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

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

Examination of reptile hearts shows...

Expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2011 5:35 pm
Location: Florence, Italy
by giovanni.gastone » Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:55 am
SOURCE: PrincetonReview

Examination of reptile hearts shows that their structure differs from any mammal heart in being, unlike mammal hearts, divided into chambers by only a partial septum.

A. differs from any mammal heart in being
B. differs from that of any mammal heart, being
C. is different than any mammal heart; they are
D. is different than any mammal heart's, being
E. is different from that of any mammal heart; they are

OA: E

PrincetonReview's explanation: "Yes. This choice has the correct idiom."
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Sentence Correction |
User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2011 5:35 pm
Location: Florence, Italy

by giovanni.gastone » Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:56 am
MY QUESTION: Is this sentence really parallel? Don't you need to also make sure the things you're comparing are parallel? Shouldn't the sentence be "Examination of reptile hearts shows that their structure is different from that of mammal heartS..."?
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 1574
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:52 amFollowed by: 13 members
Thanked: 88 times

by aspirant2011 » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:07 am
we are talking about "structure" over here therefore, that of any mammal heart is ok because "that" is refering to "structure"............
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 582
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:48 amFollowed by: 6 members
Thanked: 61 times
GMAT Score:740

by force5 » Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:27 pm
yes E is correct. uses correct idiom different from, and uses correct comparison. "that" refers to the "structure"
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2011 5:35 pm
Location: Florence, Italy

by giovanni.gastone » Fri Apr 01, 2011 6:32 pm
Hey guys, I wasn't talking about the parallel construction with regards to the "structure". I was talking about the parallel construction with the "hearts".

I don't have a problem with "that" and its comparison with "structure".

What I am wondering is whether the sentence should have the following construction:

"reptile hearts... structure..." and "...that... mammal hearts..."

Answer E has...

"reptile hearts... structure..." and "...that... any mammal heart..."

Does this make sense?
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 121
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:44 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 9 times
GMAT Score:610

by singh181 » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:59 pm
I may be wrong, but please do advise. I dont like the structure of all the answer choice.
non-underlined part contains "unlike mammal hearts". UNLIKE like LIKE compares noun or noun phrases but no verb. All the choices are not using "UNLIKE" correctly.
E, "they are", "unlike mammal hearts" is incorrect. Correct form should "They, unlike mammal hearts, are XXXX".

Please suggest.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 165
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2011 7:33 pmFollowed by: 1 member
Location: Pune, India
Thanked: 16 times

by tetura84 » Sat Apr 02, 2011 3:51 am
Nice observation singh181.
Watching this topic for experts comments.
78 clicks can change my life !
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 2330
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:14 amFollowed by: 26 members
Thanked: 56 times

by mundasingh123 » Sat Apr 02, 2011 12:11 pm
singh181 wrote:I may be wrong, but please do advise. I dont like the structure of all the answer choice.
non-underlined part contains "unlike mammal hearts". UNLIKE like LIKE compares noun or noun phrases but no verb. All the choices are not using "UNLIKE" correctly.
E, "they are", "unlike mammal hearts" is incorrect. Correct form should "They, unlike mammal hearts, are XXXX".

Please suggest.
unlike mammal hearts is appositive phrase that can modify the modify the entire sentence before it. What i am trying to convey could be a bit vague
I Seek Explanations Not Answers
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:33 am
giovanni.gastone wrote:SOURCE: PrincetonReview

Examination of reptile hearts shows that their structure differs from any mammal heart in being, unlike mammal hearts, divided into chambers by only a partial septum.

A. differs from any mammal heart in being
B. differs from that of any mammal heart, being
C. is different than any mammal heart; they are
D. is different than any mammal heart's, being
E. is different from that of any mammal heart; they are

OA: E

PrincetonReview's explanation: "Yes. This choice has the correct idiom."
I received a PM asking me to comment.

In C and D, different than is not idiomatic. The correct idioms are X differs from Y or X is different from Y. Eliminate C and D.

Answer A incorrectly compares structure to any mammal heart. Eliminate A.

Similar error in B: structure...being unlike mammal hearts incorrectly compares structure to mammal hearts.

The correct answer is E.

To respond to some concerns raised above:

To compare the structure of reptile hearts to that of mammal hearts would not be incorrect, but such phrasing would change the meaning: it would imply that all mammal hearts have the same exact structure.

In E, it could be argued that the prepositional phrase unlike mammal hearts is functioning as an adverb, justifying its placement next to the verb are. Regardless, it's clear that the pronoun they (which refers to reptile hearts) is being compared to the noun mammal hearts. Whereas the other answer choices have very clear errors that cannot be debated, no such error exists in E.
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
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:10 am
Thanked: 2 times

by cracktheverbal » Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:18 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
giovanni.gastone wrote:SOURCE: PrincetonReview

Examination of reptile hearts shows that their structure differs from any mammal heart in being, unlike mammal hearts, divided into chambers by only a partial septum.

A. differs from any mammal heart in being
B. differs from that of any mammal heart, being
C. is different than any mammal heart; they are
D. is different than any mammal heart's, being
E. is different from that of any mammal heart; they are

OA: E

PrincetonReview's explanation: "Yes. This choice has the correct idiom."
I received a PM asking me to comment.

In C and D, different than is not idiomatic. The correct idioms are X differs from Y or X is different from Y. Eliminate C and D.

Answer A incorrectly compares structure to any mammal heart. Eliminate A.

Similar error in B: structure...being unlike mammal hearts incorrectly compares structure to mammal hearts.

The correct answer is E.

To respond to some concerns raised above:

To compare the structure of reptile hearts to that of mammal hearts would not be incorrect, but such phrasing would change the meaning: it would imply that all mammal hearts have the same exact structure.

In E, it could be argued that the prepositional phrase unlike mammal hearts is functioning as an adverb, justifying its placement next to the verb are. Regardless, it's clear that the pronoun they (which refers to reptile hearts) is being compared to the noun mammal hearts. Whereas the other answer choices have very clear errors that cannot be debated, no such error exists in E.
Nice help Guruny, keep doing this, we need you on our path.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1