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gerund vs noun

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by questionbox » Sun Jun 13, 2010 11:36 pm
In the mid-1960's a newly installed radar warning system mistook the rising of the moon as a massive missile attack by the Soviets.
(A)rising of the moon as a massive missile attack by the Soviets
(B)rising of the moon for a massive Soviet missile attack
(C)moon rising to a massive missile attack by the Soviets
(D)moon as it was rising for a massive Soviet missile attack
(E)rise of the moon as a massive Soviet missile attack

I choosed the right answer B, but I cannot get the difference between the "rising" and "rise".
help me guys.
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by hardik.jadeja » Sun Jun 13, 2010 11:38 pm
The option B is the correct answer here because of idiom "mistake X for Y".
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by grockit_andrea » Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:58 am
questionbox wrote:In the mid-1960's a newly installed radar warning system mistook the rising of the moon as a massive missile attack by the Soviets.
(A)rising of the moon as a massive missile attack by the Soviets
(B)rising of the moon for a massive Soviet missile attack
(C)moon rising to a massive missile attack by the Soviets
(D)moon as it was rising for a massive Soviet missile attack
(E)rise of the moon as a massive Soviet missile attack

I choosed the right answer B, but I cannot get the difference between the "rising" and "rise".
help me guys.
First, there's an idiom issue here; "mistook X for y," is correct, not "mistook x as y" or "mistook x to y." That allows us to narrow the choices to B and D, and D makes it sound like the moon was rising for an attack, which just doesn't make sense. I think the "rise" versus "rising" issue here is just a common usage difference. You would say "moonrise" or "sunrise," but use the gerund to say "rising of the sun" or "rising of the moon." I don't know if this is such a firm difference that it could be termed an idiom, but it doesn't really matter, since the "mistook x for y" idiom allows us to avoid the issue anyway.
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by missionGMAT007 » Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:11 pm
IMOB
Idiom - mistook X for Y
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by sumanr84 » Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:50 pm
+1 for B.

I have a question related to usage,

which is better,

1. a massive missile attack by the Soviets , OR
2. a massive Soviet missile attack
I am on a break !!
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by hardik.jadeja » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:12 am
sumanr84 wrote:+1 for B.

I have a question related to usage,

which is better,

1. a massive missile attack by the Soviets , OR
2. a massive Soviet missile attack
a massive Soviet missile attack - is better
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by questionbox » Sat Jun 19, 2010 11:03 pm
thank everybody here, it makes sense now.
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by pnk » Sun Jun 20, 2010 5:29 am
hardik.jadeja wrote:
sumanr84 wrote:+1 for B.

I have a question related to usage,

which is better,

1. a massive missile attack by the Soviets , OR
2. a massive Soviet missile attack
a massive Soviet missile attack - is better

I think 'a massive missile attack' is better - massive modifies missile hr
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by gmatmachoman » Mon Jun 21, 2010 1:08 am
sumanr84 wrote:+1 for B.

I have a question related to usage,

which is better,

1. a massive missile attack by the Soviets , OR
2. a massive Soviet missile attack

1. makes sense. massive is a adjective that modifies "missile"

whereas in 2, massive modifies "Soviet...
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by sumanr84 » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:05 am
I am also in favor of 1, and so I posted to get to know from you people.
At least, I have 2 people in favor of me ( pnk, gmatmachoman ..;-) )
I am on a break !!
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