Socially and environmentally responsible investing is on the rise: last year in the United States, over $2 trillion was invested in funds that screen companies according to a variety of criteria such as adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights.
A. according to a variety of criteria such as
B. according to a variety of such criteria, as by
C. according to such a variety of criteria as by
D. in accordance with such a variety of criteria as
E. in accordance with a variety of criteria, such as by
what's wrong with A?
spoiler below:
D
5-Day Free Trial
5-day free, full-access trial TTP
Available with Beat the GMAT members only code
MORE DETAILS
according vs in accordance : such as vs such X as
-
nervesofsteel
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 594
- Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:51 pm
- Thanked: 12 times
-
dreamzz2010
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:19 am
IMO D,
In accordance with: used when showing conformance with some thing as in this case conformance to a veriety of criteria is being discussed.
According To: Used when showing reference to certain statment, book or any other source.
Guys please correct me if i am wrong here.
Regards,
dreamzz2010
In accordance with: used when showing conformance with some thing as in this case conformance to a veriety of criteria is being discussed.
According To: Used when showing reference to certain statment, book or any other source.
Guys please correct me if i am wrong here.
Regards,
dreamzz2010
-
mooreliberty
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2007 8:11 pm
- Location: AZ
- Thanked: 1 times
- GMAT Score:680
My first answer choice was D - it simply sounded correct. Knowing the danger of relying on my ear, I went through this thought process:aj5105 wrote:Socially and environmentally responsible investing is on the rise: last year in the United States, over $2 trillion was invested in funds that screen companies according to a variety of criteria such as adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights.
A. according to a variety of criteria such as
B. according to a variety of such criteria, as by
C. according to such a variety of criteria as by
D. in accordance with such a variety of criteria as
E. in accordance with a variety of criteria, such as by
what's wrong with A?
spoiler below:
D
My first thought was parallelism... What was invested? Two trillion (noun)... how was it invested? "...was invested in funds..." I was looking for an answer choice that paralleled "invested in." If the prepositional phrase "in funds that screened companies" did not exist, the next prepositional phrase should flow for the most part in the same manner.
So i'm looking for an answer that begins with a preposition, preferably a preposition that does not change the meaning of the sentence ("in" is what I hope to see in the answer choices, but with SC, I know I have to be flexible). Common prepositions are "in," "of," "off," "on," "to," "toward," "with," etc.
In answer choices A and B, "according" and the following prepositional phrase is incorrectly used to describe how these funds screen companies. Prepositional phrases follow an equation: preposition + modifiers (optional) + concludes with a gerund, pronoun, or noun. In A and B, the prepositional phrase is missing the noun, gerund, or pronoun. The prepositional phrase that begins with "according to" is left hanging - it is incomplete without the pronoun "such," which follows yet another preposition "of".
In addition, answer choice A incorrectly uses "such as" to introduce the screening criteria - as it reads, "adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights" are merely examples of the screening criteria, rather than the criteria itself.
In answers C & E "by" is used incorrectly as a preposition attempting to link "as" and "adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights." "By" splits the verb "as" and the clauses that follow. In addition, "by" is redundant, as it is intended to mean "in accordance with," which is already stated earlier in the sentence.
That leaves choice D.
I hope this is helpful - but I'm no expert. I would appreciate any and all feedback from the great minds of the site re:my analysis and reasoning.
Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. - Barry Goldwater
(Inspired by Thomas Paine in The Rights of Man).
(Inspired by Thomas Paine in The Rights of Man).
-
jainrahul1985
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:08 am
- Thanked: 4 times
-
bohemian86
- Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 8:25 am
-
GMATGuruNY
- 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
I received a PM asking me comment.aj5105 wrote:Socially and environmentally responsible investing is on the rise: last year in the United States, over $2 trillion was invested in funds that screen companies according to a variety of criteria such as adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights.
A. according to a variety of criteria such as
B. according to a variety of such criteria, as by
C. according to such a variety of criteria as by
D. in accordance with such a variety of criteria as
E. in accordance with a variety of criteria, such as by
what's wrong with A?
spoiler below:
D
According to is used to attribute information to a source:
According to doctors, broccoli is nutritious.
In accordance with is used to indicate compliance:
Every day I eat broccoli in accordance with my doctor's instructions.
Since the SC above is discussing compliance, eliminate A, B and C.
In E, by adherence...by protection...and by observance is not idiomatic. The correct construction would be by adhering...by protecting...and by observing. Eliminate E.
The correct answer is D.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Fri Apr 22, 2011 6:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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
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
-
Stuart@KaplanGMAT
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 3225
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:40 pm
- Location: Toronto
- Thanked: 1710 times
- Followed by:614 members
- GMAT Score:800
Hey Mitch,GMATGuruNY wrote:Regardless, the SC above seems flawed. In every answer choice, the relative clause introduced by that lacks a verb. The sentence should read:
...in funds that screen companies...VERBed...
Thus, I don't see a correct answer. What is the source?
great breakdown of the "according to" "in accordance with" angle, but I'm not sure that I agree with this last point. Is it not grammatically correct to say:
If we look at the sentence in this question, we have the same format:I invested in a company that builds bird houses.
I don't see a problem with that phrasing.[money] was invested in funds that screen companies [plus a lot of bonus description of the funding details].
