in this game), and a part of for clear, literal distinctions in which the parts can be neatly partitioned off (the arm is a part of the human body).
still, that's just what i came up with on the spot, and i wouldn't be surprised if the gmat's official line on the matter differed somewhat from mine.

[Guest]

What is the OA of the question?

[guest12]

The OA is E

[Guest]

What does "as part of" modify? The entire preceding clause?

yes.

if you wanted to modify just the preceding noun, you'd use the following type of structure:

three days ago he received a payment for $1000, part of the long-overdue pension that had been delayed for various bureaucratic reasons.

Ron, could you please explain why D is wrong ("to make" vs "that will make")?

Thank you very much!

[RonPurewal]

What does "as part of" modify? The entire preceding clause?

yes.

if you wanted to modify just the preceding noun, you'd use the following type of structure:

three days ago he received a payment for $1000, part of the long-overdue pension that had been delayed for various bureaucratic reasons.

Ron, could you please explain why D is wrong ("to make" vs "that will make")?

Thank you very much!

if you use the infinitive "to make", then the computer company is still the subject of the sentence. therefore, in this case you have to use the reflexive pronoun: itself. as an analogy, i can't look at me in the mirror, but i can look at myself in the mirror. same deal.

in choice (e), "...that will make..." shifts the role of subject to deal, so a reflexive pronoun is no longer needed. in fact, the reflexive pronoun would be absurd in this case, since a deal obviously can't make itself the largest manufacturer in the market.

[Tomo]

Ron, could you explain why B,C is wrong? Why can't we think them as "final clause"?

[RonPurewal]

Ron, could you explain why B,C is wrong? Why can't we think them as "final clause"?

when you have noun modifiers like these - called appositives, if you happen to care about terminology - they must tag the immediately preceding noun (in the same manner as would a modifier with a comma followed by "which", for example).
see here.

according to this rule, then, choices (b) and (c) both declare that the actual amount of $950 million is "(a) part of a deal..."
that's incorrect; it's the purchase / acquisition of the rival company's color printing division that's part of the deal. therefore, this is a misplaced modifier.

[shobuj40]

Hi ron your xplaination is GREAT

pls clarify this poimt it will be pleasure:

A. He passed the examination with GPA 3.5, making his parents happy.
B.He passed the examination with GPA 3.5, an event that highly delights his parents.
C. He passed the examination with GPA 3.5,an event exremley delightful for his parents.
D. He always shows respect to the old people, a behaviour respected by all.

from your above appositive explanation all B, C, D is wrong and only A is correct.

pls clarify.

[smilepinks]

Ron, could you explain why B,C is wrong? Why can't we think them as "final clause"?

when you have noun modifiers like these - called appositives, if you happen to care about terminology - they must tag the immediately preceding noun (in the same manner as would a modifier with a comma followed by "which", for example).
see here.

according to this rule, then, choices (b) and (c) both declare that the actual amount of $950 million is "(a) part of a deal..."
that's incorrect; it's the purchase / acquisition of the rival company's color printing division that's part of the deal. therefore, this is a misplaced modifier.

Ron, I am really fan of your explanations. You are awesome!!
I have 3 small doubts here-

1) B) million, a part of a deal that makes

Is n't this an absolute phrase (Noun + Noun Modifier), which could be used to describe an idea mentioned elsewhere in the sentence before comma.

for example:
Scientist have found high levels of iridium in certain geographical formations arouond the world, results that suggest the cataclysmic impact of a meteor millions of year ago.

If Yes, then part can modify purchase / acquisition

2) C) million, part of a deal making

What is the usage of Present partciple without a comma
(I understand that ", Present participle" would modify the previous action/clause)
For example, In choice C, Is making directly modifying deal?

3) Which of the following is correct between

An asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, Sixty-five million years ago, an event that caused plant and animal extinctions marking the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period.

AND

An asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, Sixty-five million years ago, an event that caused the plant and animal extinctions that mark the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period.


Thanks in advance

[smilepinks]

Please Reply to my Post

[matt.lopz]

What does "as part of" modify? The entire preceding clause?

yes.

if you wanted to modify just the preceding noun, you'd use the following type of structure:

three days ago he received a payment for $1000, part of the long-overdue pension that had been delayed for various bureaucratic reasons.

Ron, could you please explain why D is wrong ("to make" vs "that will make")?

Thank you very much!

Use of will is preferred here because the company will be a leader in future.

[ayushrastogi82]

What does "as part of" modify? The entire preceding clause?

yes.

if you wanted to modify just the preceding noun, you'd use the following type of structure:

three days ago he received a payment for $1000, part of the long-overdue pension that had been delayed for various bureaucratic reasons.

I am a bit confused with prepositional phrase modifiers. I want to know what is the rule to determine that whether a prepositional phrase modifier is modifying the preceding noun or the complete clause.

For example:
1. Among the surest indications on Earth of sunspot cycles is believed to be the rate at which trees grow, as seen in the rings visible in the cross sections of their trunks. - Here prepositional phrase 'as seen in the rings blah blah...' is modifying the immediate preceding noun 'the rate at which trees grow'

2. The computer company has announced that it will purchase the color-printing division of a rival company for $950 million as part of a deal that will make it the largest manufacturer in the office color-printing market. - Here 'as part of a deal' is modifying the preceding clause.

How do we get to know that a prepositional modifier is modifying preceding noun or complete clause?

Regards,
Ayush