Live GMAT classes with Target Test Prep start Nov 21 and Nov 22. First class free.

See classes
Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards 2026 winner: Target Test Prep, #1 Test Prep

Target Test Prep was voted #1 Best Test Prep in the 2026 Newsweek Readers’ Choice™ Awards.

★★★★★5.0563 reviews
GMATLiveTeachStarts Nov 22
Josh Braslow, Target Test Prep GMAT expert
LIVE ONLINE CLASSES

Get Ready for GMAT Test Day Faster with Live Online Classes

with Josh Braslow, 20+ years in test prep

Nov 22 · Josh Braslow
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes + 6 months of TTP OnDemand
  • Attend the first class for free
  • Every class is recorded, so you never fall behind
View classes & enroll
Limited seats availableTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeachOnDemandStart anytime
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Target Test Prep EA OnDemand

Self-paced EA prep. Study on your schedule.

EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

with

165+ EA score guarantee
$05-day trial no automatic billing
Schedule
Included
40 hours of live online classes plus six months of access to the complete TTP EA OnDemand course.
  • 165+ EA Score Guarantee
  • 4,100+ Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions
  • 400+ hours of in-depth video lessons
  • 3,000+ step-by-step video solutions
View EA class & enroll Start free 5-day trial
Limited cohort · enrollment openTrial includes full course accessTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemandStart anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

715+ score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions

OG 12 Verbal SC

Expert replies
by Fernando diaz » Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:07 pm
Faced With an eslimated $2 billion budget gap the city's mayor proposed a nearlv 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups.

(a) proposed a nearly 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(b)proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent In the amount It was allocating to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and for subsidizing
(c)proposed to reduce, by nearly 17 percent the amount from the previous year that was allocated for the maintenance of the city's major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(d)has proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent of the amount it was allocating for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions, and to subsidize
(e)was proposing that the amount they were allocating be reduced by nearly 17 percent from the previous year for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions and for the subsidization

It's not that clear to me why the verbs "maintain"& "subsidize" (answer A) are the ones that must be parallel whereas "reduce"& "subsidize"are not (answer C)
Thanks in advance!
Join the discussion
Source: — Sentence Correction |

by sameerballani » Mon Jun 27, 2011 7:34 pm
I would say this is becuase of MEANING.
Structure: X has proposed Y for A and B. A and B are infinitive.
in option C: "amount from previous year" is awkward & "that" modifies amount so it should be next to it.
Fernando diaz wrote:Faced With an eslimated $2 billion budget gap the city's mayor proposed a nearlv 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups.

(a) proposed a nearly 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(b)proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent In the amount It was allocating to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and for subsidizing
(c)proposed to reduce, by nearly 17 percent the amount from the previous year that was allocated for the maintenance of the city's major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(d)has proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent of the amount it was allocating for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions, and to subsidize
(e)was proposing that the amount they were allocating be reduced by nearly 17 percent from the previous year for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions and for the subsidization

It's not that clear to me why the verbs "maintain"& "subsidize" (answer A) are the ones that must be parallel whereas "reduce"& "subsidize"are not (answer C)
Thanks in advance!
Join the discussion

by Fernando diaz » Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:53 am
sameerballani wrote:I would say this is becuase of MEANING.
Structure: X has proposed Y for A and B. A and B are infinitive.
in option C: "amount from previous year" is awkward & "that" modifies amount so it should be next to it.
Fernando diaz wrote:Faced With an eslimated $2 billion budget gap the city's mayor proposed a nearlv 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups.

(a) proposed a nearly 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(b)proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent In the amount It was allocating to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and for subsidizing
(c)proposed to reduce, by nearly 17 percent the amount from the previous year that was allocated for the maintenance of the city's major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(d)has proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent of the amount it was allocating for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions, and to subsidize
(e)was proposing that the amount they were allocating be reduced by nearly 17 percent from the previous year for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions and for the subsidization

It's not that clear to me why the verbs "maintain"& "subsidize" (answer A) are the ones that must be parallel whereas "reduce"& "subsidize"are not (answer C)
Thanks in advance!
Yep but for me for to choose A was an assupmption since the grammar errors in C are not that clear to me :((. Anyway next time i will be more careful with the "that modifier".
Join the discussion

by sameerballani » Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:11 am
Always try and see
1) the modifier is as near as possible to the thing it modifies. NOT NECESSARY but preferred.
2) the modifier unambiguously modifies the part it is to modify. NECESSARY.

Sometimes this may happen that modifier would be placed such that it seems applicable on 2 parts. Then this is ambiguous. Can't think of any example to explain..

I hope i make some sense

Thanks
Fernando diaz wrote:
sameerballani wrote:I would say this is becuase of MEANING.
Structure: X has proposed Y for A and B. A and B are infinitive.
in option C: "amount from previous year" is awkward & "that" modifies amount so it should be next to it.
Fernando diaz wrote:Faced With an eslimated $2 billion budget gap the city's mayor proposed a nearlv 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups.

(a) proposed a nearly 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(b)proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent In the amount It was allocating to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and for subsidizing
(c)proposed to reduce, by nearly 17 percent the amount from the previous year that was allocated for the maintenance of the city's major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(d)has proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent of the amount it was allocating for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions, and to subsidize
(e)was proposing that the amount they were allocating be reduced by nearly 17 percent from the previous year for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions and for the subsidization

It's not that clear to me why the verbs "maintain"& "subsidize" (answer A) are the ones that must be parallel whereas "reduce"& "subsidize"are not (answer C)
Thanks in advance!
Yep but for me for to choose A was an assupmption since the grammar errors in C are not that clear to me :((. Anyway next time i will be more careful with the "that modifier".
Last edited by sameerballani on Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Join the discussion

by GMATGuruNY » Tue Jun 28, 2011 10:26 am
Fernando diaz wrote:Faced With an eslimated $2 billion budget gap the city's mayor proposed a nearlv 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups.

