2 SC questions

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 141
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:24 pm
Thanked: 2 times
Followed by:1 members

2 SC questions

by jamesk486 » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:38 pm
For some birds the sense of smell appears to play a role in navagation, since pigeons with surgically removed olfactory nerves were found to have increased difficulties in homing.
(A) were found to have increased difficulties
(B) have been found to have increased difficulty
(c) were found to have increasing difficulty
(D) had been found to have increased difficulties
(E) Have been found to have increasing difficulties

I'm not sure why the answer is (B)- is there a difference in difficulty/difficulties and have been found/ were found?

Unlike transplants between identical twins, whose genetic endowment is the same, all patients receiving hearts or other organs must take anti-rejection durgs for the rest of their lives.
(A) Unlike the transplants between identical twins, whose genetic endowment is the same
(B) Besides the transplant involving identical twins with the same genetic endowment
(C) Unless the transplant involves identical twins, who have the same genetic endowment
(D) Aside from a transplant between identical twins with the same genetic endowment
(E) Other than transplants between identical twins, whose genetic endowment is the same

The answer is C...I chose A...isn't it whose??

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2228
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada
Thanked: 639 times
Followed by:694 members
GMAT Score:780

by Stacey Koprince » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:32 pm
Please post the source for any questions you post. Particularly with SC, people really need to know the source to make sure they want to study the question - a lot of sources for SC aren't good enough to warrant study. Thanks! :)

For the first one, the sentence starts in present tense ("appears") and indicates an "always true" type of situation. When the sentence then discusses why this is "always true," the appropriate tense is present perfect, which is used for something that started in the past but is still true or still going on today. "Were" is simple past, which means that event is over.

That eliminates A, C, and D. And "increasing difficulties" lets us eliminate E - the difficulties aren't continuing to increase over time.

For the second one, the original sentence indicates a comparison, but it is comparing "transplants" and "all patients." That isn't a logical comparison - you'd have to compare something like "transplants between identical twins" vs. "transplants between non-identical twins." A is eliminated.

B gives the wrong meaning (besides) and is not logical (it seems to say only those "identical twins with the same genetic endowment" but all identical twins are genetically the same). D has the same problem. E also tries to make a comparison ("other thhan transplants... all patients") but the comparison isn't logical.

Who vs. whose - one is the subject form and one is the possessive form. So, "whose genetic endowment" is okay b/c this is possessive. And "who have the same..." is fine too b/c this is a subject. Both versions are fine (as far as this issue is concerned).
Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!

Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT

Contributor to Beat The GMAT!

Learn more about me

Legendary Member
Posts: 559
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:29 am
Thanked: 5 times
Followed by:2 members

by Cybermusings » Tue Apr 03, 2007 12:21 am
Excellent...Thank you so much Stacey!