BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

comparison: "a greater proportion than it was"

Expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 132
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:08 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 3 times
by clawhammer » Sat Dec 04, 2010 7:55 am
Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than it was in any previous election.

(A) a greater proportion than it was
(B) a greater proportion than
(C) a greater proportion than they have been
(D) which is greater than was so
(E) which is greater than it has been

Can someone explain why A ('it was') is wrong?
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Sentence Correction |
User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 87
Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:44 amFollowed by: 2 members
Thanked: 14 times

by ronaldramlan » Sat Dec 04, 2010 8:39 am
A is incorrect because the pronoun "it" does not have a clear antecedent. What the sentence is trying to say is, the proportion of television costs in the presidential campaign of 1992 is greater than (that) in any previous election. Thus, choice B is correct.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri May 28, 2010 3:21 amFollowed by: 3 members
Thanked: 9 times
GMAT Score:780

by nazar7ft » Sat Dec 04, 2010 8:48 am
clawhammer wrote:Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than it was in any previous election.

(A) a greater proportion than it was
(B) a greater proportion than
(C) a greater proportion than they have been
(D) which is greater than was so
(E) which is greater than it has been

Can someone explain why A ('it was') is wrong?
General:

If you find any pronoun that has more than one potential antecedents, you should eliminate it. This type of pronouns are ambiguous.

Specific:

It MUST have a singular antecedent. There are two singular nouns: "spending" and "campaign". If you replace "it" with either of these, you find the followings:

A greater proportion than spending was....
A greater proportion than the campaign was....

So, there are two potential antecedents of "it"; therefore, it is ambiguous. We should eliminate it.

Thanks.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 132
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:08 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 3 times

by clawhammer » Sat Dec 04, 2010 7:10 pm
Thanks all! I was just thinking, since it already states "a greater proportion", is it still ambiguous?
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 96
Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:48 am

by vietmoi999 » Fri Feb 28, 2014 8:58 pm
clawhammer wrote:Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than it was in any previous election.

(A) a greater proportion than it was
(B) a greater proportion than
(C) a greater proportion than they have been
(D) which is greater than was so
(E) which is greater than it has been

Can someone explain why A ('it was') is wrong?
I agree B is best

but I do not understand the full version of B. Please, make full choice B. (of course, B is an ellipsis)

pls, help. Thank
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 96
Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:48 am

by vietmoi999 » Mon Mar 03, 2014 1:14 am
very hard one.
I agree B is best.

B is an ellipsis. and I want to make B full. I do not understand the latter half of comparison in B.
If anyone in this gmat forum is in England, pls email to me([email protected]) . I have some problems and need your advise. Thank a lot
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1