Sentence Correction

Analytics firms report that global Internet usage through mobile devices rose to 8.5 percent in 2012, nearly twice the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent.

A) nearly twice the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent
B) nearly doubling the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent
C) nearly doubling 2011's 4.3 percent
D) nearly double that of 2011's 4.3 percent
E) almost double the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent




my concern: the proclaimed answer is B; however I find that A can be correct because "TWICE" in A can modify "8.5 percent" as is done in the following official question

According to surveys by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 20 percent ofyoung adults used cocaine in 1979, doubling those reported in the 1977 survey.
(A) doubling those reported in the 1977 survey
(B) to double the number the 1977 survey reported
(C) twice those the 1977 survey reported
(D) twice as much as those reported in the 1977 survey
(E) twice the number reported in the 1977 survey-------->correct answer

Global Internet usage through mobile devices rose to 8.5 percent.
8.5 percent of WHAT?
Since the conveyed meaning is unclear, I would ignore the SC above.

thanks Guru
i appreciate the point that you brought to my notice
can you please help me to understand if my logic about option A is correct
Also please tell me if "COMMA + VERBING" is correct in this SC

aditya8062 wrote:thanks Guru
i appreciate the point that you brought to my notice
can you please help me to understand if my logic about option A is correct
Also please tell me if "COMMA + VERBING" is correct in this SC

OA: nearly doubling the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent
This wording seems to imply that the 2011 figure is increasing from 4.3 percent to almost 8.6 percent.
Not so.
The 2011 figure is not changing: it remains 4.3 percent.
Almost 8.6 percent refers only to the FIGURE IN 2012.
Another reason to ignore this SC.

An OA in which COMMA + doubling is correctly used:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/cameras-of-t ... 84432.html

OA: nearly doubling the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent
This wording seems to imply that the 2011 figure is increasing from 4.3 percent to almost 8.6 percent.

This is nice point

Guru, regarding your 8.5% point that you told in first post i came across following official SC : Employment costs rose 2.8 percent in the 12 months that ended in September, slightly less than they did in the year that ended in the previous quarter

is it that we can use 8.5 % in above SC without mentioning "OF CONSTRUCTION"

doubt 2: ALSO please tell me if in option A "TWICE" can modify "8.5 percent"

aditya8062 wrote:

OA: nearly doubling the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent
This wording seems to imply that the 2011 figure is increasing from 4.3 percent to almost 8.6 percent.

This is nice point

Guru, regarding your 8.5% point that you told in first post i came across following official SC : Employment costs rose 2.8 percent in the 12 months that ended in September, slightly less than they did in the year that ended in the previous quarter

is it that we can use 8.5 % in above SC without mentioning "OF CONSTRUCTION"

The two constructions -- X rose Y% and X rose TO Y% -- are different.

Clear:
Employment costs rose 2.8 percent in the 12 months that ended in September.
Conveyed meaning:
Over the past 12 months, employment costs increased by a factor of 102.8/100.

Unclear: Global Internet usage through mobile devices rose TO 8.5 percent.
Here, the inclusion of to before 8.5 percent leaves a reader to wonder:
Internet usage rose TO 8.5 percent OF WHAT VALUE?

doubt 2: ALSO please tell me if in option A "TWICE" can modify "8.5 percent"

An OA from GMATPrep:
About 20 percent of young adults used cocaine in 1979, twice the number reported in the 1977 survey.
Here, twice the number serves to refer to 20 percent of young adults.