OG13 SC Q35 VS. Q72

This topic has expert replies
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:08 am
Location: Famagusta
Thanked: 2 times

OG13 SC Q35 VS. Q72

by javzprobz » Thu Jul 04, 2013 11:38 am
I'm a little bit confused about a grammar point.

On OG13 SC section, the question 35 has an answer choice that reads, "earned at at a time in which aviation was still so new....". The OG explanation given for this questions says that the correct pronoun for time is when (not in which)!

On the other hand, we have another question (q72) that reads, "Led Louis Agassiz in 1837 to propose the concept of an age in which great ice sheets had existed in now currently temperate areas". However, the OG explanation given for this question says that in which or when can be interchangeably used for 'age' in this sentence!

Why two different explanations for one grammar point?! What am I missing here? If we can use both 'when' and 'in which' as a pronoun for time, then why does OG say that ONLY 'when' is the correct pronoun for time?

I hope that my question is clear. I did not write the entire questions since I did not want to discuss the correct answer but the grammar point related to 'a time in which' and 'a time when'.

[/u]

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:07 am
Thanked: 2 times
Followed by:1 members

by ramitagrawal » Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:28 pm
"When" is used with time.
So "earned at a time, when.."
"When/which" can be interchangeably used with "age"
Therefore, "age, in which..."

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:08 am
Location: Famagusta
Thanked: 2 times

by javzprobz » Fri Jul 05, 2013 5:59 am
First of all, on the OG13, it doesn't say, "age, in which" and "a time, when". It says, "an age in which" and "a time when". Please refer to the mentioned questions on my post.

Then, isn't 'an age' also 'a time'? So, if we can say, "an age in which", what's wrong with saying, "a time in which"?

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:23 pm
Location: Malibu, CA
Thanked: 716 times
Followed by:255 members
GMAT Score:750

by Brian@VeritasPrep » Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:49 am
Great question and, actually, the use of "an age" and "a time" describe pretty similar periods of time in those two questions which I think makes the context that much trickier.

I'd look at it this way - "a time" represents exactly that, a time. Whereas "an age" or "an era" represent a time period. And that's the little distinction. It if it's a specific time, that's a "when" situation. But when the intent is a longer time period - an age, an era, etc. - then something can happen in or during that period.

It's a fairly subtle distinction, but the time period can use things like "during" or "in which" whereas the actual time can't. You couldn't say "during Tuesday" but you could say "during Tuesday's staff meeting".
Brian Galvin
GMAT Instructor
Chief Academic Officer
Veritas Prep

Looking for GMAT practice questions? Try out the Veritas Prep Question Bank. Learn More.

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:08 am
Location: Famagusta
Thanked: 2 times

by javzprobz » Fri Jul 05, 2013 1:46 pm
Thank you so much, Brian. Your explanation couldn't get clearer. I just wrote down what you said in my Verbal notebook so that I wouldn't forget it later on. Thanks a lot, again.