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hey_thr67 Really wants to Beat The GMAT! Default Avatar
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Experts please reply Post Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:47 pm
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    167. Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes and so were probably without language, a shortcoming that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.

    (A) Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes
    (B) Neanderthals had a vocal tract resembling an ape’s
    (C) The vocal tracts of Neanderthals resembled an ape's
    (D) The Neanderthal's vocal tracts resembled the apes’
    (E) The vocal tracts of the Neanderthals resembled those of the apes


    OA is B. Why not A ? OG says those can refer to a vocal tract but my confusion is that those of is for apes which is also in plural

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    Post Thu Jun 07, 2012 9:41 pm
    hey_thr67 wrote:
    167. Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes and so were probably without language, a shortcoming that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.

    (A) Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes
    (B) Neanderthals had a vocal tract resembling an ape’s
    (C) The vocal tracts of Neanderthals resembled an ape's
    (D) The Neanderthal's vocal tracts resembled the apes’
    (E) The vocal tracts of the Neanderthals resembled those of the apes


    OA is B. Why not A ? OG says those can refer to a vocal tract but my confusion is that those of is for apes which is also in plural
    (A) Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes - noun pronoun disagreement. Those in the later part of sentence refer to vocal tract, which is singular in first part of the sentence
    (B) Neanderthals had a vocal tract resembling an ape’s
    (C) The vocal tracts of Neanderthals resembled an ape's
    (D) The Neanderthal's vocal tracts resembled the apes’
    (E) The vocal tracts of the Neanderthals resembled those of the apes- Changes the subject of the sentence

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    Post Fri Jun 08, 2012 3:41 am
    hey_thr67 wrote:
    167. Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes and so were probably without language, a shortcoming that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.

    (A) Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes
    (B) Neanderthals had a vocal tract resembling an ape’s
    (C) The vocal tracts of Neanderthals resembled an ape's
    (D) The Neanderthal's vocal tracts resembled the apes’
    (E) The vocal tracts of the Neanderthals resembled those of the apes


    OA is B. Why not A ? OG says those can refer to a vocal tract but my confusion is that those of is for apes which is also in plural
    In A, those (plural) cannot be used to refer to tract (singular). Eliminate A.

    C, D and E each distort the meaning by stating that the VOCAL TRACTS...were probably without language. The intended meaning is that NEANDERTHALS were probably without language. Eliminate C, D and E.

    The correct answer is B.

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    confuse mind GMAT Destroyer! Default Avatar
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    Post Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:22 am
    GMATGuruNY wrote:
    hey_thr67 wrote:
    167. Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes and so were probably without language, a shortcoming that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.

    (A) Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes
    (B) Neanderthals had a vocal tract resembling an ape’s
    (C) The vocal tracts of Neanderthals resembled an ape's
    (D) The Neanderthal's vocal tracts resembled the apes’
    (E) The vocal tracts of the Neanderthals resembled those of the apes


    OA is B. Why not A ? OG says those can refer to a vocal tract but my confusion is that those of is for apes which is also in plural
    In A, those (plural) cannot be used to refer to tract (singular). Eliminate A.

    C, D and E each distort the meaning by stating that the VOCAL TRACTS...were probably without language. The intended meaning is that NEANDERTHALS were probably without language. Eliminate C, D and E.

    The correct answer is B.
    Thanks. I completely agree with the reasoning that you gave for A, C, D and E

    In B I have some confusion that you can help me understand:

    Neanderthals[plural] had a vocal tract[singular] resembling an ape’s[singular]

    since the Neanderthals each has a vocal tract and not all of them are owing a single:)
    so the vocal tract be plural.

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    Post Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:33 am
    confuse mind wrote:
    GMATGuruNY wrote:
    hey_thr67 wrote:
    167. Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes and so were probably without language, a shortcoming that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.

    (A) Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes
    (B) Neanderthals had a vocal tract resembling an ape’s
    (C) The vocal tracts of Neanderthals resembled an ape's
    (D) The Neanderthal's vocal tracts resembled the apes’
    (E) The vocal tracts of the Neanderthals resembled those of the apes


    OA is B. Why not A ? OG says those can refer to a vocal tract but my confusion is that those of is for apes which is also in plural
    In A, those (plural) cannot be used to refer to tract (singular). Eliminate A.

    C, D and E each distort the meaning by stating that the VOCAL TRACTS...were probably without language. The intended meaning is that NEANDERTHALS were probably without language. Eliminate C, D and E.

    The correct answer is B.
    Thanks. I completely agree with the reasoning that you gave for A, C, D and E

    In B I have some confusion that you can help me understand:

    Neanderthals[plural] had a vocal tract[singular] resembling an ape’s[singular]

    since the Neanderthals each has a vocal tract and not all of them are owing a single:)
    so the vocal tract be plural.
    Neanderthals had vocal tracts.
    Here, a reader unfamiliar with evolution might construe that each Neanderthal had more than one vocal tract.

    Neanderthals had a vocal tract.
    No reader would ever construe that Neanderthals shared one vocal tract that was passed around from Neanderthal to Neanderthal.
    Hence, this wording conveys the intended meaning more clearly.

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    hey_thr67 Really wants to Beat The GMAT! Default Avatar
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    Post Sat Jun 09, 2012 2:19 am
    My question is that why not "those of"[plural] is associated with apes [plural] but with tract [singular] ??

    hey_thr67 Really wants to Beat The GMAT! Default Avatar
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    Post Sat Jun 09, 2012 2:21 am
    is it correct ?


    "Neanderthals had vocal tracts that resembled those of the apes"

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    Post Sat Jun 09, 2012 4:49 am
    hey_thr67 wrote:
    is it correct ?


    "Neanderthals had vocal tracts that resembled those of the apes"
    Here, those (plural) has a proper plural antecedent (tracts), but the intended meaning is less clear. Please see my post above.

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