I think the sentence demands to keep stories as the subject and not the author. (A) keeps thousand of stories as the subject, and tells us that the critics emphasize on the stories, which are variations of some plots.
(B) subject here is world's authors, and it looks like the sentence says "critics have often said that the worlds' authors have written thousand of stories" ... now this sentence doesn't contain the "which" part, and this is intentional to explain. As Manhattan SC says, "which" part in sentences is optional, and the sentence still remains clear without the "which". So if we remove "which" from the second, the sentence holds no water!
In contrast with B, A uses "that" which is not optional and has to be used.
PS: I wonder I would've thought so much when attempting the question for the first time
Manhattan SC (3rd edition) acknowledges that sometimes the choice between WHICH and THAT is not that simple ie WHICH can also be used for essential modifiers, ex
The mansion, for which i yearn, is owned by the Lees. (Non essential) The mansion for which i yearn is owned by the Lees. (Essential)
The comma rule (setting off non-essential modifiers with a comma) still applies.
With Option B the sentence becomes
Literary critics have often said that the world's authors have written thousands of stories which are essentially variations of six basic plot themes.
which simply means that world's authors have written many stories that are variations of six basic plot themes, it doesn't say that there haven't been stories that are outside the six plot themes (an off-shoot meaning for sentence with option A). And there seems no problem with this meaning.
even though Vyom mentioned that the OA is OPTION A, i find many irregularities with it as opposed to option B that seems better.
au contraire to the intent of the discussion... my 2 cents in favor of option B:
1. the intent of the stmnt as i see it: not "each of the stories written by the world's author" but "thousandsOF the stories written by the world's author"
2. "thousand of" is weird.. should be either "thousands of" or just "thousand"
3. ALL should be replaced by EACH
Would appreciate if someone can resolve these doubts.
@roadside--thanks for the contribution. For point 2 mentioned by you, I apologize. My mistake.. that was typo.Option A has 'thousands' already.
Manhattan SC (3rd edition) acknowledges that sometimes the choice between WHICH and THAT is not that simple ie WHICH can also be used for essential modifiers, ex
The mansion, for which i yearn, is owned by the Lees. (Non essential) The mansion for which i yearn is owned by the Lees. (Essential)
The comma rule (setting off non-essential modifiers with a comma) still applies.
With Option B the sentence becomes
Literary critics have often said that the worlds authors have written thousands of stories which are essentially variations of six basic plot themes.
which simply means that world's authors have written many stories that are variations of six basic plot themes, it doesn't say that there haven't been stories that are outside the six plot themes (an off-shoot meaning for sentence with option A). And there seems no problem with this meaning.
even though Vyom mentioned that the OA is OPTION A, i find many irregularities with it as opposed to option B that seems better.
Comments please..
2 points:
1) The mansion, for which i yearn, is owned by the Lees. I don't think which is non-essential here. Remove "which" and see what it yields: The mansion is owned by the Lees. ==> This is complete in itself, but doesn't depict which mansion we are talking about. Had it been 'This mansion", i would have agreed.
Please correct me here, if i'm wrong.
2) Again, as i mentioned before, the subject here needs to be the stories.
PS: I'm searching for a good link to describe essential/non-essential modifier and comma usage. Let me know if you have one ... want to understand this very clearly now..
The ancient Romans piped hot water through the walls and under the floors so as to warm up the rooms. A.so as to warm up the rooms. B.and so would be able to warm up the rooms. C.to warm the rooms up. D.so that they could warm up the rooms. E.in order that they could warm up the rooms.
pls provide explanation alongwith the applicable rule or construction.
1) The mansion, for which i yearn, is owned by the Lees. I don't think which is non-essential here. Remove "which" and see what it yields: The mansion is owned by the Lees. ==> This is complete in itself, but doesn't depict which mansion we are talking about. Had it been 'This mansion", i would have agreed.
Please correct me here, if i'm wrong.
You are not wrong. Only that the sentence was a direct quote from ManSC where it was used to show only that WHICH can also be used as an essential modifier; i agree that if WHICH part is removed the meaning of the sentence changes.
2) Again, as i mentioned before, the subject here needs to be the stories.
PS: I'm searching for a good link to describe essential/non-essential modifier and comma usage. Let me know if you have one ... want to understand this very clearly now..
Will appreciate help on this:
i think that subject remians Literary critics; it should niether be stories nor world's writers..
In option A the emphasis is on the stories and to mention their source,so this should be the answer coz option B) emphasizes that WORLD AUTHORS have written stories
Hence A should be correct.
Puys pls help me in this question.
The OA is A and not B.
Rest of the options can be easily eliminated.
Please share your explanations so as to why option B is incorrect.
Literary critics have often said that all of the thousands of stories written by the worlds authors are essentially variations of six basic plot themes. A.that all of the thousands of stories written by the worlds authors are essentially variations of B.that the worlds authors have written thousands of stories which are essentially variations of My explanation in support of option B is mentioned below:- 1-Pronoun 'which' clearly refers to "thousands of stories". 2-Stories consist of the variation of themes so it has to be mentioned near plot themes. Please indicate the flaw in my reasoning along with your viewpoint.
