As the etched lines on computer memory chips have become

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As the etched lines on computer memory chips have become thinner and the chips' circuits more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive have vastly increased.

(A) the chips' circuits more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive have

(B) the chips' circuits more complex, the power of both the chips and the electronic devices they drive has

(C) the chips' circuits are more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive has

(D) their circuits are more complex, the power of both the chips and the electronic devices they drive have

(E) their circuits more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive have


OA: B

P.S: It's an official question.
@Experts - could you please share your detail explanation.

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by Uva@90 » Thu Apr 16, 2015 8:46 am
RBBmba@2014 wrote:As the etched lines on computer memory chips have become thinner and the chips' circuits more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive have vastly increased.

(A) the chips' circuits more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive have

(B) the chips' circuits more complex, the power of both the chips and the electronic devices they drive has

(C) the chips' circuits are more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive has

(D) their circuits are more complex, the power of both the chips and the electronic devices they drive have

(E) their circuits more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive have


OA: B

P.S: It's an official question.
@Experts - could you please share your detail explanation.
Hi,

If we are using the Idiom Both A and B then A and B should be of same type.

In Option A, C and E, we can see that they are using Power of Chips and electronic devices which is wrong. Whereas in B and D, it is Chips and Electronic devices - correct

and between B and D.

has and Have- But the subject is The power hence we need singular subject 'HAS'
hence B

Regards,
Uva
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by GMATGuruNY » Fri Apr 17, 2015 5:20 am
As the etched lines on computer memory chips have become thinner and the chips' circuits more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive have vastly increased.

(A) the chips' circuits more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive have
(B) the chips' circuits more complex, the power of both the chips and the electronic devices they drive has
(C) the chips' circuits are more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive has
(D) their circuits are more complex, the power of both the chips and the electronic devices they drive have
(E) their circuits more complex, both the power of the chips and the electronic devices they drive have
A and E: both the POWER...and the DEVICES...HAVE vastly increased.
Not the intended meaning.
The devices themselves have not increased; the POWER of the devices has increased.
Eliminate A and E.

In C, has (singular) does not agree with both the POWER and the DEVICES (plural).
Eliminate C.

In D, have (plural) does not agree with the power (singular).
Eliminate D.

The correct answer is B.
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by aflaam » Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:31 pm
Hello Mitch,

Are C and D also incorrect because of incorrect usage of present tense?
i.e unnecessary transition from present perfect to simple present
Also simple present is used to state facts, general truth, statistical truths etc but none of these are in the sentence under discussion.


However, in ABE have become is implied
Mitch can you confirm?
Thanks

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by GMATGuruNY » Wed Jan 27, 2016 3:56 am
aflaam wrote:Hello Mitch,

Are C and D also incorrect because of incorrect usage of present tense?
i.e unnecessary transition from present perfect to simple present
Also simple present is used to state facts, general truth, statistical truths etc but none of these are in the sentence under discussion.

However, in ABE have become is implied
Mitch can you confirm?
Thanks
Correct on all counts.
Good work.
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Doubts on Structure and Meaning

by [email protected] » Wed Oct 12, 2016 7:15 am
Hi Mitch/Experts,

I have 2 issues with this question:

1. I could shortlist A and B but instead of B I chose A. I did not see any issue with saying that with the chips becoming more efficient both its power and the number of devices it can support have increased. How do we know that it is not the intended meaning?

Also both the elements are the result of sophisticated circuits therefore, they logically also seem the correct elements of the list.

2.I want to understand how is a clause attached as a modifier. Don't we need a comma or a that in between

As the etched lines on computer memory chips have become thinner and the chips' circuits more complex,[DP]
the power of both the chips and the electronic devices they drive has vastly increased. [IP]


Please suggest.

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by evs.teja » Sat Mar 10, 2018 10:03 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
aflaam wrote:Hello Mitch,

Are C and D also incorrect because of incorrect usage of present tense?
i.e unnecessary transition from present perfect to simple present
Also simple present is used to state facts, general truth, statistical truths etc but none of these are in the sentence under discussion.

However, in ABE have become is implied
Mitch can you confirm?
Thanks
Correct on all counts.
Good work.
Hi Mitch,
Is the this part parallel ? "As the etched lines on computer memory chips have become thinner and the chips' circuits more complex" .
Shouldn't the second part (after "and ") have a verb ?
Although I got to the right choice coz of "has/have", reading this line gave me an awkward impression.
Please clarify !
Thanks
Teja

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by GMATGuruNY » Sun Mar 11, 2018 3:01 am
evs.teja wrote:Hi Mitch,
Is the this part parallel ? "As the etched lines on computer memory chips have become thinner and the chips' circuits more complex" .
Shouldn't the second part (after "and ") have a verb ?
Although I got to the right choice coz of "has/have", reading this line gave me an awkward impression.
Please clarify !
Thanks
Teja
ELLIPSIS = the omission of words whose presence is understood.

OA: As the etched lines on computer chips have become thinner and the chips' circuits [have become] more complex
Here, the verb in brackets is omitted but implied -- an example of ellipsis.
The implied verb is understood because the two clauses connected by and each bear the same construction -- COMPUTER PART IN BLUE + VERB + COMPARATIVE IN RED -- and because each is attributed to the conjunction as.

For another official example of this sort of ellipsis, check my second post here:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/parallelism ... 96011.html
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