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mridula · Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:12 pm

According to a recent study by Rutgers University, the number of women in state legislatures has grown in every election since 1968;

A. the number of women in state legislatures has grown

B. the number of women who are in state legislatures have grown

C. there has been growth in the number of women in state legislatures

D. a growing number of women have been in state legislatures

E. women have been growing in number in state legislatures

OA is A. I don't understand what is wrong with C. Please help!

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gmater29 · Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:24 pm

I choosed A

Has grown - Present perfect tense and nothing sounds incorrect in the sentence.

There has been growth. The sentence sounds wordy.

I used the "Keep it simple rule"

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aspiringgmat · Sat Nov 21, 2009 4:20 am

There is sense of continuation in this sentence. Does not it mean that we should use present perfect continious tense. I mean option E ?

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duongthang · Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:49 am

a hard one

check grammar,

B is out

lets check meaning and style

do not use "there is/are" or noun when action verb can be used because use of verb is simple,direct, vigorous and concise (I know this from reading "10 lessions in style", you can read part relevant, do not read it all. it is long). C, D are out

focus of interest should be subject. Number should be subject. E is out (there is a question in OG10 for this, "the boat in 1789" I do not remember question number)

I try to explain but feel hard. Stacey, Stuart, Ian, pls, help us with this

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viju9162 · Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:21 am

The number of indicates singular verb. Present perfect is used because the sentence states women number is increasing since 1968.. which means it is increasing now also.. And in the beginning, it states " recent study"...

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mbamaverick · Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:52 am

"The number" is considered as singular. Choice A correctly uses "has" with "The number".

Note: "A number" is considered as plural.

Long live MGMAT SC Smile

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brick2009 · Sun Nov 29, 2009 12:34 pm

the number (singular) ... has grown..

hence A.

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lunarpower · Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:26 am

mostly just a matter of idiom here.

if something (X) has grown, then "X has grown" is idiomatic. "there has been growth in X" is not idiomatic.

if you're going to write this with a preposition, the thing that's actually growing takes "of", not "in":
growth of the population in arizona
(note that the population, not arizona, has grown)

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duongthang · Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:54 am

Lunarpower, thank you, I appreciate your explanation

your explanation of "growth of" is for C. nice explanation.

How about D and E, why D and E are wrong? pls, help

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