OG SC question #171 "so as to vs so that"

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by nailGmat2012 » Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:34 pm
Guys, do you know any OG#Q# with "so ..as to" as the right choice? I think I've read that "so as to" construction is almost always wrong in gmatland.

Thanks.

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by divineacclivity » Tue Sep 04, 2012 6:06 pm
farooq wrote:
mmslf75 wrote:COULD vs WOULD here in D and E

Any major difference that GMAT tests on ?
I have not seen any kind of question that was based on the above difference. Yes, in GMAT, you definitely find "would" or "could" in answer choices, but it does not mean we should focus on these two things. There can be many more hint that will help us to cancel those choices. As in the above question: E "in order that" doesn't looks fine with the right answer.

Moreover, in GMAT we have to select best answer rather then the right answer. Especially in Verbal section we have to focus more on the best answer.

Verbal plays a critical role in GMAT score. And I believe RC is the key to break verbal section.

Good Luck. Hope my answer will help you to some extent.
Hi,

I still can NOT understand why "to be married to" is wrong.
The King sought to have his marriage annulled to be married to A.B. - why is this wrong.
Doesn't it mean the same as the following sentence:
The King sought to have his marriage annulled to get married to A.B. Is this sentence correct/better than the one above (to be married one)?

Thanks.

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by divineacclivity » Thu Sep 06, 2012 6:21 pm
Please reply or pls let me know if this forum is no more in use. Thank you.

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by EducationAisle » Fri Sep 07, 2012 5:48 am
nailGmat2012 wrote:Guys, do you know any OG#Q# with "so ..as to" as the right choice? I think I've read that "so as to" construction is almost always wrong in gmatland.
Thanks.
Nothing I can recollect from OG, but from GMATPrep:

Often major economic shifts are so gradual as to be indistinguishable at first from ordinary fluctuations in the financial markets.
Ashish
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by divineacclivity » Fri Sep 07, 2012 9:50 pm
EducationAisle wrote:
nailGmat2012 wrote:Guys, do you know any OG#Q# with "so ..as to" as the right choice? I think I've read that "so as to" construction is almost always wrong in gmatland.
Thanks.
Nothing I can recollect from OG, but from GMATPrep:

Often major economic shifts are so gradual as to be indistinguishable at first from ordinary fluctuations in the financial markets.
Hi,

I still can NOT understand why "to be married to" is wrong.
The King sought to have his marriage annulled to be married to A.B. - why is this wrong.
Doesn't it mean the same as the following sentence:
The King sought to have his marriage annulled to get married to A.B. Is this sentence correct/better than the one above (to be married one)?

Thanks
Divine

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by vietmoi999 » Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:38 am
I see that "so as to" dose not appear on og books and gmatprep. This means gmat mayI not accept this phrase.

the problem tested in this question is meaning.

in E, "would do" means a certainty that he can marry
A means a certainty that he can marry

in D, "could do" mean a possiblity that he can marry. this is the logic meaning. D is correct.

"would do" means certainty. "could do" means possibility. these points is made clearly in grammar books

is my thinking correct? experts, please comme in to help us

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by annays » Sun Jan 10, 2016 2:30 pm
Can any expert help to explain why A is incorrect?

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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Jan 12, 2016 5:03 am
annays wrote:Can any expert help to explain why A is incorrect?
Correct:
X is so Y as to Z.
Conveyed meaning:
X is Y to SUCH A LARGE DEGREE that the UNINTENDED RESULT is Z.
SC88 in the OG10:
The features..are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an "artificial face."
Here, the features are unrealistic to such a large degree that the unintended result is the portion in red.

Incorrect:
X does Y so as to Z.
Answer choice A in the SC above:
King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so as to marry Anne Boleyn.
Here, the portion in red is unidiomatic.
Also, so as to on the GMAT should NOT serve to express purpose.
In the correct idiom X is so Y as to Z, Z is an UNINTENDED result.
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by aflaam » Tue Jan 12, 2016 8:39 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
annays wrote:Can any expert help to explain why A is incorrect?
Correct:
X is so Y as to Z.
Conveyed meaning:
X is Y to SUCH A LARGE DEGREE that the UNINTENDED RESULT is Z.
SC88 in the OG10:
The features..are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an "artificial face."
Here, the features are unrealistic to such a large degree that the unintended result is the portion in red.

Incorrect:
X does Y so as to Z.
Answer choice A in the SC above:
King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so as to marry Anne Boleyn.
Here, the portion in red is unidiomatic.
Also, so as to on the GMAT should NOT serve to express purpose.
In the correct idiom X is so Y as to Z, Z is an UNINTENDED result.
here comes the Mitch and the discussion culminates with nothing but kudos and thanks.
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by annays » Wed Jan 13, 2016 7:38 pm
Mitch is wonderfu1!!
GMATGuruNY wrote:
annays wrote:Can any expert help to explain why A is incorrect?
Correct:
X is so Y as to Z.
Conveyed meaning:
X is Y to SUCH A LARGE DEGREE that the UNINTENDED RESULT is Z.
SC88 in the OG10:
The features..are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an "artificial face."
Here, the features are unrealistic to such a large degree that the unintended result is the portion in red.

