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Hi Bill,

Isn't a diet of at least 30 percent wrong?



Thanks!

Bill - thanks for helping.

what does choice A mean then? that lab rats that eat a diet that consists of 30 percent fewer calories... vs a diet they would normally eat, which is more calories...what is wrong with that?

It seems A is comparing two diets whereas D is comparing the amount of calories.

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[quote="Bill@VeritasPrep"]Laboratory rats and mice live up to 40 percent longer than usual when fed a diet [u]of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat[/u], but that otherwise contains all necessary vitamins and nutrients.

a. of at least 30 percent fewer calories than[color=red] that which[/color] they would normally eat, but that otherwise
b.[color=red] with[/color] at least 30 percent fewer calories than what they would normally eat [color=red]though otherwise it[/color]
c. that has at least 30 percent[color=red] fewer of the calories [/color]that they would normally eat, but otherwise it
d. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat but that otherwise
e. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, [color=red]though [/color]that otherwise

The problem with "than that which" in Choice A is that it ruins the comparison: "a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat." Using "that which" refers back to "a diet" when we should use "fewer than" as in D.[/quote]

how [color=red]"with"[/color] and "[color=red]though otherwise it[/color]" are wrong in Option B?

Please help.

If "that which" refers to diet, then arent we comparing a diet to another diet, which would be correct?

Comparison should be logical:

1. Between what one diet has Vs what the other diet has: Option A falls into this category, since that in ..that which they would normally eat refers to diet. But we have a problem here. A would read:

..at least 30 percent fewer calories than that (diet) which they would normally eat..

So, A is incorrectly comparing calories and diet. The least A should have been is:

..at least 30 percent fewer calories than that (diet) which they would normally eat has..

Not that the above sentence is perfect, but it least logically compares calories (30 percent fewer) Vs the calories that their normal diet has.

2. Between Calories Vs Calories: Option D falls into this category: 30 percent fewer calories than (calories) they (rats) would normally eat
As is evident, D gets it right.

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I'm really confused here. Isn't the following sentence correct?

"Diet A has 30 percent fewer calories than diet B."

How is it different from the sentence above?

"..at least 30 percent fewer calories than that (diet) which they would normally eat.."

My understanding is that we don't really have to say the following explicitly
"Diet A has 30 percent fewer calories than the number of calories in diet B."