An unusually strong cyclist

This topic has expert replies
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 423
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:29 am
Location: Hyderabad, India
Thanked: 36 times
Followed by:2 members
GMAT Score:770

An unusually strong cyclist

by simplyjat » Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:56 pm
An unusually strong cyclist can, it is hoped, provide enough power to set a new distance record for human-powered aircraft in MIT's diaphanous construction of graphite fiber and plastic.

(A) can, it is hoped, provide enough power to set
(B) it is hoped, can provide enough power that will set
(C) hopefully can provide enough power, this will set
(D) is hopeful to set
(E) hopes setting

OA A
simplyjat
Source: — Sentence Correction |

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 423
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:29 am
Location: Hyderabad, India
Thanked: 36 times
Followed by:2 members
GMAT Score:770

by simplyjat » Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:53 pm
Experts, your generous opinion please...
simplyjat

Legendary Member
Posts: 631
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:57 pm
Thanked: 29 times
Followed by:3 members

by netigen » Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:11 pm
D and E change the meaning of the sentence
B - sounds like the power will set the record not the cyclist
C - 'this' is ambiguous

GMAT Instructor
Posts: 83
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:05 pm
Thanked: 21 times
Followed by:2 members

by rey.fernandez » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:25 pm
An unusually strong cyclist can, it is hoped, provide enough power to set a new distance record for human-powered aircraft in MIT's diaphanous construction of graphite fiber and plastic.

(A) can, it is hoped, provide enough power to set
(B) it is hoped, can provide enough power that will set
(C) hopefully can provide enough power, this will set
(D) is hopeful to set
(E) hopes setting
B - "provide enough power that will set" is unidiomatic. Better to say "enough power to set"
C - You have two independent clauses here: "An unusually strong...enough power" and "this will set a...fiber and plastic". Yet, only a comma connects the two. No good! You must have a conjunction or semicolon there to "glue" the two clauses together. A comma alone is never enough.
D - This is unidiomatic, too. Better to say "hopes to set." Also, this construction changes the meaning of the sentence -- the focus now is on a particular cyclist setting a record, whereas in the original sentence the issue was about enough power being generated by a cyclist in order to set the record.
E - Change in meaning as in D. Also, "hopes to set" over "hopes setting".

The correct answer is A.

Rey
Rey Fernandez
Instructor
Manhattan GMAT

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 423
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:29 am
Location: Hyderabad, India
Thanked: 36 times
Followed by:2 members
GMAT Score:770

by simplyjat » Thu May 01, 2008 10:13 am
I was confused about the usage of IT in A. IT does not seem to have any antecedent.
simplyjat

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:15 pm
Thanked: 2 times

by linfongyu » Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:34 pm
I agree with the above. Who is "it" referring to in A?"

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 871
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:48 am
Thanked: 48 times

by stop@800 » Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:44 pm
linfongyu wrote:I agree with the above. Who is "it" referring to in A?"
It does not always have an antecedent.
[/b]It is raining outside.[/b] is absolutely correct.

• Page 1 of 1