(a) proposed a nearly 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(b)proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent In the amount It was allocating to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and for subsidizing
(c)proposed to reduce, by nearly 17 percent the amount from the previous year that was allocated for the maintenance of the city's major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(d)has proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent of the amount it was allocating for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions, and to subsidize
(e)was proposing that the amount they were allocating be reduced by nearly 17 percent from the previous year for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions and for the subsidization

It's not that clear to me why the verbs "maintain"& "subsidize" (answer A) are the ones that must be parallel whereas "reduce"& "subsidize"are not (answer C)
Thanks in advance!
In C, we don't want to subsidize to be parallel with to reduce because then the meaning of the sentence could change:

...the city's mayor proposed to reduce...the amount...and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups.

The parallelism above could suggest that the mayor proposed to SUBSIDIZE the arts groups. The intended meaning of the sentence is that the mayor proposed a REDUCTION in the amount given to the arts groups.

Since C could change the meaning, eliminate C.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Join the discussion

by Fernando diaz » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:53 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
Fernando diaz wrote:Faced With an eslimated $2 billion budget gap the city's mayor proposed a nearlv 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups.

(a) proposed a nearly 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(b)proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent In the amount It was allocating to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and for subsidizing
(c)proposed to reduce, by nearly 17 percent the amount from the previous year that was allocated for the maintenance of the city's major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(d)has proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent of the amount it was allocating for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions, and to subsidize
(e)was proposing that the amount they were allocating be reduced by nearly 17 percent from the previous year for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions and for the subsidization

It's not that clear to me why the verbs "maintain"& "subsidize" (answer A) are the ones that must be parallel whereas "reduce"& "subsidize"are not (answer C)
Thanks in advance!
In C, we don't want to subsidize to be parallel with to reduce because then the meaning of the sentence could change:

...the city's mayor proposed to reduce...the amount...and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups.

The parallelism above could suggest that the mayor proposed to SUBSIDIZE the arts groups. The intended meaning of the sentence is that the mayor proposed a REDUCTION in the amount given to the arts groups.

Since C could change the meaning, eliminate C.
Got it Mitch, since "we don´t want to change the original meaning excepting when it is strictily necessary".
Thanks a lot!!
Join the discussion

by Fernando diaz » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:56 am
sameerballani wrote:Always try and see
1) the modifier is as possible to the thing it modifies. NOT NECESSARY but preferred.
2) the modifier unambiguously modifies the part it is to modify. NECESSARY.

Sometimes this may happen that modifier would be placed such that it seems applicable on 2 parts. Then this is ambiguous. Can't think of any example to explain..

I hope i make some sense

Thanks
Fernando diaz wrote:
sameerballani wrote:I would say this is becuase of MEANING.
Structure: X has proposed Y for A and B. A and B are infinitive.
in option C: "amount from previous year" is awkward & "that" modifies amount so it should be next to it.
Fernando diaz wrote:Faced With an eslimated $2 billion budget gap the city's mayor proposed a nearlv 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups.

(a) proposed a nearly 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(b)proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent In the amount It was allocating to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and for subsidizing
(c)proposed to reduce, by nearly 17 percent the amount from the previous year that was allocated for the maintenance of the city's major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(d)has proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent of the amount it was allocating for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions, and to subsidize
(e)was proposing that the amount they were allocating be reduced by nearly 17 percent from the previous year for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions and for the subsidization

It's not that clear to me why the verbs "maintain"& "subsidize" (answer A) are the ones that must be parallel whereas "reduce"& "subsidize"are not (answer C)
Thanks in advance!
Yep but for me for to choose A was an assupmption since the grammar errors in C are not that clear to me :((. Anyway next time i will be more careful with the "that modifier".
Nope didn´t get you .. :( but it sounds like a good advice though.
Join the discussion

by sameerballani » Fri Jul 01, 2011 8:00 pm
modified the original post.
I missed the word NEAR.
Fernando diaz wrote:
sameerballani wrote:Always try and see
1) the modifier is as possible to the thing it modifies. NOT NECESSARY but preferred.
2) the modifier unambiguously modifies the part it is to modify. NECESSARY.

Sometimes this may happen that modifier would be placed such that it seems applicable on 2 parts. Then this is ambiguous. Can't think of any example to explain..

I hope i make some sense

Thanks
Fernando diaz wrote:
sameerballani wrote:I would say this is becuase of MEANING.
Structure: X has proposed Y for A and B. A and B are infinitive.
in option C: "amount from previous year" is awkward & "that" modifies amount so it should be next to it.
Fernando diaz wrote:Faced With an eslimated $2 billion budget gap the city's mayor proposed a nearlv 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups.

(a) proposed a nearly 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(b)proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent In the amount It was allocating to maintain the city’s major cultural institutions and for subsidizing
(c)proposed to reduce, by nearly 17 percent the amount from the previous year that was allocated for the maintenance of the city's major cultural institutions and to subsidize
(d)has proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent of the amount it was allocating for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions, and to subsidize
(e)was proposing that the amount they were allocating be reduced by nearly 17 percent from the previous year for maintaining the city's major cultural institutions and for the subsidization

It's not that clear to me why the verbs "maintain"& "subsidize" (answer A) are the ones that must be parallel whereas "reduce"& "subsidize"are not (answer C)
Thanks in advance!
Yep but for me for to choose A was an assupmption since the grammar errors in C are not that clear to me :((. Anyway next time i will be more careful with the "that modifier".
Nope didn´t get you .. :( but it sounds like a good advice though.
Join the discussion