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1000SC #32

by nmgirl » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:21 am
32. A study commissioned by the Department of Agriculture showed that if calves exercise and associated with other calves, they will require less medication and gain weight quicker than do those raised in confinement.

(A) associated with other calves, they will require less medication and gain weight quicker than do
(B) associated with other calves, they require less medication and gain weight quicker than
(C) associate with other calves, they required less medication and will gain weight quicker than do
(D) associate with other calves, they have required less medication and will gain weight more quickly than do
(E) associate with other calves, they require less medication and gain weight more quickly than

E is the answer given but it doesn't seem grammatical. Isn't it missing the word "do", e.i. "...associate with other calves, they require less medication and gain wight more quickly than do those raise in confinement."

Please explain when you need the verb "do" and when you don't need it and it is implied. Is this an OG question? Please post number if it is.
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by mayonnai5e » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:55 am
I usually only see the need for "do" when there is parallelism. For example, earlier in the sentence it said, "some cows don't need more meds, while others do." The "do" here parallels the first verb "don't." In this problem, there was no parallelism so using do is not required. There may be a better explanation that someone else can provide.

For this problem, there were two much easier problems to address: verb tense and "if then" idiom.

"showed that if calves exercise and associated" --> associated is past tense and should be associate instead. This eliminates A and B.

"if x then y <verb>" --> the verb after y cannot be past tense since this is a conditional; it must be either future tense (will require) or present tense (require). C and D both use past tense ("they required" and "they have required") so they are both incorrect. This leaves you with E without having to worry about the necessity of "do."
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by gtest » Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:01 pm
"do" is usually required in comparison involving action but in the this sentence we are comparing the calves.
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by sumitkhurana » Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:41 am
I am still not sure why a do is not required in E. Can someone please explain.
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by rahulakacyrus » Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:21 pm
after the first comma, subject changes to they.
So, indirectly the subject here is Calves.

They require () and () than other () is correct and does not need a "do".
Rahul Madan (Cyrus)
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by radhaswami » Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:55 pm
DO is generally required when you are dealing with action verbs where a subject in reality is responsible for some action like running swimming etc.

you can say x swims faster than y swims
or x swims faster than y does
or x swims faster than does y

however when i tell u x feels that means he is not doing any physical action so do is not necessary for such comparisons
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by sumitkhurana » Tue Feb 17, 2009 5:14 am
Are you saying that the sentence would be wrong if we use do, or is it OK to use do too in this case, should the other elements about the sentence are correct ?
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by pavithra_gnm » Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:11 am
let me try giving you the reson

32.A study commissioned by the Department of Agriculture showed that if calves exercise and associated with other calves, they will require less medication and gain weight quicker than do those raised in confinement.
(A) associated with other calves, they will require less medication and gain weight quicker than do
(B) associated with other calves, they require less medication and gain weight quicker than
(C) associate with other calves, they required less medication and will gain weight quicker than do
(D) associate with other calves, they have required less medication and will gain weight more quickly than do
(E) associate with other calves, they require less medication and gain weight more quickly than

The word 'exercise ' is in present tense, so we cannot use past tense for associate, which violates parallelism . So options A,B are ruled out.

We can directly rule out the C,D options for using 'do'. This is because we cannot use
'will gain weight more quickly than do' instead 'do gain weight more quickly than do'.
The prior violates parallelism.
I hope am making it clear.
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