Stuart Kovinsky | Kaplan GMAT Faculty | Toronto
Kaplan Exclusive: The Official Test Day Experience | Ready to Take a Free Practice Test? | Kaplan/Beat the GMAT Member Discount
BTG100 for $100 off a full course
-
GMATGuruNY
- 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
Yes, indeed, Stuart! In my pre-coffee state -- and having just visited with friends who work in Hollywood -- I was interpreting screen companies as a noun. Now that I'm well-caffeinated, it's clear that screen is a verb and that companies is the direct object.Stuart Kovinsky wrote:Hey Mitch,GMATGuruNY wrote:Regardless, the SC above seems flawed. In every answer choice, the relative clause introduced by that lacks a verb. The sentence should read:
...in funds that screen companies...VERBed...
Thus, I don't see a correct answer. What is the source?
great breakdown of the "according to" "in accordance with" angle, but I'm not sure that I agree with this last point. Is it not grammatically correct to say:
If we look at the sentence in this question, we have the same format:I invested in a company that builds bird houses.
I don't see a problem with that phrasing.[money] was invested in funds that screen companies [plus a lot of bonus description of the funding details].
I've amended my post above. Thanks for pointing out that more coffee was desperately needed...
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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
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
-
Stuart@KaplanGMAT
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 3225
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:40 pm
- Location: Toronto
- Thanked: 1710 times
- Followed by:614 members
- GMAT Score:800
Doh! Now I'm jonesing for coffee and need to make a pot!GMATGuruNY wrote: Thanks for pointing out that more coffee was desperately needed...
Stuart Kovinsky | Kaplan GMAT Faculty | Toronto
Kaplan Exclusive: The Official Test Day Experience | Ready to Take a Free Practice Test? | Kaplan/Beat the GMAT Member Discount
BTG100 for $100 off a full course
GMAT/MBA Expert
-
lunarpower
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 3380
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:20 am
- Thanked: 2256 times
- Followed by:1535 members
- GMAT Score:800
what's the source of this problem?aj5105 wrote:Socially and environmentally responsible investing is on the rise: last year in the United States, over $2 trillion was invested in funds that screen companies according to a variety of criteria such as adherence to labor standards, protection of the environment, and observance of human rights.
A. according to a variety of criteria such as
B. according to a variety of such criteria, as by
C. according to such a variety of criteria as by
D. in accordance with such a variety of criteria as
E. in accordance with a variety of criteria, such as by
the best answer is definitely (a).
"according to" can be used to mean "in a manner corresponding or conforming to", as in cook the rice according to the instructions. so, despite what is written above, "according to" is not a problem here.
--
the differentiating factor between (a) and (d) is the placement of the "such" modifier.
"such" should be placed AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE to the NOUN THAT IS EMPHASIZED in context.
here are two examples to illustrate:
* i've never seen another store with such a variety of beverages as these ones.
--> the VARIETY is the point; i've never seen a store with this many different beverages.
* i've never seen another store with a variety of such beverages as these ones.
* i've never seen another store with a variety of beverages such as these ones.
--> the BEVERAGES THEMSELVES are the point; i've seen stores with a variety of beverages before, but never a variety of these particular beverages.
in this problem, "such as" is describing the CRITERIA, not the variety. I.e., the selection process uses criteria such as xxxxxxx; it doesn't use a variety such as (or "such a variety as" xxxxxxxxx). we're not categorizing the variety, we're categorizing the criteria themselves.
this consideration rules out (d); so (a) is best.
if the source of the problem -- whatever it may be -- says that (d) is better than (a), then it's a dubious source.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.
--
Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi
--
Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.
Yves Saint-Laurent
--
Learn more about ron
--
Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi
--
Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.
Yves Saint-Laurent
--
Learn more about ron
GMAT/MBA Expert
-
lunarpower
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 3380
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:20 am
- Thanked: 2256 times
- Followed by:1535 members
- GMAT Score:800
this is definitely the most common use of "according to", but, again, it's not the only one; see above.According to is used to attribute information to a source:
as proof that "according to" can also be used in the way in which it's used in choice (a), note the following excerpt from the reading passage on page 29 of OG12:
The idea of the brain as an information processor-a machine manipulating blips of energy according to fathomable rules-has come to dominate neuroscience.
in fact, there is a nice clean separation here.
in almost all cases:
if "according to _____" is set off by commas, then it is citing a source or authority.
if "according to _____" is NOT set off by commas, then it means "with respect to", "corresponding to", "organized in terms of", etc.
in choice (a), "according to" is used 100% properly.
----------- YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW THE STUFF BELOW THIS LINE FOR THE TEST -----------
... but it may be of interest to you if you plan to write documents in english
in fact, "in accordance with" is *NOT* used properly in choice (d), since we are talking about the categories of criteria -- i.e., the rules are not specified.
the proper use of "in accordance with" is restricted to following rules, conventions, or established patterns.
so, for instance:
* companies are screened in accordance with criteria such as protection of human rights --> INCORRECT, since no actual rule/convention has been stated here.
* companies A and B were eliminated from contention for the grant, in accordance with the requirement that companies must not have any human rights violations on their record --> CORRECT; "in accordance with" a stated rule
* we dispose of all the motor oil at approved recycling sites, in accordance with federal regulations --> CORRECT; "in accordance with" explicitly mentioned rules.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.
--
Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi
--
Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.
Yves Saint-Laurent
--
Learn more about ron
--
Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi
--
Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.
Yves Saint-Laurent
--
Learn more about ron
-
GMATGuruNY
- 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
Awesome exploration of the idioms, Ron! For the record, I'm now in agreement: A is better than D.
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
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
