Ellipsis in comparison

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Ellipsis in comparison

by aflaam » Wed Feb 10, 2016 4:05 pm
If current trends continue, by the year 2010 carbon emissions in the United States will soar to a level more than one-third higher than were those in 1990, according to official projections.
A. will soar to a level more than one-third higher than were those
B. will soar to a level more than one-third higher than that

Correct ans is B
I want to know how the ellipsis works in B?
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by GMATGuruNY » Thu Feb 11, 2016 9:05 am
aflaam wrote: I want to know how the ellipsis works in B?
B: Carbon emissions will soar to a level more than one-third higher than that in 1990.
Here, that serves to refer to level.
Implied comparison:
Carbon emissions will soar to a level more than one-third higher than the level in 1990.
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by aflaam » Thu Feb 11, 2016 9:51 am
Thanks for your reply Mitch,
but A also looks perfectly ok

If current trends continue, by the year 2010 carbon emissions in the United States will soar to a level more than one-third higher than were those in 1990, according to official projections

If current trends continue, by the year 2010 carbon emissions in the United States will soar to a level more than one-third higher than were carbon emissions in 1990, according to official projections

emissions in 2010 compared with emissions in 1990
How can i decide that compared entities are levels and not carbon emissions ?

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by GMATGuruNY » Thu Feb 11, 2016 10:02 am
aflaam wrote:Thanks for your reply Mitch,
but A also looks perfectly ok

If current trends continue, by the year 2010 carbon emissions in the United States will soar to a level more than one-third higher than were those in 1990, according to official projections

If current trends continue, by the year 2010 carbon emissions in the United States will soar to a level more than one-third higher than were carbon emissions in 1990, according to official projections

emissions in 2010 compared with emissions in 1990
How can i decide that compared entities are levels and not carbon emissions ?
Only LIKE THINGS may be compared.
A LEVEL may be compared to another LEVEL.
EMISSIONS in one year may be compared to EMISSIONS in another year.
A LEVEL may not be compared to EMISSIONS.

A: a level more than one-third higher than...emissions
This comparison is illogical:
A LEVEL may not be compared to EMISSIONS.
Elininate A.
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by ngk4mba3236 » Sun Jun 12, 2016 12:53 pm
GMATGuruNY wrote: Only LIKE THINGS may be compared.
A LEVEL may be compared to another LEVEL.
EMISSIONS in one year may be compared to EMISSIONS in another year.
A LEVEL may not be compared to EMISSIONS.

A: a level more than one-third higher than...emissions
This comparison is illogical:
A LEVEL may not be compared to EMISSIONS.
Elininate A.
gmatguru,
don't get this clearly.

here "level" indicates the level of emissions. so, why can't we consider "level" to emissions itself ?

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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:22 am
ngk4mba3236 wrote:
GMATGuruNY wrote: Only LIKE THINGS may be compared.
A LEVEL may be compared to another LEVEL.
EMISSIONS in one year may be compared to EMISSIONS in another year.
A LEVEL may not be compared to EMISSIONS.

A: a level more than one-third higher than...emissions
This comparison is illogical:
A LEVEL may not be compared to EMISSIONS.
Elininate A.
gmatguru,
don't get this clearly.

here "level" indicates the level of emissions. so, why can't we consider "level" to emissions itself ?
A level is a STATISTIC, whereas emissions are GASES.
It is illogical to compare a statistic to gases.
Eliminate A.

Only LIKE things may be compared:
ONE STATISTIC may be compared to ANOTHER STATISTIC.
EMISSIONS IN ONE YEAR may be compared to EMISSIONS IN ANOTHER YEAR.

In the OA, the level in 2010 is compared to the level in 1990.
This comparison is logical.
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by ngk4mba3236 » Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:06 pm
can understand your point. but a doubt remains on the following aspect -
GMATGuruNY wrote: EMISSIONS IN ONE YEAR may be compared to EMISSIONS IN ANOTHER YEAR.
when we say emissions in current year is higher than in last year , I guess, we mean that amount or volume or level of GASES is being compared. isn't so ?

if yes, then these are - amount or volume or level - themselves STATISTICS. so,in any way we're comparing STATISTICS in the above sentence as well.

then why we can't compare emissions to a level of emissions -- don't these two actually appear to be two STATISTICS ?

where I'm getting this wrong ? please clarify!

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by GMATGuruNY » Thu Jun 16, 2016 4:22 am
ngk4mba3236 wrote:can understand your point. but a doubt remains on the following aspect -
GMATGuruNY wrote: EMISSIONS IN ONE YEAR may be compared to EMISSIONS IN ANOTHER YEAR.
when we say emissions in current year is higher than in last year ?
It is illogical to say that emissions were higher.
An emission is a GAS.
A gas cannot be high.
Incorrect: Carbon emissions in 2010 were higher than those in 1990.
Correct: The LEVEL of carbon emissions in 2010 was higher than THAT in 1990.

The following comparison is logical:
Carbon emissions in 2010 were far less damaging than those in 1990.
Here, GASES in 2010 are logically compared to GASES in 1990.
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Ellipsis in comparison

by Mo2men » Tue Jun 25, 2019 7:43 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
aflaam wrote: I want to know how the ellipsis works in B?
B: Carbon emissions will soar to a level more than one-third higher than that in 1990.
Here, that serves to refer to level.
Implied comparison:
Carbon emissions will soar to a level more than one-third higher than the level in 1990.
Dear GMATGuru,

1- There 'higher...than' must compare clauses but it seems there is an ellipsis. Is the following correct:

Carbon emissions will soar to a level that is more than one-third higher than was the level in 1990 .

2- If the above correct, why is 'that' used, while not used in your famous example 'The company had higher profits in 1990 than in 1980.'?

3- Based on above question, I think that 2010 is not linked or modifies level so 'that' is not required. so can we use 'it' as follows:

Carbon emissions will soar to a level that is more than one-third higher than it was in 1990 .

4- Is there any rule t detect this any kind of ellipsis for question at hand?

Thanks in advance

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levels

by GMATGuruNY » Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:13 am
Mo2men wrote:Dear GMATGuru,

1- There 'higher...than' must compare clauses but it seems there is an ellipsis. Is the following correct:

Carbon emissions will soar to a level that is more than one-third higher than was the level in 1990 .
Since the red portion refers to the FUTURE -- the expected level in 2010 -- the verb should be in the future tense:
a level that WILL BE more than one-third higher than was the level in 1990
2- If the above correct, why is 'that' used?
From context, we know that a level refers to the expected level of carbon emissions in 2010.
Since the intent is to compare TWO DIFFERENT LEVELS -- the level of carbon emissions in 2010 versus the level of carbon emissions in 1990 -- the OA uses a copy pronoun (that) to refer to the second level:
a level more than one-third higher than THAT in 1990
while not used in your famous example 'The company had higher profits in 1990 than in 1980.'?
Here, we are comparing not two different levels but two ACTIONS:
What the company HAD in 1990 is compared to what the company HAD in 1980.
Implied comparison:
The company HAD higher profits in 1990 than the company HAD profits in 1980.
Since we are not comparing two different types of profit, no copy pronoun such as those is required.
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