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GMATPREP Question - what is the subject

by achieve_dream » Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:04 pm
SOURCE : GMATPREP
When working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues for the global manager

A. When working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues for the global manager.
B. When they work with overseas clients, understanding cultural norms is at least of equal importance to the global manager as grasping the pivotal business issues.
C. For global managers working with overseas clients, understanding cultural norms is at least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues.
D. For global managers working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at least as important to them as that they grasp the pivotal business issues.
E. Global managers working with overseas clients find an understanding of cultural norms to be equally important as grasping the pivotal business issues.

C

I was wondering what is the subject in option C.

As I read in the MGMAT book, a subject can't reside in the prepositional phrase. So in, C

'For global managers' - is prepostional phrase

working - not verb

with overseas clients - is prepositonal phrase ...

what is subject and what is verb in option C?

I know it may be dumb for few of you, but I dont get it.
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by GMATGuruNY » Mon Feb 27, 2012 8:26 pm
achieve_dream wrote:SOURCE : GMATPREP
When working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues for the global manager

A. When working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues for the global manager.
B. When they work with overseas clients, understanding cultural norms is at least of equal importance to the global manager as grasping the pivotal business issues.
C. For global managers working with overseas clients, understanding cultural norms is at least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues.
D. For global managers working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at least as important to them as that they grasp the pivotal business issues.
E. Global managers working with overseas clients find an understanding of cultural norms to be equally important as grasping the pivotal business issues.

C
In A, working incorrectly modifies an understanding. The intended meaning is that the MANAGERS are working. Eliminate A.

In B, they lacks a clear antecedent. Eliminate B.

In D, them and they each lack a clear antecedent. Also, an UNDERSTANDING...is at least as important as THAT THEY GRASP is not a parallel comparison. Eliminate D.

In E, equally...as is unidiomatic. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is C.

In the OA, the subject is understanding cultural norms. WHAT is at least as important as GRASPING the pivotal business issues? UNDERSTANDING cultural norms.
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by Mo2men » Sun Sep 02, 2018 8:47 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
achieve_dream wrote:SOURCE : GMATPREP
When working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues for the global manager

A. When working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues for the global manager.
B. When they work with overseas clients, understanding cultural norms is at least of equal importance to the global manager as grasping the pivotal business issues.
C. For global managers working with overseas clients, understanding cultural norms is at least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues.
D. For global managers working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at least as important to them as that they grasp the pivotal business issues.
E. Global managers working with overseas clients find an understanding of cultural norms to be equally important as grasping the pivotal business issues.

C

In E, equally...as is unidiomatic. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is C.

In the OA, the subject is understanding cultural norms. WHAT is at least as important as GRASPING the pivotal business issues? UNDERSTANDING cultural norms.
Dear GMATGuru,

choice E has 2 noticeable errors:
1- unidiomatic usage of 'equally important", and
2- parallelism problem in [color=]"an understanding of..." [/color]& [color=]"grasping........." [/color].

I would like to know if the following version of choice E is correct if the above 2 issues rectified . Do we still have parallelism issues in the clauses?
Global managers working with overseas clients find an understanding of cultural norms as important as a grasping of the pivotal business issues.

I understood the above in 2 ways:

Global managers working with overseas clients find an understanding of cultural norms as important as [Global managers working with overseas clients find] a grasping of the pivotal business issues.
Or
Global managers working with overseas clients find an understanding of cultural norms as important as a grasping of the pivotal business issues find an understanding of cultural norm. This obviously gives nonsensical meaning.

So based on my analysis, there might two interpretations that make it unclear. You may argue that case 2 is no viable and case 1 is clear from the meaning. However, in many GMAT cases we face case 2.

Can you share your thoughts?

Thanks in advance
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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Sep 04, 2018 3:57 am
Mo2men wrote:[I would like to know if the following version of choice E is correct if the above 2 issues rectified . Do we still have parallelism issues in the clauses?
Global managers working with overseas clients find an understanding of cultural norms as important as a grasping of the pivotal business issues.

I understood the above in 2 ways:

Global managers working with overseas clients find an understanding of cultural norms as important as [Global managers working with overseas clients find] a grasping of the pivotal business issues.
Or
Global managers working with overseas clients find an understanding of cultural norms as important as a grasping of the pivotal business issues find an understanding of cultural norm. This obviously gives nonsensical meaning.

