Sentence Correction

Early medieval monasteries, while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts, like modem libraries.

(A)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts, like modern libraries

(B)like modern libraries, often served as text repositories, though they were clearly less accessible to outsiders

(C)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as does the modern library

(D)like modern libraries, while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts

(E)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, acted like modern libraries act by serving as repositories for texts

The OA given is A and I agree that A would be the best choice here.
But shouldn't there be "DO" after monasteries.
I always face difficulties in these kind of sentences.How to decide whether using a verb is necessary or redundant?Thanks !

this is one of those questions to which you will perhaps never find a satisfactory answer
I picked b. "they" doesn't seem ambiguous to me... but apparently the principle being tested is "they" is ambiguous in b as it can technically refer to both...
If you can eliminate b the only thing left is A pretty much

As discussed in the thread below and many other internet postings if you google... in A it seems to me that "like..." is just too far from 'monasteries'.. but apparently distance doesn't matter if you use commas in the middle... I guess thats one take-away from this question

https://gmatclub.com/forum/sc-early-medi ... 13202.html


I think ideally A should have: like modern libraries (do)... but maybe its omitted because its implied... else, the question would be too easy

Another instance of a weird omission that threw me off is OG 12th ed Q 93 option A... this year THAN last... it didn't say "last year"... I eliminated A only to find it was the correct answer

actually A cannot have like modern libraries (do)...

like is used to compare nouns and "as" is used for comparing actions

you need an "as" for adding a "do"

, as modern libraries do ---> then you compare actions...

but there is of course no such option here and the sentence intends to compare the 2 institutions not 2 similar actions in terms of ability to store stuff

gmat1011 wrote:actually A cannot have like modern libraries (do)...

like is used to compare nouns and "as" is used for comparing actions

you need an "as" for adding a "do"

, as modern libraries do ---> then you compare actions...

but there is of course no such option here and the sentence intends to compare the 2 institutions not 2 similar actions in terms of ability to store stuff

Thanks gmat1011.

One question:

If we would rephrase "while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as does the modern library" to
while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as do modern libraries would this answer choice be correct. I think we can use as here because two actions are compared: served as repositories for texts.
Furthermore the official answer states that answer choice c is not wrong because of the wrong usage of as, but because the plural word monasteries is compared to the single word library.

Hi BastiG!

My understanding is that there is an implied comparison between "modern libraries" and "medieval monasteries." The comparison is clear without a need for a verb like "do."

To your question:

while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as do modern libraries

This muddles the comparison, especially because you've introduced a present tense verb when you already have a past tense verb in the sentence. Taking out the appositive, the sentence would read:

"Medieval monasteries often served as repositories for texts as do modern libraries."

For the sentence to make sense, we'd need to change the verb "do" to the past tense "did," but if we look at the result:

"Medieval monasteries often served as repositories for texts as did modern libraries."

Uh-oh! Now we've lost the logic of the comparison, since "modern" implies the present. No verb is needed; it would complicate the comparison.

Early medieval monasteries, while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts, like modem libraries.

(A)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts, like modern libraries

(B)like modern libraries, often served as text repositories, though they were clearly less accessible to outsiders

(C)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as does the modern library

(D)like modern libraries, while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts

(E)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, acted like modern libraries act by serving as repositories for texts

I would like to differ on this. Option A is not the best choice. it appears as if libraries are being compared to texts??
Can you check up this with KAPLAN.

I would go for choice D. Choice B is wrong as 'they' refer to 'repositories' and changes the meaning of sentence.
I feel best comparison would be to say 'as modern libraries did' in Option A.

Can some expert help!!

BastiG wrote:One question:

If we would rephrase "while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as does the modern library" to
while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as do modern libraries would this answer choice be correct. I think we can use as here because two actions are compared: served as repositories for texts.
Furthermore the official answer states that answer choice c is not wrong because of the wrong usage of as, but because the plural word monasteries is compared to the single word library.

I second.
"while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as do the modern library" should be right

prachich1987 wrote:Early medieval monasteries, while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts, like modem libraries.

(A)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts, like modern libraries

(B)like modern libraries, often served as text repositories, though they were clearly less accessible to outsiders

(C)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as does the modern library

(D)like modern libraries, while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts

(E)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, acted like modern libraries act by serving as repositories for texts

The OA given is A and I agree that A would be the best choice here.
But shouldn't there be "DO" after monasteries.
I always face difficulties in these kind of sentences.How to decide whether using a verb is necessary or redundant?Thanks!

I received a PM asking me to comment.

C incorrectly implies that the modern library (singular) serves as repositories (plural). Eliminate C.

In D, the phrase while clearly less accessible to outsiders should follow not the noun libraries but the noun monasteries in order to make clear that it was the monasteries that were less accessible to outsiders. Eliminate D.

E incorrectly uses like to compare actions: the way the monasteries acted with the way modern libraries act. Like is used to compare nouns, not actions. Eliminate E.

In B, the pronoun they is ambiguous. If an answer choice contains an ambiguous pronoun and another answer choice is free of errors and avoids the ambiguity, eliminate the answer choice with the ambiguity. Since A has no clear error and avoids the ambiguity, eliminate B.

