BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

OG Verbal Review SC #24

Expert replies
by tonebeeze » Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:32 pm
In recent years cattle breeders have increasingly used crossbreeding, in part that their steers should acquire certain characteristics and partly because crossbreeding is said to provide hybrid vigor.

a. in part that their steers should acquire certain characteristics
b. in part for the acquisition of certain characteristics in their steers
c. partly because of their steers acquiring certain characteristics
d. partly because certain characteristics should be acquired by their steers
e. partly to acquire certain characteristics in their steers

OA: E


I went with answer choice B in an attempt to remain parallel "partly because" with "partly because." However, the correct answer choice introduced the infinitive "to acquire", which threw my off. Any advice?
Join the discussion
Source: — Sentence Correction |

by VivianKerr » Thu Jan 13, 2011 5:43 pm
Hi tonebreeze,

You are correct to look for Parallelism, so I too eliminated it down to C, D, and E. The GMAT loves to test infinitive/participle verb usage. My advice is to always be on the lookout for a secondary error, and keep the parallelism going through all the words of the clause.

The second-half of the sentence reads:

"partly because crossbreeding is said to provide..."

PARTLY BECAUSE...NOUN...PREDICATE VERB (present tense)....INFINITIVE....

So ideally we'll need a predicate verb and/or an infinitive in the first half. Only (E) is fully parallel. "their steers acquiring" is awkwardly worded and not fully parallel.
Vivian Kerr
GMAT Rockstar, Tutor
https://www.GMATrockstar.com
https://www.yelp.com/biz/gmat-rockstar-los-angeles

Former Kaplan and Grockit instructor, freelance GMAT content creator, now offering affordable, effective, Skype-tutoring for the GMAT at $150/hr. Contact: [email protected]

Thank you for all the "thanks" and "follows"! :-)
Join the discussion

by Target2009 » Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:57 pm
+1 to E
Regards
Abhishek
------------------------------
MasterGmat Student
Join the discussion

• Page 1 of 1