Same old story more than vs greater than

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Same old story more than vs greater than

by reply2spg » Wed Sep 15, 2010 5:31 pm
Source - Kaplan

Even though the costs of paying baseball players amounts to a sum greater than one half of overall cost of operating a Major League Baseball team last year, Major League Baseball franchise owners were still willing to pay increasingly higher salaries to top players.

1. amounts to a sum greater
2. amounts to more
3. amounted to more
4. amounted to a greater sum
5. amounted to greater

OA Later

Please explain in detail that which option is correct and why?
Last edited by reply2spg on Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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by paddle_sweep » Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:12 pm
Is the portion to be corrected correctly underlined?

I will go with 'C'.

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by reply2spg » Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:28 pm
No, underlined part is correct
paddle_sweep wrote:Is the portion to be corrected correctly underlined?

I will go with 'C'.
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by beatthegmatinsept » Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:35 pm
reply2spg wrote:Source - Kaplan

Even though the costs of paying baseball players amounts to a sum greater than one half of overall cost of operating a Major League Baseball team last year, Major League Baseball franchise owners were still willing to pay increasingly higher salaries to top players.

1. amounts to a sum greater than
2. amounts to more
3. amounted to more
4. amounted to a greater sum
5. amounted to greater

OA Later

Please explain in detail that which option is correct and why?
Dude looks like 'than' should not be underlined above, if it is supposed to be underlined then none of the other 4 options would make sense (b-e). So assuming that 'than' is not part of the underlined portion, I'd go with C.
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by reply2spg » Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:37 pm
Sorry, you are right :(
beatthegmatinsept wrote:
reply2spg wrote:Source - Kaplan

Even though the costs of paying baseball players amounts to a sum greater than one half of overall cost of operating a Major League Baseball team last year, Major League Baseball franchise owners were still willing to pay increasingly higher salaries to top players.

1. amounts to a sum greater than
2. amounts to more
3. amounted to more
4. amounted to a greater sum
5. amounted to greater

OA Later

Please explain in detail that which option is correct and why?
Dude looks like 'than' should not be underlined above, if it is supposed to be underlined then none of the other 4 options would make sense (b-e). So assuming that 'than' is not part of the underlined portion, I'd go with C.
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by reply2spg » Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:39 pm
C is correct but why? what is wrong with E?

Should I use more than for amount?
beatthegmatinsept wrote:
reply2spg wrote:Source - Kaplan

Even though the costs of paying baseball players amounts to a sum greater than one half of overall cost of operating a Major League Baseball team last year, Major League Baseball franchise owners were still willing to pay increasingly higher salaries to top players.

1. amounts to a sum greater than
2. amounts to more
3. amounted to more
4. amounted to a greater sum
5. amounted to greater

OA Later

Please explain in detail that which option is correct and why?
Dude looks like 'than' should not be underlined above, if it is supposed to be underlined then none of the other 4 options would make sense (b-e). So assuming that 'than' is not part of the underlined portion, I'd go with C.
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by ankurmit » Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:44 pm
Only C and E are contenders

IMO C as 'More' is required here
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by reply2spg » Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:45 pm
why greater is wrong?
ankurmit wrote:Only C and E are contenders

IMO C as 'More' is required here
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by beatthegmatinsept » Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:46 pm
reply2spg wrote:C is correct but why? what is wrong with E?

Should I use more than for amount?
I think so. I don't remember the rule, but at work we look at financials all the time and always use more than and less than when talking about revenues and costs. So that's kinda how I went with C.

Not a very good reason I know, but I get a hard time remembering the many many rules of SC, so I resort to this option sometimes ;)
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by GMATGuruNY » Thu Sep 16, 2010 3:19 am
reply2spg wrote:Source - Kaplan

Even though the costs of paying baseball players amounts to a sum greater than one half of overall cost of operating a Major League Baseball team last year, Major League Baseball franchise owners were still willing to pay increasingly higher salaries to top players.

1. amounts to a sum greater
2. amounts to more
3. amounted to more
4. amounted to a greater sum
5. amounted to greater

OA Later

Please explain in detail that which option is correct and why?
Quickest approach:

In A and B, amounts should be plural to match the plural subject costs. Eliminate A and B.

In D, amounted and sum create an error of redundancy. Eliminate D.

In E, amounted to greater than one-half is incorrect. When referring to a fraction or a percentage, we generally use more than:

Even though the costs...amounted to more than one-half of the overall cost....

Eliminate E. The correct answer is C.

Could you please confirm that this SC has been reproduced correctly? It should say more than one-half of the overall cost.
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by reply2spg » Thu Sep 16, 2010 7:00 am
Hi Guru, I have correctly copied the question.

OA is C for this.

I am under impression that words amount and sum make redundancy. Please confirm.
GMATGuruNY wrote:
reply2spg wrote:Source - Kaplan

Even though the costs of paying baseball players amounts to a sum greater than one half of overall cost of operating a Major League Baseball team last year, Major League Baseball franchise owners were still willing to pay increasingly higher salaries to top players.

1. amounts to a sum greater
2. amounts to more
3. amounted to more
4. amounted to a greater sum
5. amounted to greater

OA Later

Please explain in detail that which option is correct and why?
Quickest approach:

In A and B, amounts should be plural to match the plural subject costs. Eliminate A and B.

In D, amounted and sum create an error of redundancy. Eliminate D.

In E, amounted to greater than one-half is incorrect. When referring to a fraction or a percentage, we generally use more than:

Even though the costs...amounted to more than one-half of the overall cost....

Eliminate E. The correct answer is C.

Could you please confirm that this SC has been reproduced correctly? It should say more than one-half of the overall cost.
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by ankurmit » Thu Sep 16, 2010 9:18 pm
Ya you are right.

Amount also means sum is some sense.

So using both of them is redundant
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