"which" modifier rule

by **hanakimis** Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:31 pm

In the example below, taken from one of the ManhattanGMAT cat exams and altered slightly:

Hailed as a key discovery in the science of evolution, the fossils of a large scaly creature, which resembles both a fish and a land-animal, provide evidence of a possible link in the evolutionary chain from water-based to land-based organisms.

My question is, the modifier that begins with which: does it refer to "a large scaly creature", or "the fossils of a large scaly creature"?

My assumption is that in this particular case, it refers to the creature, not the fossils. But in other examples, I have seen the which refer to the "fossils" part. Would this be incorrect? Is there a rule to distinguish which noun is being referenced?

Thanks.

by **AKO** Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:30 am

Modifiers starting with 'which' attach themselves to the noun immediately preceding the comma. So here, 'which' refer to the creature.

by **JonathanSchneider** Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:10 pm

That is the general rule, yes, and it is best to go by it.

There are some cases where this is not the case, but it has to do with there being no real confusion. You might take a look at OG #105 from the 11th edition. Answer choice A (the correct choice), has the "which" appearing next to "proton-induced X-ray emission," but it is really modifying "a technique." There is no real confusion here, however, as these are essentially the same thing; the phrase says: "a technique called proton-induced X-ray emission."

In general, it is okay to insert another more-essential modifier before the "which." This may seem strange and murky, but you get used to it. After all, it wouldn't make much sense to say: "a technique, which is...., called proton-induced X-ray emission."

The important thing to remember is that the "which" modifier should not sound as though it is describing something illogical or unintended.