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Immigration law by the ACLU

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Immigration law by the ACLU

by smileforever41 » Sat Apr 21, 2012 1:12 am
I need clarification on the below SC question. I have gone through the explanation posted in the forum. Regrettably, I couldn't get the crux of it. You have been impetus in touching up on such complicated questions(at least it is complicated to me). I am banking on you to get an explanation as to how we choose the right one in such cases.

Disturbed by unfair treatment such as low pay and long hours, the idea of the work visa was improvements of the immigration law by the ACLU.

(A) the idea of the work visa was improvements of the immigration law by the ACLU.
(B) the work visa was an idea for improvements of the immigration law suggested by the ACLU.
(C) the ACLU suggested the work visa as an improvement to the immigration law.
(D) the ACLU suggested that immigration laws be improved by the work visa.
(E) the work visa was suggested to be an improvement of immigration law by the ACLU.



The OA is C. However, I couldn't get the crux of the differences between the answer choices C & D. I was under the misconception that words such as "suggest" should always follow "that". Hence, I was tempted to choose D. I can't understand as to why D is wrong. Do we not say that "someone suggested that laws be improved by a VISA"?
Is C correct only because it is better than D? If yes, where exactly is it better?


Thank you in advance, Mitch.
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by GmatKiss » Sat Apr 21, 2012 1:24 am
First please underline the part of the question under study

Disturbed by unfair treatment such as low pay and long hours, the idea of the work visa was improvements of the immigration law by the ACLU.

(A) the idea of the work visa was improvements of the immigration law by the ACLU.
(B) the work visa was an idea for improvements of the immigration law suggested by the ACLU.
(C) the ACLU suggested the work visa as an improvement to the immigration law. - ACTIVE
(D) the ACLU suggested that immigration laws be improved by the work visa. PASSIVE
(E) the work visa was suggested to be an improvement of immigration law by the ACLU.

IMO: C for being active
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by alex.gellatly » Sun Apr 22, 2012 1:49 am
I agree with you on the usage of suggested "that" because the GMAT usually wants "that" after such "demanding" verbs. I've read that we should use "that" after verbs such as "demand", but, "suggest" is fairly weak. Maybe, we don't need a "that". However the use of the passive voice in D makes D wordy and confusing. You should stick with the active voice unless you really need to use the passive. In this case I don't think the passive justifiable.
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by GMATGuruNY » Sun Apr 22, 2012 6:03 pm
smileforever41 wrote:I need clarification on the below SC question. I have gone through the explanation posted in the forum. Regrettably, I couldn't get the crux of it. You have been impetus in touching up on such complicated questions(at least it is complicated to me). I am banking on you to get an explanation as to how we choose the right one in such cases.

Disturbed by unfair treatment such as low pay and long hours, the idea of the work visa was improvements of the immigration law by the ACLU.

(A) the idea of the work visa was improvements of the immigration law by the ACLU.
(B) the work visa was an idea for improvements of the immigration law suggested by the ACLU.
(C) the ACLU suggested the work visa as an improvement to the immigration law.
(D) the ACLU suggested that immigration laws be improved by the work visa.
(E) the work visa was suggested to be an improvement of immigration law by the ACLU.



The OA is C. However, I couldn't get the crux of the differences between the answer choices C & D. I was under the misconception that words such as "suggest" should always follow "that". Hence, I was tempted to choose D. I can't understand as to why D is wrong. Do we not say that "someone suggested that laws be improved by a VISA"?
Is C correct only because it is better than D? If yes, where exactly is it better?


Thank you in advance, Mitch.
One reason to eliminate D: whereas the original sentence discusses THE IMMIGRATION LAW -- implying that ONE specific law should be improved -- D changes the meaning by discussing IMMIGRATION LAWS.

Another issue:
In D, an ACTION is being suggested.
The suggestion in D -- that immigration laws be improved BY THE WORK VISA -- gives the impression that the work visa should somehow take action of its own accord.
The intended meaning is that the work visa would be an IMPROVEMENT.

What is the source of this SC? While to suggest X as Y is common in the real world, the GMAT doesn't seem to favor this idiom.
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