abcgmat wrote:According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal computer companies and most of the nation's largest local telephone companies would enable customers to receive internet data over regular telephone lines with speeds much higher than is currently possible.

A. with speeds much higher than is
B. with speeds that are much higher than are
C. at much higher speeds as are
D. at much higher speeds than that
E. at speeds much higher than are

abcgmat wrote:According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal computer companies and most of the nation's largest local telephone companies would enable customers to receive internet data over regular telephone lines with speeds much higher than is currently possible.

A. with speeds much higher than is
B. with speeds that are much higher than are
C. at much higher speeds as are
D. at much higher speeds than that
E. at speeds much higher than are

[spoiler]OA:E[/spoiler]
I was thinking that whatever in right must have something parallel to left
A: than is ..nothing parallel before --Eliminate
B: with speeds that are much higher than are --seems ok
C: we need higher than not as --Eliminate
D: that - refers to much higher speeds but we want to refers to only speeds- Eliminate
E- than are- nothing parallel before

I got B at the end, but found that it not correct.
Would like know whats wrong with my approach

GMATGuruNY wrote: In D, that (singular) does not agree with speeds (plural). Eliminate D.

divineacclivity wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote: In D, that (singular) does not agree with speeds (plural). Eliminate D.

I totally agree E is the sure shot answer but I had a hard time eliminating option D. "That" I thought can agree with both singular & plural e.g.
The papers that we sent yesterday haven't reached the office yet.

Am I missing something here?
Thank you very much in advance.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

abcgmat wrote:According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal computer companies and most of the nation's largest local telephone companies would enable customers to receive internet data over regular telephone lines with speeds much higher than is currently possible.

A. with speeds much higher than is
B. with speeds that are much higher than are
C. at much higher speeds as are
D. at much higher speeds than that
E. at speeds much higher than are

[spoiler]OA:E[/spoiler]
I was thinking that whatever in right must have something parallel to left
A: than is ..nothing parallel before --Eliminate
B: with speeds that are much higher than are --seems ok
C: we need higher than not as --Eliminate
D: that - refers to much higher speeds but we want to refers to only speeds- Eliminate
E- than are- nothing parallel before

I got B at the end, but found that it not correct.
Would like know whats wrong with my approach

In A and B, with speeds seems to modify telephone lines. TELEPHONE LINES themselves do not have speeds. The intended meaning is that DATA would be received AT higher speeds. Eliminate A and B.

In C, higher...as is unidiomatic. Eliminate C.

In D, that (singular) does not agree with speeds (plural). Eliminate D.

The correct answer is E.

E employs ELLIPSIS: the omission of words whose presence is understood. Here is the implied comparison:
...at SPEEDS much higher than are SPEEDS currently possible.

Other errors:
In A, is does not agree with speeds.
In B, it is incorrect to say speeds that ARE much higher (present), since the SC is discussing HYPOTHETICAL speeds that WOULD be enabled by the alliance.

sachindia wrote:
Mitch,
I understand B changes the intended meaning and so it is wrong. For the sake of learning, I would like to know whether it is grammatically correct.