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

Redeem

Number of Trucks

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:20 pm
Thanked: 4 times

Number of Trucks

by nakul_anand » Sun May 02, 2010 5:17 pm
In 1914 a total of 469,000 cars were produced in the US, but in 1929 almost twice the numbers of trucks alone came off the assembly lines.

(A) the numbers of trucks alone
(B) that number of trucks alone
(C) the number of trucks by themselves
(D) as many trucks themselves
(E) as many trucks by themselves

[spoiler]OA: B[/spoiler]
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 437
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 5:06 am
Location: India
Thanked: 50 times
Followed by:1 members
GMAT Score:580

by beat_gmat_09 » Sun May 02, 2010 8:09 pm
nakul_anand wrote:In 1914 a total of 469,000 cars were produced in the US, but in 1929 almost twice the numbers of trucks alone came off the assembly lines.

(A) the numbers of trucks alone
(B) that number of trucks alone
(C) the number of trucks by themselves
(D) as many trucks themselves
(E) as many trucks by themselves

[spoiler]OA: B[/spoiler]
I chose A
what does that convey in B?
Also didn't understand diff between alone n themselves
someone pls explain.
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 1404
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 6:55 pm
Thanked: 18 times
Followed by:2 members

by tanviet » Mon May 03, 2010 12:26 am
IMO D, very hard
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon May 03, 2010 1:51 am
Thanked: 2 times

by prosaicblabber » Mon May 03, 2010 1:56 am
But implies second part needs a comparison of the subject in first part of sentence.
Know what we are comparing here is numbers ( number of trucks to number of cars)
twice that number implies twice the number of cars . Twice the number of trucks
doesn't make much sense . Hence choice B seems logical
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:20 pm
Thanked: 4 times

by nakul_anand » Mon May 03, 2010 2:03 am
Hello Guys,

I think that C and E distort the meaning of the sentence because trucks cannot come off the lines by themselves.

A cannot be correct because of the word 'numbers'.

I don't know but the word 'themselves' sounds fishy in this context.
Option D - In 1929 twice as many trucks themselves came off the assembly line.
Again, it sounds like trucks themselves came off the assembly line, which would be incorrect.

But B does not make sense either because of the word 'that'.
I think that 'alone' makes more sense in this context than 'themselves' does.

Bottom line - Still confused!

Need some expert advise please.
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 131
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2008 1:54 pm
Thanked: 3 times
GMAT Score:550

by hariharakarthi » Mon May 03, 2010 12:38 pm
IMO ans - B.

POE.

C & E - by themselves - is incorrect. Does not make sense in this sentence.

A: the numbers of - always incorrect.

Between B and D,

but in 1929 almost twice as many trucks themselves came off the assembly lines.

twice as many trucks is compared to a total of 469,000 cars

A number x should be compared to another number (in this case 2x)

So, Option B is correct.
Regards,
hhk
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 537
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 10:06 pm
Thanked: 14 times
Followed by:1 members

by frank1 » Wed May 05, 2010 12:25 am
I gussed B(but educated one)
i have read the numbers of is most of the time wrong
so A out
C has themselves as well so out

in D and E truck themselves is redundant....plus as many as construction seems to be absent as well
so i guessed B
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 91
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:05 pm
Location: Mumbai, India
Thanked: 33 times
Followed by:42 members

by arpita@gurome » Wed May 05, 2010 8:51 am
It is clear that trucks cannot produce themselves, therefore (C), (D), and (E) can be safely eliminated. "Twice the numbers" is unidiomatic and incorrect. That leaves us with choice (B). "that number" in (B) refers to the actual number stated earlier in the sentence.
Arpita Sen
Verbal and Admissions Expert
Gurome, Inc.
www.GuroMe.com
Win a free MBA essay review: https://bit.ly/toZumc

1-800-566-4043
+91 99201 32411 (India)
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1