GMAT Sentence Correction 113, 114

113). Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

(A) extending

(B) extends

(C) extended

(D) it extended

(E) is extending

114). Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

A. persisting

B. persists

C. persisted

D. they persist

E. are persisting

Answers:

113). A is the correct answer. This question tests the use of present vs past participle.

Subject in the given sentence is filigree

The filigree spawned by X not mentioned in the sentence some 10,000 years ago. Thus the use of past participle. Further, spawned by denotes passive voice which justifies the use of past participle.
As for the extending, it is still prevailing today in the Michigan forest so you cannot use past participle extended.

The present and past participles are used to describe the filigree, they act as adjectives

114). OA - A - This question again tests the use of present vs past participle
In the given sentence, we can clearly see that for the 1st participial phrase, the action of created happened in the past and is passive. The second participial phrase starting with persisting implies that the atoms and molecules are still persisting in the present, they are performing the action of "persisting" hence the use of present participle.

B - incorrect - violates parallelism (2nd participial phrase becomes a clause)

C - incorrect - use of persisted is wrong - illogically suggests that atoms no longer persisted

D - incorrect - violating parallelism

E - incorrect - violating parallelism (2nd participial phrase becomes a clause)

SC's Question number - 819 , 820

819. The residents’ opposition to the spraying program has rekindled an old debate among those who oppose the use of pesticides and those who feel that the pesticides are necessary to save the trees.

(A) among those who oppose the use of pesticides and

(B) between those who oppose the use of pesticides and

(C) among those opposing the use of pesticides with

(D) between those who oppose the use of pesticides with

(E) among those opposing the use of pesticides and

820). The rise in the Commerce Department’s index of leading economic indicators suggest that the economy should continue its expansion into the coming months, but that the mixed performance of the index’s individual components indicates that economic growth will proceed at a more moderate pace than in the first quarter of this year.

(A) suggest that the economy should continue its expansion into the coming months, but that

(B) suggest that the economy is to continue expansion in the coming months, but

(C) suggests that the economy will continue its expanding in the coming months, but that

(D) suggests that the economy is continuing to expand into the coming months, but that

(E) suggests that the economy will continue to expand in the coming months, but

Answers:

819). OA - B

A, C, E - incorrect - use of among

D - incorrect - use of with

820). OA - E - OG 10th Ques number 28

A, B - incorrect - subject verb agreement - The rise(singular)....suggest(plural)...

A,C, D - incorrect - the that appearing after but creates a subordinate clause where an independent clause is needed for the new subject, mixed performance

D - incorrect - unidiomatic - into the coming months

SC's Question number - 821 , 822

821. The rising of costs of data-processing operations at many financial institutions has created a growing opportunity for independent companies to provide these services more efficiently and at lower cost.

(A) The rising of costs

(B) Rising costs

(C) The rising cost

(D) Because the rising cost

(E) Because of rising costs

822. The root systems of most flowering perennials either become too crowded, which results in loss in vigor, and spread too far outward, producing a bare center.

(A) which results in loss in vigor, and spread

(B) resulting in loss in vigor, or spreading

(C) with the result of loss of vigor, or spreading

(D) resulting in loss of vigor, or spread

(E) with a resulting loss of vigor, and spread

Answers:

821). OA - C

A - incorrect - the rising of costs - unidiomatic

B - incorrect - subject verb agreement - Rising costs .....has...

D, E - incorrect - sentence fragment - since because makes the clause subordinate rather than independent

822). OA - D
OE from OG 10th - Ques number 78
Choice A misuses which: as a relative pronoun, which should refer to a specific noun rather than to the action of an entire clause. A also produces the unidiomatic and illogical construction either... and.
Choice B properly uses a verb phrase (resulting ...) instead of which to modify the action of the first clause and also correctly completes either with or, but the verbs following either and or are not parallel: spreading must be spread to
match become.
Choice C is flawed by the nonparallel verb spreading and the wordy phrase that begins with the result of.
Choice E is similarly wordy and uses and where or is required.