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700 level SC question: Source Veritas prep

by AndyMann » Fri Feb 13, 2015 11:37 am
At nearly 38 million dollars, one of the least costly options being considered, the delegate's proposal was ultimately rejected not only on account of its sizable budget but also on account of its considerable risk.

(A) At nearly 38 million dollars, one of the least costly options being considered, the delegate's proposal was ultimately rejected not only on account of its sizable budget but also on account of its considerable risk.

(B) Even at nearly 38 million dollars, the delegate's proposal was among the less costly options being considered; it was ultimately rejected not on account of its sizable budget but on account of its riskiness.

(C) The delegate's 38-million-dollar proposal, which was ultimately not rejected on account of its sizable budget but on account of its riskiness, had actually been one of the less costly options being considered.

(D) The delegate's 38-million-dollar proposal, nevertheless among the least costly options being considered, was ultimately not rejected on account of its sizable budget, but its riskiness.

(E) Ultimately rejected due not just to its sizable budget but also to its considerable risk, the delegate's proposal, even at 38 million dollars, was one of the least costly options under consideration.

Answer: B

I have few questions regarding the above question:

1) Regarding option C (use of past perfect and past tense in the same sentence) : Is it important to have a past tense for the main clause? The sentence above has a past perfect as the main clause tense, is it correct?

2) Regarding option A : Does modifier "one of least costly options" modifies $38 million dollars properly?

Thanks a lot,
Andy
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by MartyMurray » Fri Feb 13, 2015 4:25 pm
AndyMann wrote:At nearly 38 million dollars, one of the least costly options being considered, the delegate's proposal was ultimately rejected not only on account of its sizable budget but also on account of its considerable risk.

(A) At nearly 38 million dollars, one of the least costly options being considered, the delegate's proposal was ultimately rejected not only on account of its sizable budget but also on account of its considerable risk.

(B) Even at nearly 38 million dollars, the delegate's proposal was among the less costly options being considered; it was ultimately rejected not on account of its sizable budget but on account of its riskiness.

(C) The delegate's 38-million-dollar proposal, which was ultimately not rejected on account of its sizable budget but on account of its riskiness, had actually been one of the less costly options being considered.

(D) The delegate's 38-million-dollar proposal, nevertheless among the least costly options being considered, was ultimately not rejected on account of its sizable budget, but its riskiness.

(E) Ultimately rejected due not just to its sizable budget but also to its considerable risk, the delegate's proposal, even at 38 million dollars, was one of the least costly options under consideration.

Answer: B

I have few questions regarding the above question:

Regarding option A : Does modifier "one of least costly options" modifies $38 million dollars properly?
I find that "one of the least costly options" is supposed to modify "the delegate's proposal", but it instead incorrectly seems to modify "38 million dollars", which is not an option but a price.
Regarding option C (use of past perfect and past tense in the same sentence) : Is it important to have a past tense for the main clause? The sentence above has a past perfect as the main clause tense, is it correct?
A sentence may use the past perfect as the verb of it's main clause if there is some other statement which uses the simple past. Here's an example.

I went to the store, but I was not able to return the item. They had already closed.

My personal opinion is that the tense structure of choice C is ok, but I would like to see what Mitch has to say.
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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Feb 14, 2015 4:03 am
The main verb of an SC can be in the past perfect tense.
An OA from GMAC:
Less than 35 years after the release of African honeybees outside Sao Paulo, their descendants HAD MIGRATED as far north as southern Texas.
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by j_shreyans » Thu Jun 18, 2015 12:33 am
Hi ,

Can you please give me a reason to eliminate option A.

Thanks
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by GMATGuruNY » Thu Jun 18, 2015 1:53 am
j_shreyans wrote:Hi ,

Can you please give me a reason to eliminate option A.

Thanks
A: 38 million dollars, one of the least costly options
Here, one seems to in apposition to dollars, implying that 38 MILLION DOLLARS is ONE OF THE LEAST COSTLY OPTIONS.
The intended meaning is that the delegate's PROPOSAL is not costly.
Since A does not convey the intended meaning, eliminate A.
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by sandipgumtya » Thu Jun 18, 2015 10:23 pm
Hi Mitch,
Can u pl explain what is wrong with option-D?
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by GMATGuruNY » Fri Jun 19, 2015 2:46 am
sandipgumtya wrote:Hi Mitch,
Can u pl explain what is wrong with option-D?
Not X but Y must serve to connect PARALLEL FORMS.
D: was not rejected...but its riskiness.
Here, was rejected (verb) and its riskiness (noun) are not parallel forms.
Eliminate D.
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by ddg » Fri Jun 19, 2015 11:42 pm
I have a problem with option B. Doesn't it change the meaning? Option E seems legit

Please explain?
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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Jun 20, 2015 2:31 am
ddg wrote:Option E seems legit

Please explain?
due to is an ADJECTIVE.
It must serve to modify a NOUN.
E: Ultimately rejected due not just to its sizable budget
Here, it is not clear what noun is being modified by due to.
Eliminate E.
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by RBBmba@2014 » Sat Jun 20, 2015 7:33 am
Is this sort of SC common in GMAT ? Can anyone please provide any official example that resembles to this SC ?
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by ddg » Sat Jun 20, 2015 11:27 pm
Ultimately rejected due not just to its sizable budget but also to its considerable risk, the delegate's proposal, even at 38 million dollars, was one of the least costly options under consideration.

Due not just to is modifying budget and risk, isn't it??? It shows rejected due to (or not) A and B/or B. I still don;t think I get this...

Again its - antecedent is Proposal

Anyone please care to explain???[/b]
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by GMATGuruNY » Sun Jun 21, 2015 1:50 am
The CANCELLATION of the game was DUE TO rain.
Here, due to is an adjective serving to modify cancellation.
WHAT was due to rain?
THE CANCELLATION.
The noun that follows due to -- rain -- is not being modified by due to.
Rather, rain serves as the object of the preposition to.
ddg wrote:Ultimately rejected due not just to its sizable budget but also to its considerable risk, the delegate's proposal, even at 38 million dollars, was one of the least costly options under consideration.

Due not just to is modifying budget and risk, isn't it??? It shows rejected due to (or not) A and B/or B. I still don;t think I get this...

Again its - antecedent is Proposal

Anyone please care to explain???[/b]
E: Ultimately rejected due not just to its sizable budget but also to its considerable risk, the delegate's proposal was one of the least costly options.
Here, there is no eligible noun for due to to modify.
WHAT was due to its sizable budget and considerable risk?
It is not clear.
The nouns that follow due to -- budget and risk -- are not being modified by due to.
Rather, these nouns serve as objects of the preposition to.

In E, the intent is for due to to serve as an adverb modifying rejected, explaining WHY the proposal was rejected.
But due to is an ADJECTIVE.
It cannot serve to modify a verb such as rejected.
To express WHY the proposal was rejected, E could replace due to with because:
Ultimately rejected not only BECAUSE of its sizable budget but also BECAUSE of its considerable risk, the delegate's proposal was one of the least costly options.
Here, WHY was the proposal rejected?
BECAUSE of its sizable budget and considerable risk.
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