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Question with the use of three times/triple/thrice

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Question with the use of three times/triple/thrice

by vindooo » Tue Aug 10, 2010 4:59 am
Records from the latter half of the 19th century show that in 1876 in Westbridge County there were 1,200 landowners, nearly 12 percent of the state landowner population, three times as many as 1852.


A
three times as many as 1852

B
three times as much as 1852

C
triple what it was in 1852

D
triple the figure for 1852

E
thrice the number that was recorded in 1852

Answer D

Could anyone please give the difference in the usage of three/triple/thrice.
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by Anju@Gurome » Fri Aug 13, 2010 1:39 am
vindooo wrote:Records from the latter half of the 19th century show that in 1876 in Westbridge County there were 1,200 landowners, nearly 12 percent of the state landowner population, three times as many as 1852.


A
three times as many as 1852

B
three times as much as 1852

C
triple what it was in 1852

D
triple the figure for 1852

E
thrice the number that was recorded in 1852

Answer D

Could anyone please give the difference in the usage of three/triple/thrice.
Options A & B attempt to compare the number of landowners to the year 1852 and are hence incorrect - there were 1200 landowners, three times as many as 1852

C. there is no precedent to the pronoun 'it' - there's no clear link to a noun

D. Correct answer

E. Long winding - between 2 options, always go with the shorter one.
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by GMATMadeEasy » Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:52 am
Why E is wrong : "Thrice is an adverb and can not modify a noun. "

D is correct because double/triple are adjectives, so can modify noun.

For further clarity :

"Twice": "Twice" CANNOT function as an object of the preposition such as "by".
"Twice" is an adverb.
Example:
"... increased by more than twice .." -- WRONG!

On a similar note, "DOUBLE" is an adjective and can not modify verb, but since "Twice" is an adverb it can modify Verb.
Example:-
The same amount of acreage produces double the apple.... -- WRONG
The same amount of acreage produces twice as many apples..... -CORRECT

"twice as many as":

"..., twice as many as ..." is an APPOSITIVE modifier. Appositives must modify some noun that comes immediately before the comma.
It helps ?
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by GMATMadeEasy » Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:55 am
To continue on this :

Examples:
"... rose sharply in 1990, twice as many as ... " -- WRONG!!
"... rose sharply in 1990, doubling the increase of the previous year." -- RIGHT!!

Long winding is not the one which decides here .
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by rashmi.kaushal » Fri Aug 13, 2010 7:58 am
A
three times as many as 1852

three times as many as WHAT ??- Not clear hence in correct

B
three times as much as 1852

three times as MUCH as - we are talking about countables here, hence usage of much incoorect

C
triple what it was in 1852

IT refers to the noun preceding it here tripple hence in correct

D
triple the figure for 1852

Clearly mentions that the population of lawyers have increased by three times

E
thrice the number that was recorded in 1852

Wordier, Passive voice, hence incorrect


Hope this helps !
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