The ancient Romans piped hot water through the walls and under the floors so as to warm up the rooms. A.so as to warm up the rooms. so as: almost always wrong on the GMAT B.and so would be able to warm up the rooms. and: wrong usage, usage of "and" makes warming up of rooms a seperate action, instead of making the latter follow the former C.to warm the rooms up. rooms up: wrong usage D.so that they could warm up the rooms. correct E.in order that they could warm up the rooms. correct idiom: "in order to"
pls provide explanation alongwith the applicable rule or construction.
Manhattan SC (3rd edition) acknowledges that sometimes the choice between WHICH and THAT is not that simple ie WHICH can also be used for essential modifiers, ex
The mansion, for which i yearn, is owned by the Lees. (Non essential) The mansion for which i yearn is owned by the Lees. (Essential)
The comma rule (setting off non-essential modifiers with a comma) still applies.
With Option B the sentence becomes
Literary critics have often said that the world's authors have written thousands of stories which are essentially variations of six basic plot themes. which simply means that world's authors have written many stories that are variations of six basic plot themes, it doesn't say that there haven't been stories that are outside the six plot themes (an off-shoot meaning for sentence with option A). And there seems no problem with this meaning.
even though Vyom mentioned that the OA is OPTION A, i find many irregularities with it as opposed to option B that seems better.
Comments please..
I second you on the italicized green marked comments as I was also thinking on the same lines. Though I have stated an example in which (non-essential) pronoun was removed, the controversy over using 'which' and 'that' is still unresolved.
The ancient Romans piped hot water through the walls and under the floors so as to warm up the rooms. A.so as to warm up the rooms. so as: almost always wrong on the GMAT B.and so would be able to warm up the rooms. and: wrong usage, usage of "and" makes warming up of rooms a seperate action, instead of making the latter follow the former C.to warm the rooms up. rooms up: wrong usage D.so that they could warm up the rooms. correct E.in order that they could warm up the rooms. correct idiom: "in order to"
OA is D.
thanks for pointing out that so as to is almost always wrong on the GMAT.
rooms up is a wrong idomatic use .. For D also I would have not gone if the option was "to warm up the rooms " , however the closest to this "so that they could warm up the rooms" also in the option B they have " so would be " which is very awkward and should be avoided as it represents wordiness. So as again is one which is very close to the usage of 'being' and should be avoided
I second this. So as is always wrong on GMAT.So D) should be the answer.
Who told u that..??..
You can use "so as" when sentence is negative such as; 1. so unrealistic as 2. not so much as
"The Emperor Augustus, it appears, commissioned an idealized sculpture portrait, the features of which are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an 'artificial face." (OG #88, 10th edition, answer choice A)
It depends whether you want to use a clause or a verb: so that + clause I arrived early so that I could have a word with him in private. so as to + verb like "We spoke quietly so as not to disturb them"
To develop more accurate population forecasts, demographers have to know a great deal more than now about the social and economic determinants of fertility.
have to know a great deal more than now about the social and economic
have to know a great deal more than they do now about the social and economical
would have to know a great deal more than they do now about the social and economical
would have to know a great deal more than they do now about the social and economic
would have to know a great deal more than now about the social and economical
Hi Puys, Just need an explanation,I choose D..but the OA is E...question is why "then they DO" is not needed here and why the option "than now" is prferred?
The ancient Romans piped hot water through the walls and under the floors so as to warm up the rooms. A.so as to warm up the rooms. B.and so would be able to warm up the rooms. C.to warm the rooms up. D.so that they could warm up the rooms. E.in order that they could warm up the rooms.
pls provide explanation alongwith the applicable rule or construction.
there is a general rule which says that:
SO "ADJECTIVE" AS TO "Verb"
remember another example from the forum..
the features of the ancient rome sculptures were SO ARTIFICIAL AS TO CONSTITUTE
Hope that helps...
Answer is D...
So that is a perfect match here..reason is beacause the second clause provideas a reason of Why the first action was performed...
Although fruit can no longer grow once it is picked, it continues for some time to respire, taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide, similar to the way human beings breathe. (A) similar to the way human beings breathe (B) similarly to human beings who are breathing (C) just like the breathing of human beings (D) as human beings when breathing (E) just as human beings do when they breathe
Although it claims to delve into political issues, television can be superficial such as when each of the three major networks broadcast exactly the same statement from a political candidate.
(A) superficial such as when each of the three major networks (B) superficial, as can sometimes occur if all of the three major networks (C) superficial if the three major networks all (D) superficial whenever each of the three major networks (E) superficial, as when the three major networks each
You can use "so as" when sentence is negative such as; 1. so unrealistic as 2. not so much as
"The Emperor Augustus, it appears, commissioned an idealized sculpture portrait, the features of which are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an 'artificial face." (OG #88, 10th edition, answer choice A)
