BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

according vs in accordance : such as vs such X as

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Legendary Member
Posts: 1169
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:34 am
Thanked: 25 times
Followed by:1 members

according vs in accordance : such as vs such X as

by aj5105 » Sat Jan 03, 2009 10:01 am
Socially and environmentally responsible investing is on the rise: last year in the United States, over $2 trillion was invested in funds that screen companies according to a variety of criteria such as adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights.

A. according to a variety of criteria such as
B. according to a variety of such criteria, as by
C. according to such a variety of criteria as by
D. in accordance with such a variety of criteria as
E. in accordance with a variety of criteria, such as by

what's wrong with A?

spoiler below:





D
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |
Legendary Member
Posts: 594
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:51 pm
Thanked: 12 times

by nervesofsteel » Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:58 pm
IMO answer should be A
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 4:39 am

by standon » Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:19 am
The foolowing link can be helpful

https://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=233835
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:19 am

by dreamzz2010 » Tue Jan 06, 2009 4:49 am
IMO D,


In accordance with: used when showing conformance with some thing as in this case conformance to a veriety of criteria is being discussed.

According To: Used when showing reference to certain statment, book or any other source.

Guys please correct me if i am wrong here.

Regards,
dreamzz2010
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2007 8:11 pm
Location: AZ
Thanked: 1 times
GMAT Score:680

RE: according vs in accordance; such as vs such x as

by mooreliberty » Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:30 pm
aj5105 wrote:Socially and environmentally responsible investing is on the rise: last year in the United States, over $2 trillion was invested in funds that screen companies according to a variety of criteria such as adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights.

A. according to a variety of criteria such as
B. according to a variety of such criteria, as by
C. according to such a variety of criteria as by
D. in accordance with such a variety of criteria as
E. in accordance with a variety of criteria, such as by

what's wrong with A?

spoiler below:





D
My first answer choice was D - it simply sounded correct. Knowing the danger of relying on my ear, I went through this thought process:


My first thought was parallelism... What was invested? Two trillion (noun)... how was it invested? "...was invested in funds..." I was looking for an answer choice that paralleled "invested in." If the prepositional phrase "in funds that screened companies" did not exist, the next prepositional phrase should flow for the most part in the same manner.

So i'm looking for an answer that begins with a preposition, preferably a preposition that does not change the meaning of the sentence ("in" is what I hope to see in the answer choices, but with SC, I know I have to be flexible). Common prepositions are "in," "of," "off," "on," "to," "toward," "with," etc.

In answer choices A and B, "according" and the following prepositional phrase is incorrectly used to describe how these funds screen companies. Prepositional phrases follow an equation: preposition + modifiers (optional) + concludes with a gerund, pronoun, or noun. In A and B, the prepositional phrase is missing the noun, gerund, or pronoun. The prepositional phrase that begins with "according to" is left hanging - it is incomplete without the pronoun "such," which follows yet another preposition "of".

In addition, answer choice A incorrectly uses "such as" to introduce the screening criteria - as it reads, "adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights" are merely examples of the screening criteria, rather than the criteria itself.

In answers C & E "by" is used incorrectly as a preposition attempting to link "as" and "adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights." "By" splits the verb "as" and the clauses that follow. In addition, "by" is redundant, as it is intended to mean "in accordance with," which is already stated earlier in the sentence.

That leaves choice D.


I hope this is helpful - but I'm no expert. I would appreciate any and all feedback from the great minds of the site re:my analysis and reasoning.
Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. - Barry Goldwater

(Inspired by Thomas Paine in The Rights of Man).
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 549
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:00 am
Thanked: 16 times
Followed by:3 members

by ssgmatter » Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:09 am
any thougths??
Best-
Amit
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 228
Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:08 am
Thanked: 4 times

by jainrahul1985 » Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:07 am
Is the answer A/D . I would go for A . Experts please help
Top
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 8:25 am

by bohemian86 » Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:16 am
i think it should be A
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Apr 22, 2011 6:05 am
aj5105 wrote:Socially and environmentally responsible investing is on the rise: last year in the United States, over $2 trillion was invested in funds that screen companies according to a variety of criteria such as adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights.

A. according to a variety of criteria such as
B. according to a variety of such criteria, as by
C. according to such a variety of criteria as by
D. in accordance with such a variety of criteria as
E. in accordance with a variety of criteria, such as by

what's wrong with A?

spoiler below:

D
I received a PM asking me comment.

According to is used to attribute information to a source:

According to doctors, broccoli is nutritious.

In accordance with is used to indicate compliance:

Every day I eat broccoli in accordance with my doctor's instructions.

Since the SC above is discussing compliance, eliminate A, B and C.

In E, by adherence...by protection...and by observance is not idiomatic. The correct construction would be by adhering...by protecting...and by observing. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is D.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Fri Apr 22, 2011 6:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3225
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:40 pm
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 1710 times
Followed by:614 members
GMAT Score:800

by Stuart@KaplanGMAT » Fri Apr 22, 2011 6:21 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:Regardless, the SC above seems flawed. In every answer choice, the relative clause introduced by that lacks a verb. The sentence should read:

...in funds that screen companies...VERBed...

