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During the gasoline shortage of ...

by limestone » Wed Oct 13, 2010 7:42 pm
During the gasoline shortage of 1970s caused by the actions of the OPEC nations, the number of accident on our highways decreased markedly.

A. the number of accident on our highways decreased markedly
B. the amount of accidents on our highways decreased markedly
C. there were less accidents on our highways
D. there were a fewer amount of accidents on our highways
E. they found there were many fewer accidents on our highways

[spoiler]OA: A. IMO: C, and I cannot figure out what's wrong with it.[/spoiler]
"There is nothing either good or bad - but thinking makes it so" - Shakespeare.
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by pesfunk » Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:40 pm
I have the same problem...IMO C :-(

Experts...please help !
limestone wrote:During the gasoline shortage of 1970s caused by the actions of the OPEC nations, the number of accident on our highways decreased markedly.

A. the number of accident on our highways decreased markedly
B. the amount of accidents on our highways decreased markedly
C. there were less accidents on our highways
D. there were a fewer amount of accidents on our highways
E. they found there were many fewer accidents on our highways

[spoiler]OA: A. IMO: C, and I cannot figure out what's wrong with it.[/spoiler]
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by selango » Thu Oct 14, 2010 1:27 am
Accidents are countable,so we must use countable noun like "number","few"...

Less accidents means its uncountable.So less cannot be used.

Countable - many, number, fewer, quantity, little, etc

Uncountable - much, amount, less, etc.
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by hcueva » Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:09 am
Right, C) would only be correct if it read "There were FEWER".
Then I'd really be confused between A) and C).

Otherwise A) is correct.
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by abhimanyu.tanwar » Thu Oct 14, 2010 11:29 am
"Less" is an uncountable modfier and it modifies singular things
while "Fewer" is an countable modifier and it modifies plural things.

Hope that helps :)
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Abhimanyu
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by lilisanei » Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:13 pm
I think B is correct.
Accident is plural, So "The number of accidents " is correct not "the number of accident".
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by vishalj » Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:47 pm
selango mentioned about the countable and uncountable. A good explanation. We can eliminiate most of the wrong choices. Also, C is the inverted clause. The problem with the inverted clause is that it normally introduces unnecessary pronoun. CONCISE is much preferable in SC. So when you see an inverted clause, hold on and jump to other choices.
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by vishalj » Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:47 pm
selango mentioned about the countable and uncountable. A good explanation. We can eliminiate most of the wrong choices. Also, C is the inverted clause. The problem with the inverted clause is that it normally introduces unnecessary pronoun. CONCISE is much preferable in SC. So when you see an inverted clause, hold on and jump to other choices.
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