Most of Portugal's 250,000 university students boycotted classes in a one-day strike to
protest a law that requires them to contribute $330 a year toward the cost of higher
education, previously paying $7 per year.
A. year toward the cost of higher education, previously paying $7 per year
B. year toward the cost of higher education, for which was previously paid $7 per
year
C. year, compared to the previously $7 per year, toward the cost of higher education
D. year toward the cost of higher education, instead of the $7 per year required
previously
E. year as opposed to the $7 per year required previously for the cost of higher
education
I options A & B, is the usage of "toward" correct? Should it not be "towards"
In another forum, one of the experts did opine that using toward is correct.
Can someone please explain this?
OA is E
toward vs towards
This topic has expert replies
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- ceilidh.erickson
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There is no grammatical or usage distinction between TOWARD and TOWARDS. They can be used interchangeably, and one is not more correct than the other. American and Canadian English tends to favor TOWARD, while British and other Commonwealth users prefer TOWARDS, but that is a preference, not a rule.
The good news is that (with very few exceptions), the GMAT does not test word choice, but rather grammar.
In this example, the usage of TOWARD is perfectly acceptable in A and B. The problem with those answer choices was the modifier after the comma.
A - "Previously paying" doesn't convey the appropriate contrast between the current situation and the previous.
B - "For which was previously paid" is wordy and awkward.
The good news is that (with very few exceptions), the GMAT does not test word choice, but rather grammar.
In this example, the usage of TOWARD is perfectly acceptable in A and B. The problem with those answer choices was the modifier after the comma.
A - "Previously paying" doesn't convey the appropriate contrast between the current situation and the previous.
B - "For which was previously paid" is wordy and awkward.
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
- hemant_rajput
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
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can someone please provide a detailed explanation for every option?gmatrant wrote:Most of Portugal's 250,000 university students boycotted classes in a one-day strike to
protest a law that requires them to contribute $330 a year toward the cost of higher
education, previously paying $7 per year.
A. year toward the cost of higher education, previously paying $7 per year
B. year toward the cost of higher education, for which was previously paid $7 per
year
C. year, compared to the previously $7 per year, toward the cost of higher education
D. year toward the cost of higher education, instead of the $7 per year required
previously
E. year as opposed to the $7 per year required previously for the cost of higher
education
I options A & B, is the usage of "toward" correct? Should it not be "towards"
In another forum, one of the experts did opine that using toward is correct.
Can someone please explain this?
OA is E
I'm no expert, just trying to work on my skills. If I've made any mistakes please bear with me.