Thus, I don't see a correct answer. What is the source?
Hey Mitch,

great breakdown of the "according to" "in accordance with" angle, but I'm not sure that I agree with this last point. Is it not grammatically correct to say:
I invested in a company that builds bird houses.
If we look at the sentence in this question, we have the same format:
[money] was invested in funds that screen companies [plus a lot of bonus description of the funding details].
I don't see a problem with that phrasing.
Image

Stuart Kovinsky | Kaplan GMAT Faculty | Toronto

Kaplan Exclusive: The Official Test Day Experience | Ready to Take a Free Practice Test? | Kaplan/Beat the GMAT Member Discount
BTG100 for $100 off a full course
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:03 am
Stuart Kovinsky wrote:
GMATGuruNY wrote:Regardless, the SC above seems flawed. In every answer choice, the relative clause introduced by that lacks a verb. The sentence should read:

...in funds that screen companies...VERBed...

Thus, I don't see a correct answer. What is the source?
Hey Mitch,

great breakdown of the "according to" "in accordance with" angle, but I'm not sure that I agree with this last point. Is it not grammatically correct to say:
I invested in a company that builds bird houses.
If we look at the sentence in this question, we have the same format:
[money] was invested in funds that screen companies [plus a lot of bonus description of the funding details].
I don't see a problem with that phrasing.
Yes, indeed, Stuart! In my pre-coffee state -- and having just visited with friends who work in Hollywood -- I was interpreting screen companies as a noun. Now that I'm well-caffeinated, it's clear that screen is a verb and that companies is the direct object.

I've amended my post above. Thanks for pointing out that more coffee was desperately needed...
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3225
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:40 pm
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 1710 times
Followed by:614 members
GMAT Score:800

by Stuart@KaplanGMAT » Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:55 am
GMATGuruNY wrote: Thanks for pointing out that more coffee was desperately needed...
Doh! Now I'm jonesing for coffee and need to make a pot!
Image

Stuart Kovinsky | Kaplan GMAT Faculty | Toronto

Kaplan Exclusive: The Official Test Day Experience | Ready to Take a Free Practice Test? | Kaplan/Beat the GMAT Member Discount
BTG100 for $100 off a full course
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3380
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:20 am
Thanked: 2256 times
Followed by:1535 members
GMAT Score:800

by lunarpower » Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:23 pm
aj5105 wrote:Socially and environmentally responsible investing is on the rise: last year in the United States, over $2 trillion was invested in funds that screen companies according to a variety of criteria such as adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights.

A. according to a variety of criteria such as
B. according to a variety of such criteria, as by
C. according to such a variety of criteria as by
D. in accordance with such a variety of criteria as
E. in accordance with a variety of criteria, such as by
what's the source of this problem?
the best answer is definitely (a).

"according to" can be used to mean "in a manner corresponding or conforming to", as in cook the rice according to the instructions. so, despite what is written above, "according to" is not a problem here.

--

the differentiating factor between (a) and (d) is the placement of the "such" modifier.
"such" should be placed AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE to the NOUN THAT IS EMPHASIZED in context.

here are two examples to illustrate:

* i've never seen another store with such a variety of beverages as these ones.
--> the VARIETY is the point; i've never seen a store with this many different beverages.

* i've never seen another store with a variety of such beverages as these ones.
* i've never seen another store with a variety of beverages such as these ones.
--> the BEVERAGES THEMSELVES are the point; i've seen stores with a variety of beverages before, but never a variety of these particular beverages.

in this problem, "such as" is describing the CRITERIA, not the variety. I.e., the selection process uses criteria such as xxxxxxx; it doesn't use a variety such as (or "such a variety as" xxxxxxxxx). we're not categorizing the variety, we're categorizing the criteria themselves.
this consideration rules out (d); so (a) is best.

if the source of the problem -- whatever it may be -- says that (d) is better than (a), then it's a dubious source.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

--

Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi

--

Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.

Yves Saint-Laurent

--

Learn more about ron
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3380
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:20 am
Thanked: 2256 times
Followed by:1535 members
GMAT Score:800

by lunarpower » Fri Apr 22, 2011 4:33 pm
According to is used to attribute information to a source:
this is definitely the most common use of "according to", but, again, it's not the only one; see above.

as proof that "according to" can also be used in the way in which it's used in choice (a), note the following excerpt from the reading passage on page 29 of OG12:
The idea of the brain as an information processor-a machine manipulating blips of energy according to fathomable rules-has come to dominate neuroscience.

in fact, there is a nice clean separation here.

in almost all cases:
if "according to _____" is set off by commas, then it is citing a source or authority.
if "according to _____" is NOT set off by commas, then it means "with respect to", "corresponding to", "organized in terms of", etc.

in choice (a), "according to" is used 100% properly.


----------- YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW THE STUFF BELOW THIS LINE FOR THE TEST -----------
... but it may be of interest to you if you plan to write documents in english


in fact, "in accordance with" is *NOT* used properly in choice (d), since we are talking about the categories of criteria -- i.e., the rules are not specified.

the proper use of "in accordance with" is restricted to following rules, conventions, or established patterns.
so, for instance:

* companies are screened in accordance with criteria such as protection of human rights --> INCORRECT, since no actual rule/convention has been stated here.

* companies A and B were eliminated from contention for the grant, in accordance with the requirement that companies must not have any human rights violations on their record --> CORRECT; "in accordance with" a stated rule

* we dispose of all the motor oil at approved recycling sites, in accordance with federal regulations --> CORRECT; "in accordance with" explicitly mentioned rules.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

--

Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi

--

Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.

Yves Saint-Laurent

--

Learn more about ron
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Apr 22, 2011 4:40 pm
Awesome exploration of the idioms, Ron! For the record, I'm now in agreement: A is better than D.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
Post new topic Locked