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SC: Geologists

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SC: Geologists

by beater » Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:32 pm
Geologists believe that the warning signs for a major earthquake may include sudden fluctuations in local seismic activity, tilting and other deformations of the Earth’s crust, changing the measured stain across a fault zone, and varying the electrical properties of underground rocks.

(A) changing the measured strain across a fault zone, and varying
(B) changing measurements of the strain across a fault zone, and varying
(C) changing the strain as measured across a fault zone, and variations of
(D) changes in the measured strain across a fault zone, and variations in
(E) changes in measurements of the strain across a fault zone, and variations among

As per OG, in the original sentence changing and varying are used as verbs rather than nouns. I dont understand how that is true because an ing form needs to be preceded by a 'to be' verb to qualify as a verb. Am I missing something? Could someone please correct me. Thanks!
Last edited by beater on Fri Oct 10, 2008 8:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by SYim » Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:36 am
I think it's C.

Here's my explanation:

Geologists believe that the warning signs for a major earthquake may include
1. sudden fluctuations in local seismic activity,
2. tilting and other deformations of the Earth’s crust, changing the measured stain across a fault zone, and
3. varying the electrical properties of underground rocks.

1, 2, 3 must match their form, which are nouns (fluctuations, tilting, variations): eliminate A, B

"changing-" describes the Earth's crust (so this is correct): eliminate D, E


Left with C
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by Gmatss » Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:05 pm
qa is D.

Changing and varying is not correct cause they are used as verbs.
Hence changes and variation is needed for parallelism
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by Stacey Koprince » Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:20 am
I received a PM asking me to comment. So, beater, you're right - that's part of why these are wrong! They're not parallel and they're not even used in the correct form anyway.

If I'm talking about "changing the strain" - that implies something IS changing the strain. Same with "varying the properties" - something IS varying the properties. Both structure the clause as an action being performed on some noun.

Note that this doesn't happen with "tilting and other deformations" - you can't say something IS tilting and other deformations. That's because "tilting" isn't functioning as a verb in the sentence.

If you find a correctly constructed "-ing as a straight verb" structure, it will be preceded by some form of the verb "to be." She was studying like crazy. I have been working really hard.
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Re: SC: Geologists

by lunarpower » Thu Oct 16, 2008 3:30 am
beater wrote:Geologists believe that the warning signs for a major earthquake may include sudden fluctuations in local seismic activity, tilting and other deformations of the Earth’s crust, changing the measured stain across a fault zone, and varying the electrical properties of underground rocks.

(A) changing the measured strain across a fault zone, and varying
(B) changing measurements of the strain across a fault zone, and varying
(C) changing the strain as measured across a fault zone, and variations of
(D) changes in the measured strain across a fault zone, and variations in
(E) changes in measurements of the strain across a fault zone, and variations among

As per OG, in the original sentence changing and varying are used as verbs rather than nouns. I dont understand how that is true because an ing form needs to be preceded by a 'to be' verb to qualify as a verb. Am I missing something? Could someone please correct me. Thanks!
yeah. if these things were used as nouns, they'd be preceded by articles: the changing of the strain, etc. the first article here ("the changing") is the most important.
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SC: Geologists

by gmat_jul » Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:21 am
I am not sure why choice E is wrong? What's the difference between measured strain and measurements of the strain (Choice D and E).

Request your inputs please.
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Re: SC: Geologists

by maihuna » Sat Jun 20, 2009 10:19 am
gmat_jul wrote:I am not sure why choice E is wrong? What's the difference between measured strain and measurements of the strain (Choice D and E).

Request your inputs please.
There are several ways to look into it, the one is the four activities are having suitable preposition, see below:

sudden fluctuations in local seismic activity
tilting and other deformations of the Earth’s crust

Using "and variations among " from your option E it will be: and variations among the electrical properties of underground rocks.

then read:

and variations in the electrical properties of underground rocks.

Vriations in electrical properties make sense, variations among electrical properties doesn't...
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Re: SC: Geologists

by lunarpower » Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:23 pm
gmat_jul wrote:I am not sure why choice E is wrong? What's the difference between measured strain and measurements of the strain (Choice D and E).

Request your inputs please.
remember that you have to read these sorts of things VERY, VERY LITERALLY.

