Sentence Correction

According to the enrollment statistics published by U.S. medical schools, the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school.
(A) the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school
(B) as many female as male students are currently enrolled in medical school
(C) the number of female students is as many as that of male students currently enrolled in medical school
(D) as great as the number of female is the number of male students currently enrolled in medical school
(E) female and male students are currently enrolled in equal numbers in medical school

Source: Kap 800

[spoiler]Doubt: Why is E incorrect? IMO, it makes it more clear than B. Isn't equal numbers correct usage? Because we are comparing two numbers here.
OA: B[/spoiler]

"in equal numbers" is wordy... "as many as" is better

What is wrong with A and C?

Correct Idiom is "as many X as Y" so B

Option A has Redundancy --->
the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school
Its obvious that medical students will get enrolled in medical schools only (.. in real life it may be different:))


Option C is awkward.
Number of X is as many as Number of Y

Number of X is equal to Number of Y

Thanks smackmartine

Also shouldn't "The number" point to singular student? rather than students?

NeedThatFire wrote:Also shouldn't "The number" point to singular student? rather than students?

eg. The number of doctors in the hospital IS declining. (modifier of "The number" is generally plural.)

If you address only one doctor , you may write:
Only one doctor has resigned.

GMAT will generally test you on two usage of "number of"
Just keep these usage in mind:

1) "The number of" is always singular.
2) "A number of" is always plural.

3) "The numbers of " is always incorrect.

I think we cannot use "equivalent to" in GMAT when we are comparing people..........please correct me if I am wrong but I read this rule somewhere

aspirant2011 wrote:I think we cannot use "equivalent to" in GMAT when we are comparing people..........please correct me if I am wrong but I read this rule somewhere

aspirant2011,

we can use "equivalent" when we compare people because "equivalent" is also a noun which means A person or thing equal to another in value or significance etc.

Eg. 1) Send five dollars or the equivalent in stamps.
2) Those three men are equivalent in their verbal skills.

I do not see any strong reason for GMAT not to use "equivalent" . Btw where did you find that rule? If any, do let me know.

realizedream wrote:According to the enrollment statistics published by U.S. medical schools, the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school.
(A) the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school
(B) as many female as male students are currently enrolled in medical school
(C) the number of female students is as many as that of male students currently enrolled in medical school
(D) as great as the number of female is the number of male students currently enrolled in medical school
(E) female and male students are currently enrolled in equal numbers in medical school

Source: Kap 800

[spoiler]Doubt: Why is E incorrect? IMO, it makes it more clear than B. Isn't equal numbers correct usage? Because we are comparing two numbers here.
OA: B[/spoiler]

Notice when a modifier changes position in the answer choices.

In A, C and D, the placement of currently enrolled next to male students implies that only the male students are currently enrolled. It must be clear what a modifier is modifying. Eliminate A, C and D.

B is better than E because B places in medical school next to enrolled, the verb being modified. A modifier should be as close as possible to what it's modifying. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is B.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

realizedream wrote:According to the enrollment statistics published by U.S. medical schools, the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school.
(A) the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school
(B) as many female as male students are currently enrolled in medical school
(C) the number of female students is as many as that of male students currently enrolled in medical school
(D) as great as the number of female is the number of male students currently enrolled in medical school
(E) female and male students are currently enrolled in equal numbers in medical school

Source: Kap 800

[spoiler]Doubt: Why is E incorrect? IMO, it makes it more clear than B. Isn't equal numbers correct usage? Because we are comparing two numbers here.
OA: B[/spoiler]

Notice when a modifier changes position in the answer choices.

In A, C and D, the placement of currently enrolled next to male students implies that only the male students are currently enrolled. It must be clear what a modifier is modifying. Eliminate A, C and D.

B is better than E because B places in medical school next to enrolled, the verb being modified. A modifier should be as close as possible to what it's modifying. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is B.

Hi GMATGURUNY,

Can we use "equivalent to" when we refer to people???????

aspirant2011 wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote:

realizedream wrote:According to the enrollment statistics published by U.S. medical schools, the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school.
(A) the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school
(B) as many female as male students are currently enrolled in medical school
(C) the number of female students is as many as that of male students currently enrolled in medical school
(D) as great as the number of female is the number of male students currently enrolled in medical school
(E) female and male students are currently enrolled in equal numbers in medical school

Source: Kap 800

[spoiler]Doubt: Why is E incorrect? IMO, it makes it more clear than B. Isn't equal numbers correct usage? Because we are comparing two numbers here.
OA: B[/spoiler]

Notice when a modifier changes position in the answer choices.

In A, C and D, the placement of currently enrolled next to male students implies that only the male students are currently enrolled. It must be clear what a modifier is modifying. Eliminate A, C and D.

B is better than E because B places in medical school next to enrolled, the verb being modified. A modifier should be as close as possible to what it's modifying. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is B.

Hi GMATGURUNY,

Can we use "equivalent to" when we refer to people???????

We when we say that X is equivalent to Y, we imply that X and Y are equal in value or rank.

One glass of orange juice is nutritionally equivalent to two oranges.

We don't typically use equivalent to compare actual numbers.

In A, it seems strange to say that the number of female students is equivalent to the number of male students, because we are not judging the value of the number of each group; we are counting the actual number. Thus, it's better to say that one number is equal to the other number.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

aspirant2011 wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote:

realizedream wrote:According to the enrollment statistics published by U.S. medical schools, the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school.
(A) the number of female medical students is equivalent to the number of male medical students currently enrolled in medical school
(B) as many female as male students are currently enrolled in medical school
(C) the number of female students is as many as that of male students currently enrolled in medical school
(D) as great as the number of female is the number of male students currently enrolled in medical school
(E) female and male students are currently enrolled in equal numbers in medical school

Source: Kap 800

[spoiler]Doubt: Why is E incorrect? IMO, it makes it more clear than B. Isn't equal numbers correct usage? Because we are comparing two numbers here.
OA: B[/spoiler]

Notice when a modifier changes position in the answer choices.

In A, C and D, the placement of currently enrolled next to male students implies that only the male students are currently enrolled. It must be clear what a modifier is modifying. Eliminate A, C and D.

B is better than E because B places in medical school next to enrolled, the verb being modified. A modifier should be as close as possible to what it's modifying. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is B.

Hi GMATGURUNY,

Can we use "equivalent to" when we refer to people???????

We when we say that X is equivalent to Y, we imply that X and Y are equal in value or rank.

One glass of orange juice is nutritionally equivalent to two oranges.

We don't typically use equivalent to compare actual numbers.

In A, it seems strange to say that the number of female students is equivalent to the number of male students, because we are not judging the value of the number of each group; we are counting the actual number. Thus, it's better to say that one number is equal to the other number.

thanks a ton mitch