Sentence Correction

In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.

A. In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.

B. In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing its trade deficit by $500 million.

C. When compared with ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing their trade deficit by $500 million.

D. Compared with ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing the trade deficit by $500 million.

E. Compared to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States record exports to Mexico caused a $500 million decline in the trade deficit with that country.

OA: A

I would appreciate if you can tell me why E is a incorrect choice.

utkalnayak wrote:In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.

A. In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.

B. In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing its trade deficit by $500 million.

C. When compared with ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing their trade deficit by $500 million.

D. Compared with ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing the trade deficit by $500 million.

E. Compared to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States record exports to Mexico caused a $500 million decline in the trade deficit with that country.

OA: A

I would appreciate if you can tell me why E is a incorrect choice.

The expression compared to is used to express similarity between on thing another. Here's an example.

His writing has been compared to that of Dickens.

That sentence is meant to convey that people find his writing to be similar to that of Dickens.

In choice E, compared to is incorrectly used to convey that there is a contrast. If read literally, the sentence would almost seem to say that the record exports are somehow similar to the ongoing imbalances, which is nonsensical.

Having said that, I have seen some say that the GMAT does not restrict the use of compared to to the way I described above, instead, according to those people, it is used interchangeably with compared with. Even if this is the case, the meaning of the sentence in choice E is still unclear and the sentence could still be interpreted in the way I described above. Therefore, E is not a good choice and using the expression in contrast to is a much better way to begin the sentence.

utkalnayak wrote:In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.

A. In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.

B. In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing its trade deficit by $500 million.

C. When compared with ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing their trade deficit by $500 million.

D. Compared with ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing the trade deficit by $500 million.

E. Compared to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States record exports to Mexico caused a $500 million decline in the trade deficit with that country.

B: In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances...the United States
Here, a contrast is illogically drawn between THE UNITED STATES and TRADE IMBALANCES.
Eliminate B.

C and D: compared with ongoing trade imbalances...the United States
Here, the UNITED STATES is illogically compared with TRADE IMBALANCES.
Eliminate C and D.

X may be compared to Y only if X and Y are LIKE THINGS.
E: Compared to ongoing trade imbalances, the United States record exports
Here, RECORD EXPORTS are illogically compared to TRADE IMBALANCES.
Since RECORD EXPORTS and TRADE IMBALANCES are NOT like things, the usage of compared to is inappropriate.
Eliminate E.

The correct answer is A.

That makes sense, comparison should be between 2 parallel objects. Thank you Mitch.

What about the pronoun ".....that country"

Which country does this pronoun refer to??
We would say Mexico but it could be another country??

Also, should there not be a possessive "apostrophe" with the United States trade deficit to show that we are comparing the "trade deficit"

Hope I am not getting it all wrong..

Tmoni26 wrote:What about the pronoun ".....that country"

Which country does this pronoun refer to??
We would say Mexico but it could be another country??

The United States trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.
Given the preceding clause -- which indicates that the United States trade deficit with Mexico declined -- a reader will know from context that record exports to that country means RECORD EXPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES TO MEXICO.
No other interpretation is possible.

Also, should there not be a possessive "apostrophe" with the United States trade deficit to show that we are comparing the "trade deficit"

A noun can serve as an adjective:
SOCCER player
HISTORY book
COMPUTER keyboard
In all of these examples, the first noun serves as an adjective modifying the second noun.

The UNITED STATES trade deficit.
Here, United States serves as an adjective modifying trade deficit.
What KIND of trade deficit?
The UNITED STATES trade deficit.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

utkalnayak wrote:In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.

A. In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.

B. In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing its trade deficit by $500 million.

C. When compared with ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing their trade deficit by $500 million.

D. Compared with ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing the trade deficit by $500 million.

E. Compared to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States record exports to Mexico caused a $500 million decline in the trade deficit with that country.

B: In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances...the United States
Here, a contrast is illogically drawn between THE UNITED STATES and TRADE IMBALANCES.
Eliminate B.

C and D: compared with ongoing trade imbalances...the United States
Here, the UNITED STATES is illogically compared with TRADE IMBALANCES.
Eliminate C and D.

X may be compared to Y only if X and Y are LIKE THINGS.
E: Compared to ongoing trade imbalances, the United States record exports
Here, RECORD EXPORTS are illogically compared to TRADE IMBALANCES.
Since RECORD EXPORTS and TRADE IMBALANCES are NOT like things, the usage of compared to is inappropriate.
Eliminate E.

The correct answer is A.

Hi Mitch,

1- What do you mean use 'compare to' when they are like things?

2-Can I use 'compare to' interchangeably with 'compare with' like the following examples:

A- Compared to ongoing trade imbalances, the United States ongoing trade imbalances....
B- Compared with ongoing trade imbalances, the United States ongoing trade imbalances......

3- Is placing 'when' before compared considered not idiomatic in GMAT?



Thanks

Mo2men wrote: Hi Mitch,

1- What do you mean use 'compare to' when they are like things?

An imbalance is an INEQUALITY.
Exports are PRODUCTS.
It is illogical to compare an INEQUALITY to PRODUCTS.
Thus, an imbalance cannot logically be compared to exports.

2-Can I use 'compare to' interchangeably with 'compare with'

The GMAT does not distinguish between compare to and compare with.
The two phrases should be considered interchangeable.

3- Is placing 'when' before compared considered not idiomatic in GMAT?[/u]

Generally, when compared is to be avoided because it will distort the intended meaning.
C: When compared with ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan, the United States sold record exports to Mexico.
Here, the usage of when implies that record exports were sold AT A PARTICULAR MOMENT:
WHEN the United States was COMPARED.
Not the intended meaning:
The record exports were NOT sold at a particular moment.
Eliminate C.