So based on my analysis, there might two interpretations that make it unclear. You may argue that case 2 is no viable and case 1 is clear from the meaning. However, in many GMAT cases we face case 2.

Can you share your thoughts?

Thanks in advance
A comparison is questionable if it allows for more than one logical interpretation.
Case 2 is not a logical interpretation of your revision of E.
No reader will construe that what MANAGERS find is being compared to what A GRASPING finds.
Since only Case 1 constitutes a logical interpretation, the comparison in your revision of E is valid..
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by Mo2men » Tue Sep 04, 2018 1:44 pm
GMATGuruNY wrote:
A comparison is questionable if it allows for more than one logical interpretation.
Can you please cite any OG question that represent more than one logical meaning? I will help to put it together to understand in comparison to my case above.

Thanks for understanding and support
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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Sep 08, 2018 6:06 am
Mo2men wrote:
GMATGuruNY wrote:
A comparison is questionable if it allows for more than one logical interpretation.
Can you please cite any OG question that represent more than one logical meaning? I will help to put it together to understand in comparison to my case above.

Thanks for understanding and support
Option B for SC18 in the OG12:
Plants are more efficient at acquiring carbon than fungi.
Logical interpretation 1:
Plants are more efficient at acquiring carbon than [plants are efficient at acquiring] fungi.
Logical interpretation 2:
Plants are more efficient at acquiring carbon than fungi [are efficient at acquiring carbon].
Since B allows for more than one logical interpretation. eliminate B.
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GMATPREP Question - what is the subject

by Mo2men » Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:17 pm
GMATGuruNY wrote:
Mo2men wrote:
GMATGuruNY wrote:
A comparison is questionable if it allows for more than one logical interpretation.
Can you please cite any OG question that represent more than one logical meaning? I will help to put it together to understand in comparison to my case above.

Thanks for understanding and support
Option B for SC18 in the OG12:
Plants are more efficient at acquiring carbon than fungi.
Logical interpretation 1:
Plants are more efficient at acquiring carbon than [plants are efficient at acquiring] fungi.
Logical interpretation 2:
Plants are more efficient at acquiring carbon than fungi [are efficient at acquiring carbon].
Since B allows for more than one logical interpretation. eliminate B.
Dear Mitch,
When dealing with ellipses, does the verb omitted should match or be same verb in the preceding sentence? For example:

China is building a city as big as Singapore.

The first interpretation: Both are building a city with same size.
China is building a city as big as Singapore is building a city.

The second interpretation : China is building a huge city with the size of Singapore, which is the real intended meaning.
China is building a city as big as Singapore is big.

In the second interpretation:
1- does the ellipses correct and give intended meaning?
2- The ellipse verb is 'verb to be', while in the first sentence is verb 'action verb :build' ?

Thanks in advance for support
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by GMATGuruNY » Fri Sep 21, 2018 3:54 am
Mo2men wrote:Dear Mitch,
When dealing with ellipses, does the verb omitted should match or be same verb in the preceding sentence? For example:

China is building a city as big as Singapore.

The first interpretation: Both are building a city with same size.
China is building a city as big as Singapore is building a city.
This interpretation is not valid.
The comparative in blue is clearly an ADJECTIVE describing a city..
Since as big as refers not to China but to A CITY. no comparison between China and Singapore is implied.
The sentence unambiguously compares A CITY to Singapore, as discussed below.
The second interpretation : China is building a huge city with the size of Singapore, which is the real intended meaning.
China is building a city as big as Singapore is big.

In the second interpretation:
1- does the ellipses correct and give intended meaning?
2- The ellipse verb is 'verb to be', while in the first sentence is verb 'action verb :build' ?

Thanks in advance for support
Generally, a verb may be omitted only if it appears earlier in the sentence.
One exception:
If their presence is clearly implied, forms of to be -- is, are, was, were, etc. -- may be omitted without an earlier appearance.
The sentence above makes the following comparison:
China is building a city [that is] as big as Singapore [is big].
The blue verb attributed to Singapore is the same as the red verb attributed to a city.
Both verbs are forms of to be.
Both are omitted because their presence is clearly implied.
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