GMAT Sentence Correction Discussions

Defense attorneys have occasionally argued that their clients' misconduct stemmed from a reaction to something ingested, but in attributing criminal or delinquent behavior to some food allergy, the perpetrators are in effect told that they are not responsible for their actions.
(A) in attributing criminal or delinquent behavior to some food allergy
(B) if criminal or delinquent behavior is attributed to an allergy to some food
(C) in attributing behavior that is criminal or delinquent to an allergy to some food
(D) if some food allergy is attributed as the cause of criminal or delinquent behavior
(E) in attributing a food allergy as the cause of criminal or delinquent behavior


Attributed to is the right idiom...,

so comes down to A, B & C...
Remove C, its verbose...

Will go for B)... guess its from OG11..

Hi NuttyVarun,

I have done the needful.

Thanx.

nuttyvarun Says
pretty confusing to me without the underline thing.. :lookround:
nuttyvarun Says
I would have marked option B



Varun answer is A...its from OG 10...and the reason for selection of "THAT" is because..its Subjunctive...

my questions is 'that' refers to what here?

As far as i know...subjunctive has 2 ways to deal with:

1. that + Be + 3rd form of verb
2. that + simple verb (without s, even if the subject is singular)

and it's on the mood as well, but why subjunctive here?

Originally Posted by ponds_ggn View Post
Question. The only way for growers to salvage frozen citrus is to process them quickly into juice concentrate before they rot when warmer weather returns.
(A) to process them quickly into juice concentrate before they rot when warmer weather returns
(B) if they are quickly processed into juice concentrate before warmer weather returns to rot them
(C) for them to be processed quickly into juice concentrate before the fruit rots when warmer weather
returns
(D) if the fruit is quickly processed into juice concentrate before they rot when warmer weather returns
(E) to have it quickly processed into juice concentrate before warmer weather returns and rots the fruit


Citrus fruit is a singular, so A,B,C eliminated.
Btwn D & E , E is appropriate. My answer E.
OA plz ?

note that the non-underlined section of the sentence is in present tense.. so we need to choose appropriate option.. this discards option A, B and D from possible answers...

____________ their prospects for being hired and promoted are being stunted by their habit.

so we are left with option C and E;
c)When referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently express anxiety about

e) Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently express anxiety that


Option E makes an awkward sentence...

I would have marked option C

what is the OA plz.. ;)



The OA is E, actually "when" makes C wordy and instead of "When referring" use "Referring" its better and precise.

Puys,
Need your help man...I am always confused about the usage of Present Perfect Tense. Typically i get stuck in situations where I have to choose between Present Perfect and Present tense.
Help!!!


Q.A Labor Department study states that the numbers of women employed outside the home grew by more
than a thirty-five percent increase
in the past decade and accounted for more than sixty-two percent of the total growth in the civilian work force.
(A) numbers of women employed outside the home grew by more than a thirty-five percent increase
(B) numbers of women employed outside the home grew more than thirty-five percent
(C) numbers of women employed outside the home were raised by more than thirty-five percent
(D) number of women employed outside the home increased by more than thirty-five percent
(E) number of women employed outside the home was raised by more than a thirty-five percent increase

Q. The first decision for most tenants living in a building undergoing being converted to cooperative ownership is if to sign a no-buy pledge with the other tenants.

(A) being converted to cooperative ownership is if to sign
(B) being converted to cooperative ownership is whether they should be signing
(C) being converted to cooperative ownership is whether or not they sign
(D) conversion to cooperative ownership is if to sign
(E) conversion to cooperative ownership is whether to sign

Q. The end of the eighteenth century saw the emergence of prize-stock breeding, with individual bulls and
cows receiving awards, fetching unprecedented prices, and excited enormous interest whenever they were
put on show.

(A) excited
(B) it excited
(C) exciting
(D) would excite
(E) it had excited

Q. Of all the possible disasters that threaten American agriculture, the possibility of an adverse change in
climate is maybe the more difficult for analysis.

(A) is maybe the more difficult for analysis
(B) is probably the most difficult to analyze
(C) is maybe the most difficult for analysis
(D) is probably the more difficult to analyze
(E) is, it may be, the analysis that is most difficult

Q. Published in Harlem, the owner and editor of the Messenger were two young journalists. Chandler Owen j
and A. Philip Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader.


