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Using the word “to be�

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Using the word “to be�

by venjam » Fri Jul 27, 2012 7:58 am
Following is a correct answer according from OG

The 32 species that make up the dolphin family are closely related to whales and in fact include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and is famous for its aggressive hunting pods.

How do we justify the usage of "to be"?

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by essaysnark » Fri Jul 27, 2012 12:49 pm
Hey venjam -- We're by no means GMAT experts - we usually stick with straight-up essay and app questions -- but we thought we'd jump in here to try and help you out.

The way you can interpret this usage of "to be" is that it's the same verb that you'd use like this:

"He is 4 feet tall. His wife is 6 feet tall. Maybe their kid will grow to be 5 feet tall."

Does that make sense? In this sense, "to be" is talking about what could happen in the future."

The way we see it, "to be" simply is a verb of identity -- like "I am ________." So, this sample sentence is stating that, as an adult, a killer whale can "be" 30 feet long.

None of what we just said is in official GMAT-speak (it's probably not even technically accurate in terms of how English grammar is defined!) but hopefully it helps you understand the usage of that verb in that way.

Good luck with your studies!!
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