Sentence Correction

In metalwork one advantage of adhesive-bonding over spot-welding is that the contact, and hence the bonding, is effected continuously over a broad surface instead of a series of regularly spaced points with no bonding in between.

(A) instead of

(B) as opposed to

(C) in contrast with

(D) rather than at

(E) as against being at

I go through each answer choice in the full solution below (taken from the GMATFix App).



-Patrick

GmatGreen wrote:In metalwork one advantage of adhesive-bonding over spot-welding is that the contact, and hence the bonding, is effected continuously over a broad surface instead of a series of regularly spaced points with no bonding in between.

(A) instead of

(B) as opposed to

(C) in contrast with

(D) rather than at

(E) as against being at

A: THE CONTACT is effected continuously instead of A SERIES
B: THE CONTACT is effected continuously as opposed to A SERIES
C: THE CONTACT is effected continuously in contrast with A SERIES
In these answer choices, a reader might construe that THE CONTACT is being compared to A SERIES -- an illogical comparison.
Eliminate A, B and C.

E: is effected CONTINUOUSLY as against BEING at a series of points
Here, being serves as the object of the preposition against.
The object of a preposition must be a NOUN.
An adverb such as continuously cannot be compared to a noun such as being.
Eliminate E.

The correct answer is D.

D: The contact is effected CONTINUOUSLY rather than AT A SERIES OF POINTS.
Here, one adverb (continuously) is compared to another (at a series of points).
This comparison makes sense.

Note the following:
To show PREFERENCE in a comparison, the GMAT tends to use rather than.
I discuss the difference between instead of and rather than here:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/someone-plz- ... 43049.html