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Shortens vs Lessen

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Shortens vs Lessen

by Optimus Prime » Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:11 am
Intended primarily to stimulate family summer travel, the new airfare, which allows both an adult and a child to fly for the price of one ticket, and also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than fourteen.

(A) and also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than

(B) and also lessens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a seven-day minimum from

(C) also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than that of

(D) also lessens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a seven-day minimum from

(E) also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than


I am stuck between D & E

I know this Q has already been answered.But i m not convinced with the explanations.
Could you all share your opinion which one is better and why?

E does not seem right to me as it says "shortens X(requirmnt) to Y rather than Z".You shorten something from Y level to Z level.How can we use rather than here? Does it not make shortens useless?
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by saurabhmahajan » Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:06 am
IMO:E
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Saurabh Mahajan

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by gmat_perfect » Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:00 pm
Optimus Prime wrote:Intended primarily to stimulate family summer travel, the new airfare, which allows both an adult and a child to fly for the price of one ticket, and also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than fourteen.

(A) and also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than

(B) and also lessens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a seven-day minimum from

(C) also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than that of

(D) also lessens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a seven-day minimum from

(E) also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than


I am stuck between D & E

I know this Q has already been answered.But i m not convinced with the explanations.
Could you all share your opinion which one is better and why?

E does not seem right to me as it says "shortens X(requirmnt) to Y rather than Z".You shorten something from Y level to Z level.How can we use rather than here? Does it not make shortens useless?
I will ask you a question:

Would you like to go on a short trip or a less trip?

--> I know your answer will be a short trip.

We usually use "less" in case of abstract ideas such as joy, happiness.

Just think about "short trip" and "long trip". I think you have got your answer.

Thanks.
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by Gurpinder » Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:05 pm
(A) and also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than

(B) and also lessens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a seven-day minimum from

(C) also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than that of

(D) also lessens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a seven-day minimum from

(E) also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than
----> comparison between 7/14 days.

and as gmat_perfect said,

use "less" for abstract ideas.

(E)
"Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress."
- Alfred A. Montapert, Philosopher.
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by FightWithGMAT » Tue Sep 07, 2010 5:06 am
Optimus Prime wrote:Intended primarily to stimulate family summer travel, the new airfare, which allows both an adult and a child to fly for the price of one ticket, and also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than fourteen.

(A) and also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than

(B) and also lessens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a seven-day minimum from

(C) also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than that of

(D) also lessens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a seven-day minimum from

(E) also shortens the advance-purchase requirement for family travel to a minimum of seven days rather than


I am stuck between D & E

I know this Q has already been answered.But i m not convinced with the explanations.
Could you all share your opinion which one is better and why?

E does not seem right to me as it says "shortens X(requirmnt) to Y rather than Z".You shorten something from Y level to Z level.How can we use rather than here? Does it not make shortens useless?
Besides the error that others pointed out, D has two major errors.

1. "seven-day minimum" is considered weird in GMAT. Always look for prepositional construction of such a phrase.
minimum of seven days is a good replacement.
2. The original sentence does not say that the requirement is shortened from 14 days to 7 days. It says that the requirement is shortened to 7 rather than to 14. We do not know whether the original requirement was 14 days or any other number of days.
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