(A) Published in Harlem, the owner and editor of the Messenger were two young journalists. Chandler
Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader.

(B) Published in Harlem, two young journalists, Chandler Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would later
make his reputation as a labor leader, were the owner and editor of the Messenger.

(C) Published in Harlem, the Messenger was owned and edited by two young journalists, A. Philip
Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader, and Chandler Owen.

(D) The Messenger was owned and edited by two young journalists. Chandler Owen and A. Philip
Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader, and published in Harlem.

(E) The owner and editor being two young journalists, Chandler Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would
later make his reputation as a labor leader, the Messenger was published in Harlem.

Q. 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

Q. In three centuries--from 1050 to 1350--several million tons of stone were quarried in France for the building of eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and some tens of thousands of parish churches.

(A) for the building of eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and some
(B) in order that they might build eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and some
(C) so as they might build eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and some
(D) so that there could be built eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and
(E) such that they could build eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and

Q. What was as remarkable as the development of the compact disc has been the use of the new technology to revitalize, in better sound than was ever before possible, some of the classic recorded performances of the
pre-LP era.
(A) What was as remarkable as the development of the compact disc
(B) The thing that was as remarkable as developing the compact disc
(C) No less remarkable than the development of the compact disc
(D) Developing the compact disc has been none the less remarkable than
(E) Development of the compact disc has been no less remarkable as

:drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking:
. A new initiative requires that cable companies report to their new customers all the costs, including taxes, that they will be expected to pay.
(A) to their new customers all the costs, including taxes, that they will be expected to pay
(B) to their new customers all the costs, including taxes, that the customers will be expected to pay
(C) to its new customers all the costs, including taxes, that they will have to pay
(D) to the companies' new customers all the costs, including taxes, that the companies have paid
(E) to their new customers all the costs, including taxes, that its customers will be expected to pay

Again I'll post the OA. 2 of the options are pritty close and if i again apply the rule that a pronoun refers to immediate noun, i arrive to an answer which is incorrect...

Please post your explaination with the answers
cheers

Hi Gatty07,

Don't use present perfect when present tense can do !:lookround:
Refer Manhattan SC page number 38/116.

Regards
ponds_ggn.



Puys,
Need your help man...I am always confused about the usage of Present Perfect Tense. Typically i get stuck in situations where I have to choose between Present Perfect and Present tense.
Help!!!

Q.A Labor Department study states that the numbers of women employed outside the home grew by more
than a thirty-five percent increase in the past decade and accounted for more than sixty-two percent of the total growth in the civilian work force.
(A) numbers of women employed outside the home grew by more than a thirty-five percent increase
(B) numbers of women employed outside the home grew more than thirty-five percent
(C) numbers of women employed outside the home were raised by more than thirty-five percent
(D) number of women employed outside the home increased by more than thirty-five percent
(E) number of women employed outside the home was raised by more than a thirty-five percent increase

Numbers of always wrong, E meaning change..

Q. The first decision for most tenants living in a building undergoing being converted to cooperative ownership is if to sign a no-buy pledge with the other tenants.

(A) being converted to cooperative ownership is if to sign
(B) being converted to cooperative ownership is whether they should be signing
(C) being converted to cooperative ownership is whether or not they sign
(D) conversion to cooperative ownership is if to sign
(E) conversion to cooperative ownership is whether to sign

D/E - > for yes/no type of condition, whether is the answer..
Q. The end of the eighteenth century saw the emergence of prize-stock breeding, with individual bulls and
cows receiving awards, fetching unprecedented prices, and excited enormous interest whenever they were
put on show.

(A) excited
(B) it excited
(C) exciting
(D) would excite
(E) it had excited

parallelism SAW & Excited...

Q. Of all the possible disasters that threaten American agriculture, the possibility of an adverse change in
climate is maybe the more difficult for analysis.

(A) is maybe the more difficult for analysis
(B) is probably the most difficult to analyze
(C) is maybe the most difficult for analysis
(D) is probably the more difficult to analyze
(E) is, it may be, the analysis that is most difficult

always prefer verb to be over noun form..when 2 option seems to be correct..
to Analyze is preferred over for analysis (c)

Q. Published in Harlem, the owner and editor of the Messenger were two young journalists. Chandler Owen j
and A. Philip Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader.

