Sentence Correction

Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than it was in any previous election.

(a) a greater proportion than it was
(b) a greater proportion than
(c) a greater proportion than they have been
(d) which is greater than was so
(e) which is greater than it has been

In A, it lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate A.

C: they have been in any previous election
Here, the only eligible referent for they is soaring television costs.
As a result, C seems to be discussing soaring television costs IN ANY PREVIOUS ELECTION -- a distortion of the intended meaning.
The intended meaning is that television costs were soaring NOT in any previous election but IN THE CAMPAIGN OF 1992.
Eliminate C.

In D and E, which seems to refer to either to the campaign or to 1992, implying that either the campaign or 1992 was GREATER.
The intended meaning is that SOARING TELEVISION COSTS were greater.
Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is B.

OA: Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than in any previous election.
The phrase in red is a SUMMATIVE MODIFIER.
A summative modifier appears at the end of a sentence and is composed of COMMA + ABSTRACT NOUN + modifier.
The purpose of a summative modifier is to SUM UP the preceding clause.
Here, the summative modifier serves to convey that the proportion in 1992 -- more than half -- was greater than the proportion in any previous election.

Hey!
I am still not convinced with your explanation about why option "B"is wrong?
Regards,
Mukherjee

[email protected] wrote:Hey!
I am still not convinced with your explanation about why option "B"is wrong?
Regards,
Mukherjee

In my post above, I've indicated that B is NOT wrong; it's the correct answer.

Hey!
I'm sorry for the last post!
I am still not convinced with your explanation about why option "C"is wrong?
Regards,
Mukherjee

[email protected] wrote:Hey!
I'm sorry for the last post!
I am still not convinced with your explanation about why option "C"is wrong?
Regards,
Mukherjee

C: SOARING TELEVISIONS COSTS accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than THEY have been in any previous election.
Here, they seems to refer to soaring television costs.
As a result, C seems to compare SOARING TELEVISION COSTS in the presidential campaign of 1992 to SOARING TELEVISION COSTS in any previous election.
But television costs were NOT soaring in any previous election.
It was only in the presidential campaign of 1992 that television costs were soaring -- explaining why in 1992 they accounted for more than half the spending.

Another error: HAVE BEEN in any previous election.
These previous elections took place BEFORE the campaign in 1992.
A present perfect verb such have been -- a form of the PRESENT tense -- cannot serve to refer to elections that took place BEFORE ANOTHER PAST ACTION (accounted).

Thank you!

GMATGuruNY wrote:

Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than it was in any previous election.

(a) a greater proportion than it was
(b) a greater proportion than
(c) a greater proportion than they have been
(d) which is greater than was so
(e) which is greater than it has been

OA: Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than in any previous election.
The phrase in red is a SUMMATIVE MODIFIER.
A summative modifier appears at the end of a sentence and is composed of COMMA + ABSTRACT NOUN + modifier.
The purpose of a summative modifier is to SUM UP the preceding clause.
Here, the summative modifier serves to convey that the proportion in 1992 -- more than half -- was greater than the proportion in any previous election.

Mitch - couple of quick questions on your above post.

1. a greater proportion than in any previous election - The part in Italics is the MODIFIER of this "NOUN+NOUN modifier" phrase. Right ? Could you please let me know what sort of MODIFIER it is ?

2. a greater proportion than in any previous election - If we say that a greater proportion is an APPOSITIVE of Soaring television costs , then why and how it'll be INCORRECT ?

RBBmba@2014 wrote:
Mitch - couple of quick questions on your above post.

1. a greater proportion than in any previous election - The part in Italics is the MODIFIER of this "NOUN+NOUN modifier" phrase. Right ? Could you please let me know what sort of MODIFIER it is ?

A DETERMINER is a modifier that determines the extent of a noun.
Examples of determiners are many, more, less, fewer, and some:
many people
more than ten women
less chocolate
fewer than five men
some students
In each of the cases above, the portion in red is a determiner serving to modify the following noun.

The modifier in the OA above implies the following:
a greater proportion than [the proportion] in any previous election.
Here, the words in brackets are omitted, but their presence is implied.
The words in red seem to function as a determiner, expressing the EXTENT of the noun proportion.

2. a greater proportion than in any previous election - If we say that a greater proportion is an APPOSITIVE of Soaring television costs , then why and how it'll be INCORRECT ?

