The data collected by weather airplanes that fly into the heart of a hurricane are useful mainly for gauging the storm’s structure and strength, not for the speed and the path of their movement.
(A) not for the speed and the path of their movement
(B) not for the speed and path of its movement
(C) not the speed and path of its movement
(D) and not the speed and path of their movements
(E) and not for the speed and the path of its movements
Which is better B or E and Why?
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gmat009
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OA is B but I think E gives better parallel structure then Bnox104 wrote:I say B is better because it is concise and parallel :
data .. are useful mainly for gauging the storm’s structure and strength, not for the speed and path of its movement.
are useful mainly for ............and not for
Can someone explain this
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Stacey Koprince
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I received a PM asking me to respond to this question. Whoever originally posted, check the OA - I don't think it's B.
Yes, "not" is a coordinating conjunction, just like "and." [Edited to add: er... "nor" is a coordinating conjunction, not "not." What the sentence is trying to say: The data are useful for X, not Y. You wouldn't say "The data are useful for X, AND not Y" because "and" is actually a coordinating conjunction, and "comma and" sets up a new independent sentence, but "not Y" is not an independent sentence.] So that's actually why we eliminate D and E.
Most people seem to be interpreting the core structure as this:
The data <modifier> are useful [for X, not for Y]
X: gauging the storm's structure and strength
Y: ?? (that's the question)
The main word in X is "gauging." None of the answer choices (Y) give us an "ing" word for parallelism... so that core structure I typed up above is not actually the core structure here. (Note: it could've been, if they'd written the answer choices accordingly... they just didn't.)
Instead, this must be the core:
The data <modifier> are useful mainly for gauging [X, not Y]
X: the storm's structure and strength
(main words: structure and strength)
Y: ??
The only answer choice that does NOT use "for" and does not use "and" is C. And the main words there are "speed and path," which are appropriately parallel to "structure and strength."
Be careful where you get your study material. Even for well-written questions (like this one), when people post them online, there will be typos in the OAs and that sort of thing. You don't want to "study" something that isn't actually right!
Yes, "not" is a coordinating conjunction, just like "and." [Edited to add: er... "nor" is a coordinating conjunction, not "not." What the sentence is trying to say: The data are useful for X, not Y. You wouldn't say "The data are useful for X, AND not Y" because "and" is actually a coordinating conjunction, and "comma and" sets up a new independent sentence, but "not Y" is not an independent sentence.] So that's actually why we eliminate D and E.
Most people seem to be interpreting the core structure as this:
The data <modifier> are useful [for X, not for Y]
X: gauging the storm's structure and strength
Y: ?? (that's the question)
The main word in X is "gauging." None of the answer choices (Y) give us an "ing" word for parallelism... so that core structure I typed up above is not actually the core structure here. (Note: it could've been, if they'd written the answer choices accordingly... they just didn't.)
Instead, this must be the core:
The data <modifier> are useful mainly for gauging [X, not Y]
X: the storm's structure and strength
(main words: structure and strength)
Y: ??
The only answer choice that does NOT use "for" and does not use "and" is C. And the main words there are "speed and path," which are appropriately parallel to "structure and strength."
Be careful where you get your study material. Even for well-written questions (like this one), when people post them online, there will be typos in the OAs and that sort of thing. You don't want to "study" something that isn't actually right!
Last edited by Stacey Koprince on Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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pratikgandhi
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thanks a ton....
Stacey Koprince wrote:I received a PM asking me to respond to this question. Whoever originally posted, check the OA - I don't think it's B.
Yes, "not" is a coordinating conjunction, just like "and." You don't need both. So that eliminates D and E.
Most people seem to be interpreting the core structure as this:
The data <modifier> are useful [for X, not for Y]
X: gauging the storm's structure and strength
Y: ?? (that's the question)
The main word in X is "gauging." None of the answer choices (Y) give us an "ing" word for parallelism... so that core structure I typed up above is not actually the core structure here. (Note: it could've been, if they'd written the answer choices accordingly... they just didn't.)
Instead, this must be the core:
The data <modifier> are useful mainly for gauging [X, not Y]
X: the storm's structure and strength
(main words: structure and strength)
Y: ??
The only answer choice that does NOT use "for" and does not use "and" is C. And the main words there are "speed and path," which are appropriately parallel to "structure and strength."
Be careful where you get your study material. Even for well-written questions (like this one), when people post them online, there will be typos in the OAs and that sort of thing. You don't want to "study" something that isn't actually right!
trying for a perfect score... 800..
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crackgmat007
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Caroline Lee
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In the material in my hand, the OA of this question is not B but C.gmat009 wrote:OA is B ...nox104 wrote:I say B is better because it is concise and parallel :
data .. are useful mainly for gauging the storm�s structure and strength, not for the speed and path of its movement.
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2010gmat
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The data collected by weather airplanes that fly into the heart of a hurricane are useful
Data should be followed up by singular verb or plural verb??? Whats the GMAT rule??
read the following:
source: https://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/ ... ammar/data
Strictly speaking, data is the plural of datum, and should be used with a plural verb (like facts). However, there has been a growing tendency to use it as an equivalent to the uncountable noun information, followed by a singular verb. This is now regarded as generally acceptable in American use, and in the context of information technology.
Data should be followed up by singular verb or plural verb??? Whats the GMAT rule??
read the following:
source: https://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/ ... ammar/data
Strictly speaking, data is the plural of datum, and should be used with a plural verb (like facts). However, there has been a growing tendency to use it as an equivalent to the uncountable noun information, followed by a singular verb. This is now regarded as generally acceptable in American use, and in the context of information technology.
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Stacey Koprince
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d'oh. capnx sent me a question about my last post, asking about "not" as a coordinating conjunction. "not" is not a coordinating conjunction. "nor" is. That'll teach me not to post early in the morning (I'm not a morning person). 
I'll make an edit to my original post so that future readers aren't confused!
I'll make an edit to my original post so that future readers aren't confused!
Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!
Stacey Koprince
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Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
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Stacey Koprince
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Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
