OG-15 ques

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 124
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 7:26 pm
Followed by:1 members

OG-15 ques

by anksm22 » Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:50 am
In 1979 lack of rain reduced India's rice production to about 41 million tons, nearly 25 percent less than those of the 1978 harvest.

(A) less than those of the 1978 harvest

(B) less than the 1978 harvest

(C) less than 1978

(D) fewer than 1978

(E) fewer than that of India's 1978 harvest



In such questions I always get confused between the entities that we are comparing . Please can any one explein me how to go about these question
Source: — Sentence Correction |

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:00 am
In 1979 lack of rain reduced India's rice production to about 41 million tons, nearly 25 percent less than those of the 1978 harvest.

A: less than those of the 1978 harvest.
B: less than the 1978 harvest.
C: less than 1978.
D: fewer than 1978.
E: less than that of India's 1978 harvest.
In E, that seems to refer to production. Thus, that of India's 1978 harvest implies the PRODUCTION of India's HARVEST - an error of redundancy, since the PRODUCTION and the HARVEST are the same thing. Eliminate E.

C and D each seem to compare the rice production to 1978. The PRODUCTION cannot be compared to a YEAR. Eliminate C and D.

In A, those seems to refer to tons, implying that the TONS of the rice production in 1979 are being compared to the TONS of the 1978 harvest. Not the intended meaning. The intention here is to compare the PRODUCTION in one year to the HARVEST in the other. Eliminate A.

The correct answer is B.

Consider the following analogy.
INCORRECT: This year John's salary increased to 50,000 dollars, 25% more than those of his salary last year.
This sentence is nonsense: the intention clearly is not to compare the DOLLARS of one salary to the DOLLARS of the other but rather to compare one SALARY to the other.
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

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 124
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 7:26 pm
Followed by:1 members

by anksm22 » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:07 am
Thank you

• Page 1 of 1