(A) Published in Harlem, the owner and editor of the Messenger were two young journalists. Chandler
Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader.

(B) Published in Harlem, two young journalists, Chandler Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would later
make his reputation as a labor leader, were the owner and editor of the Messenger.

(C) Published in Harlem, the Messenger was owned and edited by two young journalists, A. Philip
Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader, and Chandler Owen.

(D) The Messenger was owned and edited by two young journalists. Chandler Owen and A. Philip
Randolph, who would later make his reputation as a labor leader, and published in Harlem.

(E) The owner and editor being two young journalists, Chandler Owen and A. Philip Randolph, who would
later make his reputation as a labor leader, the Messenger was published in Harlem.

Modifier...nothing else..

Q. 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

Rise...is singular need singular verb and future refence is needed ....come to C & E, c its expanding is verbose in c...

Q. In three centuries--from 1050 to 1350--several million tons of stone were quarried in France for the building of eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and some tens of thousands of parish churches.

(A) for the building of eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and some
(B) in order that they might build eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and some
(C) so as they might build eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and some
(D) so that there could be built eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and
(E) such that they could build eighty cathedrals, five hundred large churches, and

A, D...rest have pronoun issues..D has: "there could be built"...passive, avoid it..

Q. What was as remarkable as the development of the compact disc has been the use of the new technology to revitalize, in better sound than was ever before possible, some of the classic recorded performances of the
pre-LP era.
(A) What was as remarkable as the development of the compact disc
(B) The thing that was as remarkable as developing the compact disc
(C) No less remarkable than the development of the compact disc
(D) Developing the compact disc has been none the less remarkable than
(E) Development of the compact disc has been no less remarkable as

Nice one...always between A and C...A tals about what but that what never referred in non-underline portion
:drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking::drinking:


I guess, No beer is available in the market. after seeing ur post......i'm feeling tired
Cheers
Puys,
Need your help man...I am always confused about the usage of Present Perfect Tense. Typically i get stuck in situations where I have to choose between Present Perfect and Present tense.
Help!!!



Well, Well, Well...

Lets take an example and talk...

there are folloing tenses:
1. Indefnite
2. Continuous
3. perfect
4. perfect continuous..

No to confuse you...just will take an example and explain it to you...

"You want to communicate that how long you have been wracking your head on PUY"

Indefinite:
>> I skim through SC forum
general phenomena...is there any way you can make out that your skimming has over/still going on/what is the exact duration....???

answer is no...you can't...its general phenomena...not definite..thats why indefinite..

Continuous
>> I'm skimming through forum
Cool...Apply a Question...Are you through??...did you get an answer?

I guess, no it doesn't state either that you are through or not???...but it does mention that you are still skimming...so CONTINUOUS
Perfect
Here comes the main one:
>> I've skimmed through forum


Well, look at this...it means that you have started skimming through the forum and at this moment you are through...in simple words..
whenever, "An action started in the past and finished just now by the moment you speak about it, the sentence needs to be in perfect tence..

Perfect continuous
>> I've been skimming through forum Since 3 hours OR
>> I've been skimming through forum for 3 hours..

Caution: These 2 sentence are NOT PASSIVE. These sentences are perfect continuous as you know the timing since the action was continuing...

Hope it will help..

Cheers
. A new initiative requires that cable companies report to their new customers all the costs, including taxes, that they will be expected to pay.
(A) to their new customers all the costs, including taxes, that they will be expected to pay pronoun use is ambiguous (companies are paying instead of customers---> incorrect use of "they" word)
(B) to their new customers all the costs, including taxes, that the customers will be expected to pay Correct (both pronoun used correctly)

(C) to its new customers all the costs, including taxes, that they will have to pay its not referring to cable companies
(D) to the companies' new customers all the costs, including taxes, that the companies have paid Verb is disrupting sentence formation clearly.
(E) to their new customers all the costs, including taxes, that its customers will be expected to pay Ambiguous Pronoun use.

Again I'll post the OA. 2 of the options are pritty close and if i again apply the rule that a pronoun refers to immediate noun, i arrive to an answer which is incorrect...
Please post your explaination with the answers
cheers


Hi amsey

My explanations are in RED, Answer is Option-B.

Whats OA?

cheers !
:thumbsup:
Hi amsey

My explanations are in RED, Answer is Option-B.

