问道TN-13的语法题，google都木有找到解释啊！求baby姐姐各路NN

DUKB24

Research during the past several decades on the nature of language and the processes that produce and make it understandable has revealed great complexity instead of underlying simplicity.
(A) that produce and make it understandable has revealed great complexity instead of underlying simplicity
(B) of producing and understanding it have revealed not underlying simplicity but great complexity
(C) by which it is produced and understood has revealed not underlying simplicity but great complexity
(D) by which it is produced and understood have revealed great complexity rather than underlying simplicity
(E) by which one produces and understands it have revealed great complexity instead of underlying simplicity

可是A中produce后缺少宾语啊！如果认为与make共用it作其宾语，我认为是不可以的。因为it后面还有understandable，要共用，这个understandable总得也要共用吧？但意思是荒谬的。我认为A是错的，当时模考我选了C
但是仔细一想，
C选项的逻辑意思是错误的the language is understood by process
但是我还是找不出选A的理由

babybearmm

My take on this question:
(We are already down to A and C)


Split #1. "the processes that produce ..."  VS.  "the processes by which it is produced ..."


(1) "the processes that produce ..." is logically sound


Ask yourself: does it make sense to say "the processes produce the language" and "the processes make it understandable"?


Well, I ask this question because this question is important to consider. Only if the answer is "yes", the usage of "the processes that produce ..." is justified.
An example from Ron:
INCORRECT: The restaurant that we ate last Friday was crowded.  
(This sentence literally says that "we ate the restaurant" -oh my gosh!!!!)
CORRECT: The restaurant at which we ate last Friday was crowded.


I mentioned the above example because I want to say: when we use essential noun modifier "something that bla bla", we should make sure it is EITHER:
(a) "something" is the subject or object of the "that clause"

OR
(b) "something" is this kind of words: finding, opinion, belief, suggestion, etc. and "that bla bla" is to explain "something" in a clause.                    --However, this situation does not apply here.


So, back to this question, the answer is "yes".
"the processes" can be the subject.    i.e. we can say "the processes produce the language"
Therefore, the usage in A is justified.


(2) potential ambiguity in "the processes by which it is produced"


Consider the following two sentences. Does each of these two sentences make logical sense?
(a) Ancient Chinese produced the language by this process.
(b) This process produced the language.


As we discussed above, (b) makes logical sense.
Look at (a). It also makes sense, right? Using some process, people can produce a language.


So what I mean is:
if you, as a reader, see a sentence written as "the processes by which the language is produced", you may have two logically sound interpretations:
(a) some people (or nationality or whatever) produced the language by the processes
(b) the processes produced the language
So you CANNOT tell who/what produced the language!


--Let me extend beyond this question.
I hear a lot of people say "GMAT prefers active voice to passive voice". Even a GMAT instructor says this in explaining this question. (http://www.beatthegmat.com/nature-of-language-t91077-15.html)
But I want to say: BE CAREFUL!!! Do not AUTOMATICALLY choose the active voice answer choice.
We should understand WHY the particular voice is preferred in the GIVEN situation.
This example illustrates the potential ambiguity embedded in the passive voice. In fact, MGMAT SC Guide has a wonderful example:
INCORRECT: The dealer was asked to sell a painting by Picasso.
Is it "a painting by Picasso" or "the dealer was asked by Picasso"? Ambiguous!
If you change the sentence to active voice, saying "The boss asked the dealer to sell a painting by Picasso." then the ambiguity issue is perfectly resolved.
See? Same logic applies here. "the processes by which it is produced" is ambiguous.

Research during the past several decades on the nature of language and the processes that produce and make it understandable has revealed great complexity instead of underlying simplicity.
(A) that produce and make it understandable has revealed great complexity instead of underlying simplicity
(B) of producing and understanding it have revealed not underlying simplicity but great complexity
(C) by which it is produced and understood has revealed not underlying simplicity but great complexity
(D) by which it is produced and understood have revealed great complexity rather than underlying simplicity
(E) by which one produces and understands it have revealed great complexity instead of underlying simplicity

可是A中produce后缺少宾语啊！如果认为与make共用it作其宾语，我认为是不可以的。因为it后面还有understandable，要共用，这个understandable总得也要共用吧？但意思是荒谬的。我认为A是错的，当时模考我选了C
但是仔细一想，
C选项的逻辑意思是错误的the language is understood by process
但是我还是找不出选A的理由

-- by 会员 DUKB24 (2012/5/31 22:31:39)

linlanjun1993

baby姐的解释太精辟了哈，赞一个！
语感还是要多多培养~~

生活就要Hygge!

baby姐真强！

畅畅畅

感谢分享！               

麦西维熙

Mark一下！               

图图君

总结下：
被动表达会产生歧义。我们不太清楚什么到底produce了什么
1. The processes produce xxx.
2. XX is produced by processes.

但是，正常的通顺表达不应该是 has not revealed xxx but xxx. 如果用 has revealed not xxx but xxx, 显得很奇怪。

Rieu

babybearmm 发表于 2012-6-1 04:06
My take on this questionWe are already down to A and C)Split #1. "the processes that produce ..."  ...

同意！               

郑布拉希莫维奇

babybearmm 发表于 2012-6-1 04:06
My take on this questionWe are already down to A and C)Split #1. "the processes that produce ..."  ...

同意！               

ziling00

感谢

神粥八宝

感谢分享！               

王百卉

顶楼主！