Incorrect:
X does Y so as to Z.
Answer choice A in the SC above:
King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so as to marry Anne Boleyn.
Here, the portion in red is unidiomatic.
Also, so as to on the GMAT should NOT serve to express purpose.
In the correct idiom X is so Y as to Z, Z is an UNINTENDED result.

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by evs.teja » Wed Mar 09, 2016 7:16 am
Correct:
X is so Y as to Z.
Conveyed meaning:
X is Y to SUCH A LARGE DEGREE that the UNINTENDED RESULT is Z.
SC88 in the OG10:
The features..are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an "artificial face."
Here, the features are unrealistic to such a large degree that the unintended result is the portion in red.

Incorrect:
X does Y so as to Z.
Answer choice A in the SC above:
King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so as to marry Anne Boleyn.
Here, the portion in red is unidiomatic.
Also, so as to on the GMAT should NOT serve to express purpose.
In the correct idiom X is so Y as to Z, Z is an UNINTENDED result.
Students in the metropolitan school district lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming ever more dependent on information-based industries.

The official answer is: are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming

Dear Mitch,
can we use as toinstead of the bold text, if not please explain why ?
According to my understanding the result is unintended purpose.
Regards
Teja

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by GMATGuruNY » Wed Mar 09, 2016 7:39 am
evs.teja wrote: The official answer is: are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming

Dear Mitch,
can we use as toinstead of the bold text, if not please explain why ?
According to my understanding the result is unintended purpose.
Proposed revision:
Students are so lacking in math skills as to absorb them.
Here, them serves to refer to students.
As a result, the portions in red imply that STUDENTS will absorb STUDENTS.
This meaning is nonsensical.
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by iongmat » Thu Mar 10, 2016 5:58 am
GMATGuruNY wrote: Correct:
X is so Y as to Z.
Conveyed meaning:
X is Y to SUCH A LARGE DEGREE that the UNINTENDED RESULT is Z.
Hello GMATGuru, the following also seems to be following this pattern, but is incorrect.

Although schistosomiasis is not often fatal, so debilitating is it as to become an economic drain on
many developing countries.

Is this because "so debilitating is it" should have been "it is so debilitating"?

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by GMATGuruNY » Fri Mar 11, 2016 3:34 pm
iongmat wrote:
GMATGuruNY wrote: Correct:
X is so Y as to Z.
Conveyed meaning:
X is Y to SUCH A LARGE DEGREE that the UNINTENDED RESULT is Z.
Hello GMATGuru, the following also seems to be following this pattern, but is incorrect.

Although schistosomiasis is not often fatal, so debilitating is it as to become an economic drain on
many developing countries.

Is this because "so debilitating is it" should have been "it is so debilitating"?
Generally, so X as to Y serves to link one GENERAL TRUTH to another.

Correct: The features are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an "artificial face."
Here, one general truth (the features are unrealistic) is linked to another (the features constitute what one scholar calls an "artificial face.")

Correct: Major economic shifts are so gradual as to be indistinguishable at first from ordinary fluctuations.
Here, one general truth (major economic shifts are gradual) is linked to another (major economic shifts are indistinguishable at first from ordinary fluctuations).
Although schistosomiasis is not often fatal, it is so debilitating that it has become an economic drain on many developing countries.

(A) it is so debilitating that it has become an economic
(B) it is of such debilitation, it has become an economical
(C) so debilitating is it as to become an economic
(D) such is its debilitation, it becomes an economical
(E) there is so much debilitation that it has become an economical
Here, the portion in red expresses not a general truth but a RECENT EVENT:
Schistosomiasis has become an economic drain on many developing countries.
Since the portion in red does not express a general truth, the usage of so X as to Y in answer choice C is inappropriate.
Eliminate C.
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by thang » Tue Mar 15, 2016 2:58 am
xeqtr wrote:In 1527 King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so as to marry Anne Boleyn.

A ...
B and so could be married to
C to be married to
D so that he could marry
E in order that he would marry

QA:D

So what is wrong with A? I think it sounds quite rite, since as to means in order to. one may say it is not clear who marry who, but I thin subject King Henry is clearly reffered to marry Anne Boleyn section. I though for a sec for the correct answer as well but thought A is clearer and shorter and went for it since I dont think there's a hard evidence for it to be wrong. Thnx in advance for your assistance!
I studies this problem many times.
between D and E.
could is used to say a possibility
would is used to say a certainty.
in this context, a possibility is more logic than a certainty is
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