* if you say "changes in the measured strain", then this means that the measured strain (i.e., the strain itself) has changed.

* if you say "changes in measurements of the strain", then this means that only the measurements have changed. in other words, there is no implication as to whether the actual strain has changed; only the measurements have changed.

the first of these is better, for two reasons:
(1) it's the meaning of the original sentence. remember that you are not allowed to change the original meaning, unless the original meaning is nonsense.
(2) it's parallel to the other things in the sentence. the other things in the sentence are GEOLOGICAL EVENTS; you have to stick to the script. changes in the strain itself are geological changes. changes in measurements of the strain, however, are not geological changes, and that's unacceptable parallelism.
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Re: SC: Geologists

by lunarpower » Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:25 pm
oh, and there's also the difference between "variations in" and "variations among", the former of which is correct and the latter of which is inappropriate.

"variations in" means that you're measuring the same electrical properties, but getting (numerically) different results.
"variations among" means that you're talking about altogether different properties for different rocks.
the first is definitely the intended meaning here.
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SC: Geologists

by gmat_jul » Tue Jun 23, 2009 10:53 am
Thanks Ron
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by ghacker » Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:11 pm
Geologists believe that the warning signs for a major earthquake may include sudden fluctuations in local seismic activity, tilting and other deformations of the Earth’s crust, changing the measured stain across a fault zone, and varying the electrical properties of underground rocks.

(A) changing the measured strain across a fault zone, and varying
(B) changing measurements of the strain across a fault zone, and varying
(C) changing the strain as measured across a fault zone, and variations of
(D) changes in the measured strain across a fault zone, and variations in
(E) changes in measurements of the strain across a fault zone, and variations among

What are the warning signs ?

1.0 sudden fluctuations in .......
2.0 Tilting and other deformations ........
3.0 ......measured strain
4.0 ........ electrical signals

There is a problem with 3 and 4

If we say changing , then who is changing ? , similarly if we say varying then who is varying ? we are interested in the signs but the signs cannot change certain things and vary certain things so A,B,C out

D and E

E among is wrong .

Answer is D
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by goelmohit2002 » Sun Sep 27, 2009 5:24 am
Hi Ron/Stacey,

Thanks.

But can you please elaborate a bit more....why tilting is acting as noun here(note that there is no "the", "a" before tilting)

But changing and varying are acting as verbs....those too are not preceded by any indefinite pronoun ? what is the difference between the two usages ?

Thanks
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by Stacey Koprince » Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:46 am
"tilting" is subtle because it doesn't have an article in front. Look at the full item: "tilting and other deformations in the Earth's crust"

The "and" indicates that "tilting" and "<other> deformations" are parallel. What is "deformations"? A noun. So, "tilting" is a noun (and, in particular, a type of deformation - the "other" tells us that tilting falls into the deformation category too).

Also, the "changing" and "varying" pieces aren't really constructed correctly to function as verbs - they're not really functioning as anything, technically, because they're not constructed correctly to be verbs, either. So it wasn't entirely accurate of the explanation to say that they're functioning as verbs. The more important thing is that they are NOT functioning as nouns. "changing the measured strain" is an action - something or someone is changing something. "changes in the measured strain" are now just talking about the changes - a noun.
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by akhpad » Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:34 am
It seems to be a little tricky.

Thanks Stacey and Ron for wonderful explanation.

Your verbal explanation is really look obese.
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by vikram4689 » Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:08 pm
lunarpower wrote:oh, and there's also the difference between "variations in" and "variations among", the former of which is correct and the latter of which is inappropriate.

"variations in" means that you're measuring the same electrical properties, but getting (numerically) different results.
"variations among" means that you're talking about altogether different properties for different rocks.
the first is definitely the intended meaning here.
ron,
i didn't get the meaning at first shot. i searched some examples on google and now it seems that i have understood what you were trying to explain. please confirm whether my understanding is correct and correct me if i am wrong

"variation in electrical properties of rocks" means measured value itself has changed i.e. measured value of a particular property in a particular rock has changed. lets say property X for rock A showed value 100 (earlier) but now same property X for same rock A is showing value other than 100

"variation among electrical properties of rocks" means that same property for different rocks is showing variation. e.g. property X for rock A is showing value 100 and property X for rock B is showing value 200
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