Whats OA?

cheers !
:thumbsup:


you got it right mate...
OA is B...

My confusion was that ...Pronoun refers to immediate noun and ...another time use of "customer" will just add the redundancy in the sentence and will not help...

but they seems to be confusing as to refer to what!!!!!so i'm convinced...

thanks.
Please try this question and give answer with complete explaination...

The Questions is like this --

John Maynard Keynes, the greatest economist of the twentieth century, once wrote an essay on another Cambridge genius, the scientist and mathematician Isaac Newton.


a)the greatest economist of the twentieth century, once wrote an essay on another Cambridge genius, the scientist and mathematician
b)the great economist of the twentieth century, once wrote an essay on another Cambridge genius, the scientist and mathematician
c)the greatest economist of the twentieth century, once wrote an essay about another Cambridge genius, the scientist and mathematician
d)the greatest economist of the twentieth century, once wrote an essay on another Cambridge genius, who was a scientist and the mathematician
e)who was one of the greatest economists in the twentieth century, once wrote an essay on another Cambridge genius, the scientist and mathematician



My vote is for option-A

Its a 3-2 split, Between A and D , word "who" misleads, Go for A. Its straight and precise.


Cheers !
:cheers:
hi please solve this
A majority of the international journalists surveyed view nuclear power stations as unsafe at present but that they will, or could, be made sufficiently safe in the future.
(A) that they will, or could,
(B) that they would, or could,
(C) they will be or could
(D) think that they will be or could
(E) think the power stations would or could


Hi Tuls18,

Good one, Its quite tough between Option-A and B.
My call is for Option-B.

Option-A: its distorting, will with could.
Option-C: Its not subjunctive, so verb need not to follow.
Option-D and E: Looks weird, use of word "think" leaves uncertainty.

Cheers !
:cheers:
Try this:
A leading figure in the Scottish enlightenment, Adam Smith's two major books are to democratic capitalism what Marx's Das Kapital is to socialism.
  1. Adam Smith's two major books are to democratic capitalism what
  2. Adam Smith's two major books are to democratic capitalism like
  3. Adam Smith's two major books are to democratic capitalism just as
  4. Adam Smith wrote two major books that are to democratic capitalism similar to
  5. Adam Smith wrote two major books that are to democratic capitalism what



My choice is Option-E,

OPTION_A, B, C all looks inappropriate, Option-D is unidiomatic.

Cheers !
Try this one folks:-

In reference to the current hostility towards smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety that their prospects for being hired and promoted are being stunted by their habit.

a) In reference to the current hostility towards smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety that

b) Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety about

c)When referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently express anxiety about


d) With reference to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety about

e) Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently express anxiety that


My answer is in Red,

cheers !
:drinking:
Few more questions,please try them:

Q1.
In 1982 the median income for married-couple families with a wage-earning wife was $9,000 more than a family where the husband only was employed.
(A) a family where the husband only
(B) of a family where only the husband
(C) that for families in which only the husband
(D) a family in which only the husband
(E) those of families in which the husband only

Q2.
Senator Lasker has proposed legislation requiring that employers should retain all older workers indefinitely or show just cause for dismissal.
(A) that employers should retain all older workers
(B) that all older workers be retained by employers
(C) the retaining by employers of all older workers
(D) employers' retention of all older workers
(E) employers to retain all older workers

Hi,
My answer is in color,

Cheers !
:thumbsup:
What do you think of the one below:-

Unlike transplants between identical twins, whose genetic endowment is the same, all patients receiving hearts or other organs must take antirejection drugs for the rest of their lives.
(A) Unlike transplants between identical twins, whose genetic endowment is the same
(B) Besides transplants involving identical twins with the same genetic endowment
(C) Unless the transplant involves identical twins who have the same genetic endowment

(D) Aside from a transplant between identical twins with the same genetic endowment
(E) Other than transplants between identical twins, whose genetic endowment is the same


My answer is in RED: Correct sentence formation among all options.

Cheers !
:cheers:
This is an excellent question, i sure you all will like it.

On the Great Plains, nineteenth-century settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, doing it without timber and nails.
(A) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, doing it without
(B) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, did it without
(C) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, making them while not having
(D) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, making do without
(E) settlers homes were built of mud and grass, making do without


My call is for Option-D.


Regards,