Question from a GMAT Prep practice test

This topic has expert replies
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:46 am
Thanked: 1 times

Question from a GMAT Prep practice test

by krubinoff » Sun Apr 21, 2013 5:29 am
Hi, I got this question in a GMAT Prep practice test.

At the annual stockholders meeting, investors heard a presentation on the numerous challenges facing the company, including among them the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the declining sales for the company's powerful microprocessor chip.

A) including among them the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the declining sales for
B) which includes the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar paent-infrigenment suit and the declining sales of
C) included among these the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit as well as a decline in sales for
D) among them the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the decline in sales for
E) among these the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit as well as the decline in sales for


I picked B. The answer is D. I thought that you could only use among for more than 2 (i.e. between for 2 comparisons, among for 2+)?

I think I see now why my answer was wrong and why D is right. "The threat..." is not parallel to "declining sales..." in B, whereas in D, "the threat" is parallel to "the decline". Is this correct?

Can someone explain this one to me? Thanks :)

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 110
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 4:39 am
Thanked: 9 times
GMAT Score:640

by Ankur87 » Sun Apr 21, 2013 6:38 am
Hi,
"among" is correct in this case as there are multiple challenges :
" on the numerous challenges "
and I think in choice D "sales of" is there not "sales for".
PLEASE VERIFY.
Here the use of sales of makes difference.
"sales for" is incorrect so choice A,C,E are out.
From remaining choices i.e. B and D
"which" is incorrect in choice B as it is referring to Company not challenges.
so Correct ans is D.
krubinoff wrote:Hi, I got this question in a GMAT Prep practice test.

At the annual stockholders meeting, investors heard a presentation on the numerous challenges facing the company, including among them the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the declining sales for the company's powerful microprocessor chip.

A) including among them the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the declining sales for
B) which includes the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar paent-infrigenment suit and the declining sales of
C) included among these the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit as well as a decline in sales for
D) among them the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the decline in sales for
E) among these the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit as well as the decline in sales for


I picked B. The answer is D. I thought that you could only use among for more than 2 (i.e. between for 2 comparisons, among for 2+)?

I think I see now why my answer was wrong and why D is right. "The threat..." is not parallel to "declining sales..." in B, whereas in D, "the threat" is parallel to "the decline". Is this correct?

Can someone explain this one to me? Thanks :)

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 434
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:42 pm
Location: Bangalore, India
Thanked: 91 times
Followed by:46 members

by EducationAisle » Mon Apr 22, 2013 2:45 am
krubinoff wrote: I picked B. The answer is D. I thought that you could only use among for more than 2 (i.e. between for 2 comparisons, among for 2+)?
We should use between when we are talking about distinct, and discrete items. For example, we could say, He had to choose between cycling and swimming.

On the other hand, we use among when we are talking about things that aren't distinct items or individuals; among is used when the connections are more collective (in this case challenges). Couple of examples from OG:

a) ..among pugnacious states of the Greek world (#60, OG-13)
b) among the 900 or so species of the world's social wasps (#102, OG-13)
krubinoff wrote: I think I see now why my answer was wrong and why D is right. "The threat..." is not parallel to "declining sales..." in B, whereas in D, "the threat" is parallel to "the decline". Is this correct?
Actually they are parallel: Both the threat and declining sales are Noun phrases. A big issue with B is that which modifies company; even if you thought which was modifying challenges, then the verb should have been include (and not includes).
Ashish
MBA - ISB, GMAT - 99th Percentile
GMAT Faculty @ EducationAisle
www.EducationAisle.com

Sentence Correction Nirvana available at:

a) Amazon: Sentence Correction Nirvana

b) Flipkart: Sentence Correction Nirvana

Now! Preview the entire Grammar Section of Sentence Correction Nirvana at pothi

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 106
Joined: Sat Mar 30, 2013 11:55 pm
Thanked: 1 times
Followed by:1 members

by veenu08 » Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:22 pm
Can anyone please help me understand the how to rule out E over D

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 423
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 7:59 am
Location: Seattle, WA
Thanked: 86 times
Followed by:2 members

by srcc25anu » Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:30 am
veenu08 wrote:Can anyone please help me understand the how to rule out E over D
The correct idion here should be decline in sales OF (not Sales FOR)

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 434
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:42 pm
Location: Bangalore, India
Thanked: 91 times
Followed by:46 members

by EducationAisle » Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:13 am
The short answer is that these is a word that finds itself out of favor when it comes to correct options on GMAT.

The longer answer is that these is a demonstrative pronoun, and has multiple antecedents in this case; them is an object pronoun and is a more suitable pronoun for the indirect object challenges.
Ashish
MBA - ISB, GMAT - 99th Percentile
GMAT Faculty @ EducationAisle
www.EducationAisle.com

Sentence Correction Nirvana available at:

a) Amazon: Sentence Correction Nirvana

b) Flipkart: Sentence Correction Nirvana

Now! Preview the entire Grammar Section of Sentence Correction Nirvana at pothi

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 308
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 12:51 am
Thanked: 16 times
Followed by:3 members

by Lifetron » Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:51 pm
At the annual stockholders meeting, investors heard a presentation on the numerous challenges facing the company, including among them the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the declining sales for the company's powerful microprocessor chip.

A) including among them the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the declining sales for
B) which includes the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar paent-infrigenment suit and the declining sales of
C) included among these the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit as well as a decline in sales for
D) among them the threat of a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit and the decline in sales for
E) among these the threat from a rival's multibillion-dollar patent-infringement suit as well as the decline in sales for