The correct answer is A.

While the placement of the phrase like modern libraries might seem awkward, it's clear in A that the monasteries are being compared to modern libraries, so the placement doesn't present a clear error. A good rule of thumb:

If you're debating between A and another answer choice, and you can't spot a clear error in A, eliminate the other answer choice and pick A. It's safer to stick with the original sentence.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

prachich1987 wrote:Early medieval monasteries, while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts, like modem libraries.

(A)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts, like modern libraries

(B)like modern libraries, often served as text repositories, though they were clearly less accessible to outsiders

(C)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as does the modern library

(D)like modern libraries, while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts

(E)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, acted like modern libraries act by serving as repositories for texts

The OA given is A and I agree that A would be the best choice here.
But shouldn't there be "DO" after monasteries.
I always face difficulties in these kind of sentences.How to decide whether using a verb is necessary or redundant?Thanks!

I received a PM asking me to comment.

C incorrectly compares monasteries (plural) to the modern library (singular). Eliminate C.

In D, the phrase while clearly less accessible to outsiders should follow not the noun libraries but the noun monasteries in order to make clear that it was the monasteries that were less accessible to outsiders. Eliminate D.

E incorrectly uses like to compare actions: the way the monasteries acted with the way modern libraries act. Like is used to compare nouns, not actions. Eliminate E.

In B, the pronoun they is ambiguous. If an answer choice contains an ambiguous pronoun and another answer choice is free of errors and avoids the ambiguity, eliminate the answer choice with the ambiguity. Since A has no clear error and avoids the ambiguity, eliminate B.

The correct answer is A.
While the placement of the phrase like modern libraries might seem awkward, it's clear in A that the monasteries are being compared to modern libraries, so the placement doesn't present a clear error. A good rule of thumb:

If you're debating between A and another answer choice, and you can't spot a clear error in A, eliminate the other answer choice and pick A. It's safer to stick with the original sentence.

Hi GMATGuruNY,

Thanks for your explanation above.
Please answer my query but. In A shouldn't there be "DO" after monasteries?

prachich1987 wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote:

prachich1987 wrote:Early medieval monasteries, while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts, like modem libraries.

(A)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts, like modern libraries

(B)like modern libraries, often served as text repositories, though they were clearly less accessible to outsiders

(C)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts as does the modern library

(D)like modern libraries, while clearly less accessible to outsiders, often served as repositories for texts

(E)while clearly less accessible to outsiders, acted like modern libraries act by serving as repositories for texts

The OA given is A and I agree that A would be the best choice here.
But shouldn't there be "DO" after monasteries.
I always face difficulties in these kind of sentences.How to decide whether using a verb is necessary or redundant?Thanks!

I received a PM asking me to comment.

C incorrectly compares monasteries (plural) to the modern library (singular). Eliminate C.

In D, the phrase while clearly less accessible to outsiders should follow not the noun libraries but the noun monasteries in order to make clear that it was the monasteries that were less accessible to outsiders. Eliminate D.

E incorrectly uses like to compare actions: the way the monasteries acted with the way modern libraries act. Like is used to compare nouns, not actions. Eliminate E.

In B, the pronoun they is ambiguous. If an answer choice contains an ambiguous pronoun and another answer choice is free of errors and avoids the ambiguity, eliminate the answer choice with the ambiguity. Since A has no clear error and avoids the ambiguity, eliminate B.

The correct answer is A.
While the placement of the phrase like modern libraries might seem awkward, it's clear in A that the monasteries are being compared to modern libraries, so the placement doesn't present a clear error. A good rule of thumb:

If you're debating between A and another answer choice, and you can't spot a clear error in A, eliminate the other answer choice and pick A. It's safer to stick with the original sentence.

Hi GMATGuruNY,

Thanks for your explanation above.
Please answer my query but. In A shouldn't there be "DO" after monasteries?

Like modern monasteries do would be incorrect. Like cannot be used to compare actions. To compare actions, we use the word as.

Also, the intention here is to compare not the actions -- how early monasteries served with how modern libraries serve -- but the BUILDINGS themselves (the monasteries were like modern libraries).

Hi! I just got your private message. Sorry if my earlier explanation was unclear. Mitch is correct.

@GMATGuruNY : YOu mentioned that C compares a singular entity with plural , can we use it as a rule everywhere ?

gmat1011 wrote:th


I think ideally A should have: like modern libraries (do)... but maybe its omitted because its implied... else, the question would be too easy

Like Modern librariries (do) is wrong .Like has to be replaced with as.Like can only compare nouns and not ideas

Hi Mitch,

As per your answer, I had 2 questions:

1. Is comparison of plural with singular wrong? I saw a few questions in the OG that do that.Besides even in MGMAT SC book they say it should be fine.(cars-toes example)

2. The right answer is A(acc to kaplan), however, "like modern libraries" is a noun modifier, right? Shouldn't it be touching the the modified phrase "Early ,medieval monasteries"?


Thanks,
Khushbu.