A new hair-growth drug is being sold for three times the price, per milligram, as the drug's maker charges for another product with the same active ingredient.
A. as
B. than
C. that
D. of what
E. at which
OA: C
Hair-growth drug
This topic has expert replies
GMAT/MBA Expert
- lunarpower
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 3380
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:20 am
- Thanked: 2256 times
- Followed by:1535 members
- GMAT Score:800
(a) and (b) are unidiomatic: (a) is wrong because the sentence doesn't contain "three times as much...", and (b) is wrong because the sentence doesn't contain "more".hksam07 wrote:A new hair-growth drug is being sold for three times the price, per milligram, as the drug's maker charges for another product with the same active ingredient.
A. as
B. than
C. that
D. of what
E. at which
OA: C
(e) is bad diction: "the price at which the manufacturer charges" isn't right. you don't charge at a price; you just charge a price (for something).
--
(d), taken literally, has an absurd meaning: it says "the price of what the drug's maker charges".
but you must notice that "what the drug's maker charges" is already the price of the product. therefore, "the price of what the drug's maker charges" would illogically refer to the price of a price.
--
that leaves (c), the only answer that's idiomatic and semantically correct. as a bonus, it's concise, too.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.
--
Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi
--
Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.
Yves Saint-Laurent
--
Learn more about ron
--
Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi
--
Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.
Yves Saint-Laurent
--
Learn more about ron
-
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 1799
- Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 3:03 am
- Thanked: 36 times
- Followed by:2 members
Hi Ron,
As per your post at the following link:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/pos ... tml#p31786
========================================
Ron>>>>
i'm surprised to see "the drug's maker", a phrase that i would think gmac would consider "awkward". i'd expect to see "the maker of the drug" instead.
=========================================
Can you please tell why in general GMAC considers "the drug's maker" type of constructions wrong ?
I guess these type of choices are quite common in GMAT options....probably in wrong ones....
What is the reasoning for the same....so that we can straightaway kick out similar options by recognizing the pattern ?
Thanks
Mohit
As per your post at the following link:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/pos ... tml#p31786
========================================
Ron>>>>
i'm surprised to see "the drug's maker", a phrase that i would think gmac would consider "awkward". i'd expect to see "the maker of the drug" instead.
=========================================
Can you please tell why in general GMAC considers "the drug's maker" type of constructions wrong ?
I guess these type of choices are quite common in GMAT options....probably in wrong ones....
What is the reasoning for the same....so that we can straightaway kick out similar options by recognizing the pattern ?
Thanks
Mohit
-
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 1799
- Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 3:03 am
- Thanked: 36 times
- Followed by:2 members
Hi Ron,lunarpower wrote: (d), taken literally, has an absurd meaning: it says "the price of what the drug's maker charges".
but you must notice that "what the drug's maker charges" is already the price of the product. therefore, "the price of what the drug's maker charges" would illogically refer to the price of a price.
Can you please tell a bit more about the usage of "what" in GMAT....
Does it act like pronoun like "where", "when", "that".....
basically what role does "what" play in a GMAT sentence ?
Thanks
Mohit
GMAT/MBA Expert
- lunarpower
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 3380
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:20 am
- Thanked: 2256 times
- Followed by:1535 members
- GMAT Score:800
in MOST cases of these kinds of constructions, in which "what" is a relative pronoun, you can replace it with "the NOUN that..."goelmohit2002 wrote:Hi Ron,lunarpower wrote: (d), taken literally, has an absurd meaning: it says "the price of what the drug's maker charges".
but you must notice that "what the drug's maker charges" is already the price of the product. therefore, "the price of what the drug's maker charges" would illogically refer to the price of a price.
Can you please tell a bit more about the usage of "what" in GMAT....
Does it act like pronoun like "where", "when", "that".....
basically what role does "what" play in a GMAT sentence ?
Thanks
Mohit
so, for instance, in this construction ("what the drug's maker charges"), you can replace "what" with "the price that..."
--
"what" can also be a question word, but these sentences aren't questions - so you shouldn't have to worry about that.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.
--
Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi
--
Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.
Yves Saint-Laurent
--
Learn more about ron
--
Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi
--
Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.
Yves Saint-Laurent
--
Learn more about ron
-
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 1799
- Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 3:03 am
- Thanked: 36 times
- Followed by:2 members
Hi Ron,lunarpower wrote:
in MOST cases of these kinds of constructions, in which "what" is a relative pronoun, you can replace it with "the NOUN that..."
so, for instance, in this construction ("what the drug's maker charges"), you can replace "what" with "the price that..."
Either I am misinterpreting you or misinterpreting OG...
but OG-12, Q50 option B explanation say that what cannot be used as relative pronoun instead of "that"...
Kindly tell what I am missing here...or in case I am misinterpreting you.
Thanks
Mohit
GMAT/MBA Expert
- lunarpower
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 3380
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:20 am
- Thanked: 2256 times
- Followed by:1535 members
- GMAT Score:800
no, you're correct. you can't substitute "what" for "that".goelmohit2002 wrote:Hi Ron,lunarpower wrote:
in MOST cases of these kinds of constructions, in which "what" is a relative pronoun, you can replace it with "the NOUN that..."
so, for instance, in this construction ("what the drug's maker charges"), you can replace "what" with "the price that..."
Either I am misinterpreting you or misinterpreting OG...
but OG-12, Q50 option B explanation say that what cannot be used as relative pronoun instead of "that"...
Kindly tell what I am missing here...or in case I am misinterpreting you.
Thanks
Mohit
but note that the meaning of "what" is, essentially, the same as "the NOUN that..."
i don't have a huge command of exact terminology (relative pronoun, etc.), so it's certainly possible that i may have misused the term "relative pronoun". apologies if that is the case.
in general, just make sure that you know the usage cited above for "what".
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.
--
Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi
--
Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.
Yves Saint-Laurent
--
Learn more about ron
--
Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi
--
Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.
Yves Saint-Laurent
--
Learn more about ron