Knewton SC. Need help to clarify doubt. Experts most welcome

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 139
Joined: Sat May 01, 2010 11:06 pm
Thanked: 4 times
GMAT Score:710
Max Weber claimed that the traditions that theodicean societies, civilizations in which people feel a need to reconcile the imperfections of the world with a "perfect" divinity, develop are more likely to result in religious adherence than are those that non-theodicean societies develop.

(A)are those that non-theodicean societies develop

(B)what non-theodicean societies develop

(C)non-theodicean societies' development would

(D)non-theodicean societies' traditions do

(E)traditions of non-theodicean societies

OA later. Please mention the reasoning behind your choice.
Source: — Sentence Correction |

Legendary Member
Posts: 2789
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:19 am
Location: Chennai, India
Thanked: 206 times
Followed by:43 members
GMAT Score:640

by GmatKiss » Tue Oct 11, 2011 11:50 am
badpoem wrote:Max Weber claimed that the traditions that theodicean societies, civilizations in which people feel a need to reconcile the imperfections of the world with a "perfect" divinity, develop are more likely to result in religious adherence than are those that non-theodicean societies develop.

(A)are those that non-theodicean societies develop

(B)what non-theodicean societies develop

(C)non-theodicean societies' development would

(D)non-theodicean societies' traditions do

(E)traditions of non-theodicean societies

OA later. Please mention the reasoning behind your choice.
I doubt the question. IMO, Something is missing for sure!

Legendary Member
Posts: 608
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:16 am
Thanked: 37 times
Followed by:8 members

by saketk » Thu Oct 13, 2011 3:33 am
Nothing missing here. The question looks complete.

This is a case of comparision. the sentence is

Max Weber claimed that the traditions that theodicean societies, civilizations in which people feel a need to reconcile the imperfections of the world with a "perfect" divinity, develop are more likely to result in religious adherence than are those that non-theodicean societies develop.

we are comparing the 'traditions' of theodicean societies with the traditions of non-theodicean socities.

This eliminates option C. Option E has ambiguity issues. what is being compared with what?

option B is non-parallel

Choose option A.

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:56 am

by bnair » Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:19 am
In A, what does 'those' stands for?

IMO E

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:57 am
badpoem wrote:Max Weber claimed that the traditions that theodicean societies, civilizations in which people feel a need to reconcile the imperfections of the world with a "perfect" divinity, develop are more likely to result in religious adherence than are those that non-theodicean societies develop.

(A)are those that non-theodicean societies develop

(B)what non-theodicean societies develop

(C)non-theodicean societies' development would

(D)non-theodicean societies' traditions do

(E)traditions of non-theodicean societies

OA later. Please mention the reasoning behind your choice.
A comparison must compare APPLE TO APPLES.
The intended meaning of the SC above is to compare the TRADITIONS that one type of society develops to the TRADITIONS that another type of society develops.
Only A makes the correct comparison:

...the TRADITIONS that theodicean societies develop ARE MORE LIKELY TO RESULT...than ARE THOSE that non-theodicean societies develop.

THOSE is standing in for TRADITIONS.
The correct answer is A.

In B, the comparison is not clear. A reader might construe that the traditions...are more likely to result IN religious adherence than IN what other non-theodicean societies develop. Eliminate B.

In E, the comparison is not clear. A reader might construe that the traditions...are more likely to result IN religious adherence than IN traditions of non-theodicean societies. Eliminate E.

C incorrectly compares TRADITIONS to non-theodicean societies' DEVELOPMENT. Eliminate C.

In D, what the traditions...ARE cannot be compared to what non-theodicean societies' traditions DO. Eliminate D.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Thu Oct 13, 2011 7:32 am, edited 2 times in total.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 242
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:49 am
Location: Delhi
Thanked: 6 times

by ranjeet75 » Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:57 am
IMO B

"are those" in A has some issues. I think it is wrong.

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1239
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:25 am
Thanked: 233 times
Followed by:26 members
GMAT Score:680

by sam2304 » Thu Oct 13, 2011 8:43 am
IMO A

Max Weber claimed that the traditions that Xs develop are more Z (likely to result in religious adherence) than are those that Ys develop.
Getting defeated is just a temporary notion, giving it up is what makes it permanent.
https://gmatandbeyond.blogspot.in/

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 1:39 pm
Thanked: 7 times
Followed by:1 members

by zaarathelab » Fri Oct 14, 2011 2:42 am
I go for A too.

Based on rules of comparison, we can eliminate B and C.

D: placement of DO is illogical

E: Changes meaning. Comparison is between traditions that theodicean societies develop AND traditions that non-theodicean societies develop. E talks about comparison with ALL non-theodicean traditions (developed by them or someone else)
Success = Max(Hardwork) + Min(Luck)

• Page 1 of 1