og237 选项B

It seems likely that a number of astronomical phenomena, such as the formation of

planetary nebulas, may be caused by the interaction where two stars orbit each other at

close range.

(A)  may be caused by the interaction where two stars orbit each other

(B)  may be caused by the interaction between two stars that each orbit the other

(C)  are because of the interaction between two stars that orbit each other

(D)  are caused by the interaction of two stars where each is orbiting the other

(E)   are caused by the interaction of two stars orbiting each other

除了og的解释- In B, the phrase two stars that each orbit the other is both

awkward and needlessly wordy. 我觉得其中 each orbit the other 中的 orbit 单复

数也不对吧？

B. two stars that each orbit the other

  'that' refers to 'two stars'.

  two stars each orbit the other,   这样看就对了吧。主语还是two stars。

When each follows a plural subject, however, the verb and subsequent pronouns remain in the plural: The apartments each have their own private entrances (not has its own private entrance). But when each follows the verb with we as its subject, the rule has an exception. You can say either We boys have each our own room or We boys have each his own room, though the latter form may strike readers as stilted.

http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/025.html

each是副词前调各自的意思

that定语从句修饰的是two stars,that在从句中做从句的主语,所以谓语动词orbit是复数,如果是each做主语,谓语应用第三人称单数orbits才对

og的解释只说这句awkward and needlessly wordy。是表达笨拙,多余不简洁不符合习惯用法的意思.

这句定语从句two stars that each orbit the other.本身没有错误,只是表达不好

                    这是相对于c说的.直接说that orbit each other 就好了

然后再拿c与e比较

也就是说b在讨论限定性修饰性问题前已经可以被明显错误排除掉了.

也就说that和现分做定语的差别太细微在作题时不应放在首选考虑的位置,而是最后将明显错误排除干净后,只剩两个选项时才这么选的.

看了以往的讨论都集中在that和现在分词orbiting做定语到底是限定还是非限定可是我觉得有点舍本逐末

我觉得从og的解释可以看出

Choice E, the best answer, avoids redundancy by using are rather than may be, employs the idiomatic phrase the inter­action of, and expresses the relationship between the stars in a clear, concise way--two stars orbiting each other.

一上来就说e正确因为1.may与前面likely重复,2.词组the interaction of 3.two stars orbiting each other.是清晰简洁的表达..也就是说分词比定语从句做定语简洁

In A and B, the use of may be is redundant because the beginning phrase It seems likely that has already established a degree of uncertainty. In A, the phrase the interaction where two stars orbit each other is imprecise and illogical, suggesting that the interaction is a place where the orbiting occurs. In B, the phrase two stars that each orbit the other is both awkward and needlessly wordy. Choice C can be faulted because to form a passive construction, are should take a verb form such as caused rather than an adverb such as because.

Also, the phrase two stars that orbit each other illogically suggests that there are two particular stars causing all the phenomena in question, rather than various sets of stars in various loca­tions.这里强调的,我觉得并不是分词非限定,分词在前面没有逗号的情况下都是限定的,(如果有非限定的情况请拿具体题目说服我)这里的区别是分词泛指所有那些互相绕着轨道转的星星,是限定修饰星星,因为所有星星中肯定有些两两绕着轨道转,可能有些谁都不绕就自己转,还有三个一起绕的.

而that orbit each other是特指所有互相绕着轨道转的一对一对星星中的两颗.

我这么说大家应该明白了吧?

天上所有two stars是全集把天上所有星星两两随机组成一组(包括各转各的,两两互转,一转二,二转一,一转三......)

two stars orbiting each other 分词修饰指上述全集中所有两两互转的

two stars that orbit each other 定语从句指所有两两互转的星星中特定的两颗,具体两颗,逻辑不合理,特定两颗引起了那么多天文现象?

In D, the word where has no clear or logical referent, and each is orbiting the other is awkward and unnecessarily wordy; it could be replaced by the clearer and more concise orbiting each other.

摘自以前帖子中ETS回信：

In question 237 in the 10th edition, the use of the phrase "are because of" is what ultimately makes choice C incorrect, as described in the explanation. The distinction between choice C and the correct choice, E, is not a distinction between types of modifiers, however; both C and E contain restrictive modifiers.

严重感谢titatita，tdyg！！！

这道题时我在复习定语修饰时的最大的疑惑，现在解开了。舒服！！！

C,E都是限定修饰。

但是这种限定修饰的作用是不同的！一个特指（C），一个由范围的泛指(E).

况且C最大的错误不在于此，做题时根据其重大错误，可以立即排除。：）