[email protected] wrote:In assessing the problems faced by rural migrant workers, the question of whether they are better off materially than the urban working poor is irrelevant.

(A) In assessing the problems faced by rural migrant workers, the question of whether they are better off materially than the urban working poor is irrelevant.

(B) The question of whether the rural migrant worker is better off materially than the urban working poor is irrelevant in assessing the problems that they face.

(C) A question that is irrelevant in assessing the problems that rural migrant workers face is whether they are better off materially than the urban working poor.

(D) In an assessment of the problems faced by rural migrant workers, the question of whether they are better off materially than the urban working poor is irrelevant.

(E) The question of whether the rural migrant worker is better off materially than the urban working poor is irrelevant in an assessment of the problems that they face.

I think the answer is C, but the OA is D.
Can anyone please explain why C is wrong and D is correct?

C starts off really awkwardly and is too wordy.

D is much more concise.

"In assessing the problems faced....." and

"In an assessment of the problems faced....."

What is the problem with first sentence? Both looks correct gramatically

Hi folks, I'll see if I can answer your questions!

nishant, (C) is just a very wordy construction. Remember, the GMAT doesn't just test grammar. Style is important as well. "A question that is irrelevant..." is a clunky, wordy phrasing that doesn't clearly reflect the intended meaning.

As for (A), the key here is that that first part of the sentence, before the comma, is a modifying phrase--an appositive, if you want to get technical
https://blog.kaplangmat.com/2012/05/27/g ... -attitude/

Modifiers set off by commas modify the noun or noun phrase immediately following the comma. In choices (A) and (D), that noun is "question." So, is the question "Assessing" anything, as in choice (A)? No. Economists or anthropologists might be assessing the problems of workers, not the question! In (D), is the question "in an assessment?" Sure! It's an irrelevant part of the assessment, according to the rest of the sentence, but the question could be asked in an assessment of the status of those workers.

Let me know if you have any other questions, and good luck studying!

KapTeacherEli wrote:Hi folks, I'll see if I can answer your questions!

nishant, (C) is just a very wordy construction. Remember, the GMAT doesn't just test grammar. Style is important as well. "A question that is irrelevant..." is a clunky, wordy phrasing that doesn't clearly reflect the intended meaning.

As for (A), the key here is that that first part of the sentence, before the comma, is a modifying phrase--an appositive, if you want to get technical
https://blog.kaplangmat.com/2012/05/27/g ... -attitude/

Modifiers set off by commas modify the noun or noun phrase immediately following the comma. In choices (A) and (D), that noun is "question." So, is the question "Assessing" anything, as in choice (A)? No. Economists or anthropologists might be assessing the problems of workers, not the question! In (D), is the question "in an assessment?" Sure! It's an irrelevant part of the assessment, according to the rest of the sentence, but the question could be asked in an assessment of the status of those workers.

Let me know if you have any other questions, and good luck studying!

Hi Eli. Could you please look into that link - it's a dead link

thestartupguy wrote:
Hi Eli. Could you please look into that link - it's a dead link

Sorry bout that--BeatTheGMAT has had trouble with Kaplan links lately. Copy-paste the link into your browser bar, and let me know if that works!

+1 for D