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that serves to explain another noun or noun phrase.
Generally, an appositive must appear ADJACENT to the noun or noun phrase being explained.
OA: Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than in any previous election.
Since a greater proportion is not adjacent to soaring television costs, these two noun phrases cannot be appositives.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

RBBmba@2014 wrote:2. a greater proportion than in any previous election - If we say that a greater proportion is an APPOSITIVE of Soaring television costs , then why and how it'll be INCORRECT ?

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that serves to explain another noun or noun phrase.
Generally, an appositive must appear ADJACENT to the noun or noun phrase being explained.
OA: Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than in any previous election.
Since a greater proportion is not adjacent to soaring television costs, these two noun phrases cannot be appositives.

Okay. But does this RULE(in RED) for APPOSITIVE always hold good on GMAT ?

In another SC https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-prep-t75588.html, the APPOSITIVE also doesn't appear ADJACENT or side by side to the noun or noun phrase being explained.

Could you please help to kindly clarify this aspect to clear my doubts ? Much thanks in advance!

RBBmba@2014 wrote:Okay. But does this RULE(in RED) for APPOSITIVE always hold good on GMAT ?

In another SC https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-prep-t75588.html, the APPOSITIVE also doesn't appear ADJACENT or side by side to the noun or noun phrase being explained.

Could you please help to kindly clarify this aspect to clear my doubts ? Much thanks in advance!

Appositives must appear side-by-side.
The loan company announced it would soon lend money to borrowers with proven records of not paying back their loans on time, a group collectively known as the subprime lending market.
Here, the noun phrase in blue is in apposition to the noun phrase in red.
Thus, the two appositive phrases appear side-by-side.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

RBBmba@2014 wrote:
Mitch - couple of quick questions on your above post.

1. a greater proportion than in any previous election - The part in Italics is the MODIFIER of this "NOUN+NOUN modifier" phrase. Right ? Could you please let me know what sort of MODIFIER it is ?

A DETERMINER is a modifier that determines the extent of a noun.
.
.
.

The modifier in the OA above implies the following:
a greater proportion than [the proportion] in any previous election.
Here, the words in brackets are omitted, but their presence is implied.
The phrase in red is a determiner serving to modify the following implied noun phrase (the proportion in any previous election).

GMATGuruNY - couple of clarifications requested on this!

1. a greater proportion than in any previous election -- it seems that this structure is DIFFERENT from typical NOUN+NOUN modifier construction. Right ?

If so, is there any way to DEFINE and quickly IDENTIFY this sort of MODIFIER Construction in GMAT ?

2. In MGMAT SC book,it says that "NOUN+NOUN modifier" phrase contains SIX types of NOUN modifiers, but the above type of NOUN modifier (re DETERMINER) is NOT included in that list of SIX NOUN modifiers. So, could you please shed any light on this aspect ?

Also, are there any OTHER potential NOUN modifiers that we can see on GMAT in the "NOUN+NOUN modifier" construction,EXCEPT the following SIX - Adjective Phrase, Prepositional Phrase, Past Participle, Present Participle without commas, Relative Pronoun, and Appositive.

Please help! Much thanks in advance.

RBBmba@2014 wrote: If so, is there any way to DEFINE and quickly IDENTIFY this sort of MODIFIER Construction in GMAT ?

On the GMAT, it is VERY common for an SC to end with COMMA + COMPARISON PHRASE.
The comparison phrase will generally include than or as.
The purpose of the comparison phrase will be to EXPLAIN or DEFINE a data point discussed in the preceding clause.

Official examples:
Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than in any previous election.
In 1979 lack of rain reduced India's rice production to about 41 million tons, nearly 25 percent less than the 1978 harvest.
Lake Baikal holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water, more than all the North American Great Lakes combined.
Only seven people this century have been killed by the great white shark, fewer than have been killed by bee stings.
Companies in the United States are providing job training and general education for nearly eight million people, as many as are enrolled in the nation's four-year colleges and universities.

In each of the OAs above, the comparison phrase in red serves to explain the data point in blue.
Whether these comparison phrases are classified as appositives, absolute phrases, or summative modifiers is irrelevant.
What matters is how they all function:
Each serves to explain a data point in the preceding clause.

Excellent collection Mitch. Phenomenal to see so many relevant examples in one place.

Great collection Mitch.Much thanks!

Could you please shed any light on the following aspect -

Are there any OTHER potential NOUN modifiers that we can see on GMAT in the "NOUN+NOUN modifier" construction,EXCEPT the following SIX - Adjective Phrase, Prepositional Phrase, Past Participle, Present Participle without commas, Relative Pronoun, and Appositive.

Thank you!