SC -Need help in eliminating answer choices

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AdvenofTintin: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 33; Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:02 am

by AdvenofTintin » Thu May 02, 2013 8:41 am

The first personal computers had severe hardware and software limitations similar to that of a modern wristwatch and so were unable to perform the complex operations necessary for today's processor-intensive applications.

The first personal computers had severe hardware and software limitations similar to that of a modern wristwatch
The first personal computers had severe hardware and software limitations similar to a modern wristwatch's
The severe hardware and software limitations of the first personal computers were similar to those of a modern wristwatch
The first personal computers' severe hardware and software limitations were similar to those of a modern wristwatch
The severe hardware and software limitations of the first personal computers were similar to that of a modern wristwatch

correct answer B--Source Veritas Prep test

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Thu May 02, 2013 8:41 am

Ben.Miller@ApexGMAT: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 14; Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2013 6:14 amFollowed by: 2 members; Location: Global; Thanked: 8 times; GMAT Score:790

by Ben.Miller@ApexGMAT » Thu May 02, 2013 8:51 am

Severe hardware and software problems is a plural.

This means that the pronoun reflecting it ('that' in A) would need to be plural (ie those) if used at all. This plural aspect helps us eliminate both A and E.

The secondary insight is that the pronoun makes the sentence less concise.

C and D both suffer from the bulky (to those of a) as opposed to B's (to a). This simpler phrasing is allowed by rephrasing the bulky language as a possessive (wristwatch's), which is always allowed as long as it does not change the meaning of the sentence.

Ben

Ben Miller
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Chief Curriculum Developer
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AdvenofTintin: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 33; Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:02 am

by AdvenofTintin » Thu May 02, 2013 9:16 am

Ben.Miller@ApexGMAT wrote:Severe hardware and software problems is a plural.

This means that the pronoun reflecting it ('that' in A) would need to be plural (ie those) if used at all. This plural aspect helps us eliminate both A and E.

The secondary insight is that the pronoun makes the sentence less concise.

C and D both suffer from the bulky (to those of a) as opposed to B's (to a). This simpler phrasing is allowed by rephrasing the bulky language as a possessive (wristwatch's), which is always allowed as long as it does not change the meaning of the sentence.

Ben

Hi Ben,

Could you also suggest some ways to check SV agreement as i get these wrong more often.

Thanks
Samvit

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EducationAisle: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 434; Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:42 pmFollowed by: 46 members; Location: Bangalore, India; Thanked: 91 times

by EducationAisle » Thu May 02, 2013 10:44 am

Well, the easiest way to identify subject is that the subject is (by definition) the doer of the verb. So, the way you identify subject is:

1. Identify the verb
2. Identify the doer of the verb - the Subject

In this case, the verb is had and the doer of had is first personal computers. So, that is the subject.

By the way, C, D and E are incorrect because these choices seem to suggest that hardware and software limitations were unable to perform the complex operations...this is clearly absurd.

Between A and B, A looses out because it says that of a modern wristwatch. It should have been those of a modern wristwatch, because the intention is to refer to limitations (plural). that, when used as a demonstrative pronoun (the way it is used here) can only refer to singular nouns.

By the way, this question seems to be a rip-off of the following GMATprep problem:

Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes and so were probably without language, a shortcoming that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.

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

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AdvenofTintin: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 33; Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:02 am

by AdvenofTintin » Thu May 02, 2013 9:42 pm

EducationAisle wrote:Well, the easiest way to identify subject is that the subject is (by definition) the doer of the verb. So, the way you identify subject is:

1. Identify the verb
2. Identify the doer of the verb - the Subject

In this case, the verb is had and the doer of had is first personal computers. So, that is the subject.

By the way, C, D and E are incorrect because these choices seem to suggest that hardware and software limitations were unable to perform the complex operations...this is clearly absurd.

Between A and B, A looses out because it says that of a modern wristwatch. It should have been those of a modern wristwatch, because the intention is to refer to limitations (plural). that, when used as a demonstrative pronoun (the way it is used here) can only refer to singular nouns.

By the way, this question seems to be a rip-off of the following GMATprep problem:

Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes and so were probably without language, a shortcoming that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.

Hi Ashish,
Thanks for the help.

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