Lotus body temperature

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GmatGreen: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 85; Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:58 am

by GmatGreen » Fri Feb 07, 2014 8:52 am

Like humans and other warm-blooded animals, researchers report that the lotus has the remarkable ability of keeping its temperature in a narrow range.

(A) Like humans and other warm-blooded animals, researchers report that the lotus has the remarkable ability of keeping its temperature in a narrow range.

(B) Researchers report that within a narrow range, the lotus has the remarkable ability to keep its temperature like humans and other warm-blooded animals do.

(C) Researchers report that the lotus has the remarkable ability of keeping its temperature to a narrow range, as humans and other warm-blooded animals can.

(D) Researchers report that the lotus has the remarkable ability to keep its temperature within a narrow range, as do humans and other warm-blooded animals.

(E) As humans and other warm-blooded animals can, researchers report that the lotus has the remarkable ability of keeping its temperature in a narrow range.

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Fri Feb 07, 2014 8:52 am

Patrick_GMATFix: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 1052; Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 1:30 amFollowed by: 98 members; Thanked: 335 times

by Patrick_GMATFix » Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:03 am

The correct answer should directly compare either humans and animals to the lotus, or what humans and animals can do to what the lotus can do. Further, we can eliminate any choice that uses "like" to compare clauses (the 2nd comparison option in the previous sentence). It's incorrect to say "the lotus can do X like humans can"

Finally, there are a few comparable bits that can be used ("ability to" vs "ability of", "within a narrow range" vs "to a narrow range"). The full solution below is taken from the GMATFix App.

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Bill@VeritasPrep: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 1248; Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:57 pmFollowed by: 192 members; Location: Everywhere; Thanked: 503 times; GMAT Score:780

by Bill@VeritasPrep » Fri Feb 07, 2014 11:26 am

"Ability to" is preferable to "ability of". You would say "I have the ability to fly", not "I have the ability of flying". Eliminate A, C, and E.

"As" is better than "like" because we are comparing verbs (having the ability). If we were directly comparing the lotus with humans and other animals, we would use "like".

Also, B is awkward and vague. Within a narrow range, the lotus has the ability to keep its temperature...what? Keep it constant? Keep it high?

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richachampion: Legendary Member; Posts: 698; Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:12 amFollowed by: 26 members; Location: Noida, India; Thanked: 32 times; GMAT Score:740

by richachampion » Mon Jan 04, 2016 10:36 pm

There are so many things tested here -

Idiom ability to VS ability of
Comparison
Correct Usage of like Vs as

But what I do not understand is the Official explanation for Option B.

The OE: The Placement of the adverbial Modifier within a narrow range, has this phrase explaining where the lotus has the ability to keep its temperature (as opposed to giving it aways) - https://screencast.com/t/sJRnaOr4z3m

I am unable to make head ad tail of this statement.

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GMATGuruNY: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 15539; Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members; Location: New York, NY; Thanked: 13060 times; GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Tue Jan 05, 2016 4:19 am

richachampion wrote:But what I do not understand is the Official explanation for Option B.

The OE: The Placement of the adverbial Modifier within a narrow range, has this phrase explaining where the lotus has the ability to keep its temperature (as opposed to giving it aways) - https://screencast.com/t/sJRnaOr4z3m

I am unable to make head ad tail of this statement.

Generally, an introductory prepositional phrase serves as an ADVERB modifying the main verb in the following clause.
B: within a narrow range, the lotus HAS
Here, within a narrow range (an introductory prepositional phrase) seems to modify has (the main verb in the following clause).
Conveyed meaning:
The lotus HAS within a narrow range.
Not the intended meaning.

The intention here is to discuss the range of the TEMPERATURE.
OA: to keep its temperature within a narrow range
Here, within a narrow range is an adverb modifying to keep.
Conveyed meaning:
The temperature is KEPT within a narrow range.
This is the intended meaning.

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richachampion: Legendary Member; Posts: 698; Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:12 amFollowed by: 26 members; Location: Noida, India; Thanked: 32 times; GMAT Score:740

by richachampion » Sat Aug 13, 2016 1:19 pm

GMATGuruNY wrote:
richachampion wrote:But what I do not understand is the Official explanation for Option B.

The OE: The Placement of the adverbial Modifier within a narrow range, has this phrase explaining where the lotus has the ability to keep its temperature (as opposed to giving it aways) - https://screencast.com/t/sJRnaOr4z3m

I am unable to make head ad tail of this statement.
Generally, an introductory prepositional phrase serves as an ADVERB modifying the main verb in the following clause.
B: within a narrow range, the lotus HAS
Here, within a narrow range (an introductory prepositional phrase) seems to modify has (the main verb in the following clause).
Conveyed meaning:
The lotus HAS within a narrow range.
Not the intended meaning.

The intention here is to discuss the range of the TEMPERATURE.
OA: to keep its temperature within a narrow range
Here, within a narrow range is an adverb modifying to keep.
Conveyed meaning:
The temperature is KEPT within a narrow range.
This is the intended meaning.

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