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MGMAT Idioms: question about "similar"

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by ken3233 » Sat Apr 04, 2009 1:07 am
page 204 of MGMAT SC indicates the following about the correct idiomatic use of "similar":

CORRECT: ALL companies HAVE SIMILAR issues. (comparison requies plural)

WRONG: EACH company HAS SIMILAR issues.

WRONG: EVERY company HAS SIMILAR issues.

How is "similar" used incorrectly in the two examples above? It seems to me that if a single company's many issues are being compared to the many issues of all companies, then it is correct to say "has similar issues" of that one company; we are talking about a plural noun.

Please explain the error in my reasoning. Thanks.
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Re: MGMAT Idioms: question about "similar"

by karmayogi » Sat Apr 04, 2009 8:18 am
ken3233 wrote:page 204 of MGMAT SC indicates the following about the correct idiomatic use of "similar":

CORRECT: ALL companies HAVE SIMILAR issues. (comparison requies plural)

WRONG: EACH company HAS SIMILAR issues.

WRONG: EVERY company HAS SIMILAR issues.

How is "similar" used incorrectly in the two examples above? It seems to me that if a single company's many issues are being compared to the many issues of all companies, then it is correct to say "has similar issues" of that one company; we are talking about a plural noun.

Please explain the error in my reasoning. Thanks.
I also think so.
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by scoobydooby » Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:19 am
Each/Every is used to highlight differentness and "All" is used to highlight similarity

not sure where i came across this...may be one of the sc notes- spidey/sahil

also note that the subject-(all/each/every) determines the verb (has/have), the object-(issues) does not determine the verb

all is plural- therefore takes "have"
each/every is singular and therefore takes "has"
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by nasa » Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:15 pm
one of you can pm stacey or other moderators to answers this ambiguity
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by ken3233 » Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:23 pm
scoobydooby wrote:Each/Every is used to highlight differentness and "All" is used to highlight similarity

not sure where i came across this...may be one of the sc notes- spidey/sahil

also note that the subject-(all/each/every) determines the verb (has/have), the object-(issues) does not determine the verb

all is plural- therefore takes "have"
each/every is singular and therefore takes "has"
In the two wrong examples, then, how could "each" and "every" company's multiple "similar" issues be emphasized? In such cases we are stuck using the pronouns "each" and "every" as subjects.

I would have thought, too, that "similar" is an acceptable adjective for the plural noun "issues".

Very tricking issue...this is easily something could appear on the GMAT.



CORRECT: ALL companies HAVE SIMILAR issues. (comparison requies plural)

WRONG: EACH company HAS SIMILAR issues.

WRONG: EVERY company HAS SIMILAR issues.
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by nasa » Sat Apr 04, 2009 1:57 pm
Ken I disagree
Issues in each company are similar - correct
Each company has similar issues

It is worth investigating alternate forms:
Every comapny incur losses during a depression
Every company has a chairman

incur losses
vs
has a chairman

There seems to be a dependency on the object of the transitive verb incur / has.
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by Raison » Sat Apr 04, 2009 9:50 pm
To expand on what Ken posted, when you use the word "similar," you are making a comparison. A comparison has to be made between two or more things. If the subject is singular (as in "each company" and "every company"), you must have something else in the sentence to which to compare the subject.

CORRECT: ALL companies HAVE SIMILAR issues. (The subject includes more than one company; therefore, you can compare the companies.)

WRONG: EACH company HAS SIMILAR issues. (Similar to what? You are saying that one company is similar, yet you have nothing in the sentence to which to compare that company.)

WRONG: EVERY company HAS SIMILAR issues. (Similar to what? Again, you are saying that one company is similar, yet you have nothing in the sentence to which to compare that company.)
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