Sentence Correction

e-GMAT wrote:Yes you are correct. In choice E, the pronoun "them" is ambiguous. It could refer to either banks or fees.

ceilidh.erickson wrote:In choice E, you're correct that there is some ambiguity! The GMAT is often inconsistent of the issue of ambiguity, though. The larger problem in this problem is that E switches the intended referent of the pronoun "they/their."

(E) as banks have systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones, it is becoming harder and harder for consumers to avoid them.

Here, "their" is being used to refer to "banks," while "them" is referring to "fees" (the most likely explanation from a meaning perspective). Because "their" and "them" are two versions of the same pronoun, we can't use them to refer to different nouns. The GMAT often allows pronoun ambiguity (see my posts on ambiguity below), but it never allows the use of one pronoun (or pronoun type) to refer to 2 different things within the same sentence, so E is incorrect.

Here is some further info on pronoun ambiguity and switching references:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/bear-markets ... tml#549435
https://www.beatthegmat.com/declaration- ... tml#539397

GMATGuruNY wrote:

vinni.k wrote:Over the past few years, banks have systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones that are harder and harder for consumers to avoid.

(A) banks have systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones that are harder and harder for consumers to avoid

(B) banks are systematically raising their old fees and inventing new ones that become harder and harder for consumers to avoid.

(C) banks systematically raising and inventing new ones make them harder and harder for consumers to avoid

(D) as banks systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones, avoiding them becomes harder and harder for consumers

(E) as banks have systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones, it is becoming harder and harder for consumers to avoid them.

Answer is A

Please explain the choices. [spoiler]In choice (E) what them refers to ? My understanding says, it refers to "banks" or "old fees and new ones". Am i correct ?[/spoiler]

Thanks & Regards
Vinni

B: Over the past few years, banks ARE RAISING...
C: Over the past few years, banks MAKE...
D: Over the past few years, avoiding them BECOMES
E: Over the past few years, it IS BECOMING...
The present tense cannot serve to convey an action that has occurred OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
Eliminate B, C, D and E,

The correct answer is A.

Only in the OA is the main verb in the proper tense:
Over the past years, banks HAVE RAISED AND INVENTED...

sachindia wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote:

vinni.k wrote:Over the past few years, banks have systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones that are harder and harder for consumers to avoid.

(A) banks have systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones that are harder and harder for consumers to avoid

(B) banks are systematically raising their old fees and inventing new ones that become harder and harder for consumers to avoid.

(C) banks systematically raising and inventing new ones make them harder and harder for consumers to avoid

(D) as banks systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones, avoiding them becomes harder and harder for consumers

(E) as banks have systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones, it is becoming harder and harder for consumers to avoid them.

Answer is A

Please explain the choices. [spoiler]In choice (E) what them refers to ? My understanding says, it refers to "banks" or "old fees and new ones". Am i correct ?[/spoiler]

Thanks & Regards
Vinni

B: Over the past few years, banks ARE RAISING...
C: Over the past few years, banks MAKE...
D: Over the past few years, avoiding them BECOMES
E: Over the past few years, it IS BECOMING...
The present tense cannot serve to convey an action that has occurred OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
Eliminate B, C, D and E,

The correct answer is A.

Only in the OA is the main verb in the proper tense:
Over the past years, banks HAVE RAISED AND INVENTED...

Thanks a lot Mitch. . Is it also wrong because it introduces cause-effect relationship when it isn't present in the original sentence ?

GMATGuruNY wrote:

sachindia wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote:

vinni.k wrote:Over the past few years, banks have systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones that are harder and harder for consumers to avoid.

(A) banks have systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones that are harder and harder for consumers to avoid

(B) banks are systematically raising their old fees and inventing new ones that become harder and harder for consumers to avoid.

(C) banks systematically raising and inventing new ones make them harder and harder for consumers to avoid

(D) as banks systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones, avoiding them becomes harder and harder for consumers

(E) as banks have systematically raised their old fees and invented new ones, it is becoming harder and harder for consumers to avoid them.

Answer is A

Please explain the choices. [spoiler]In choice (E) what them refers to ? My understanding says, it refers to "banks" or "old fees and new ones". Am i correct ?[/spoiler]

Thanks & Regards
Vinni

B: Over the past few years, banks ARE RAISING...
C: Over the past few years, banks MAKE...
D: Over the past few years, avoiding them BECOMES
E: Over the past few years, it IS BECOMING...
The present tense cannot serve to convey an action that has occurred OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
Eliminate B, C, D and E,

The correct answer is A.

Only in the OA is the main verb in the proper tense:
Over the past years, banks HAVE RAISED AND INVENTED...

Thanks a lot Mitch. . Is it also wrong because it introduces cause-effect relationship when it isn't present in the original sentence ?

Be skeptical of ANY answer choice in which an as-modifier seems to imply a causal relationship.
The GMAT does not favor this usage.