Sentence Correction

Laboratory rats and mice live up to 40 percent longer than usual when fed a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise contains all necessary vitamins and nutrients.

a. of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise
b. with at least 30 percent fewer calories than what they would normally eat though otherwise it
c. that has at least 30 percent fewer of the calories that they would normally eat, but otherwise it
d. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat but that otherwise
e. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, though that otherwise

Could an expert help me with why "than that which" ..."but that" is wrong?

Laboratory rats and mice live up to 40 percent longer than usual when fed a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise contains all necessary vitamins and nutrients.

a. of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise
b. with at least 30 percent fewer calories than what they would normally eat though otherwise it
c. that has at least 30 percent fewer of the calories that they would normally eat, but otherwise it
d. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat but that otherwise
e. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, though that otherwise

The problem with "than that which" in Choice A is that it ruins the comparison: "a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat." Using "that which" refers back to "a diet" when we should use "fewer than" as in D.

Hi Bill,

Isn't a diet of at least 30 percent wrong?



Thanks!

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:Laboratory rats and mice live up to 40 percent longer than usual when fed a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise contains all necessary vitamins and nutrients.

a. of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise
b. with at least 30 percent fewer calories than what they would normally eat though otherwise it
c. that has at least 30 percent fewer of the calories that they would normally eat, but otherwise it
d. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat but that otherwise
e. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, though that otherwise

The problem with "than that which" in Choice A is that it ruins the comparison: "a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat." Using "that which" refers back to "a diet" when we should use "fewer than" as in D.

Bill - thanks for helping.

what does choice A mean then? that lab rats that eat a diet that consists of 30 percent fewer calories... vs a diet they would normally eat, which is more calories...what is wrong with that?

fangtray wrote:
what does choice A mean then? that lab rats that eat a diet that consists of 30 percent fewer calories... vs a diet they would normally eat, which is more calories...what is wrong with that?

It seems A is comparing two diets whereas D is comparing the amount of calories.

[quote="Bill@VeritasPrep"]Laboratory rats and mice live up to 40 percent longer than usual when fed a diet [u]of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat[/u], but that otherwise contains all necessary vitamins and nutrients.

a. of at least 30 percent fewer calories than[color=red] that which[/color] they would normally eat, but that otherwise
b.[color=red] with[/color] at least 30 percent fewer calories than what they would normally eat [color=red]though otherwise it[/color]
c. that has at least 30 percent[color=red] fewer of the calories [/color]that they would normally eat, but otherwise it
d. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat but that otherwise
e. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, [color=red]though [/color]that otherwise

The problem with "than that which" in Choice A is that it ruins the comparison: "a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat." Using "that which" refers back to "a diet" when we should use "fewer than" as in D.[/quote]

how [color=red]"with"[/color] and "[color=red]though otherwise it[/color]" are wrong in Option B?

Please help.

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote: d. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat but that otherwise
e. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, though that otherwise

Hi Bill,

Could you please elaborate on these two options?

ranjeet75 wrote:

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:Laboratory rats and mice live up to 40 percent longer than usual when fed a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise contains all necessary vitamins and nutrients.

a. of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise
b. with at least 30 percent fewer calories than what they would normally eat though otherwise it
c. that has at least 30 percent fewer of the calories that they would normally eat, but otherwise it
d. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat but that otherwise
e. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, though that otherwise

The problem with "than that which" in Choice A is that it ruins the comparison: "a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat." Using "that which" refers back to "a diet" when we should use "fewer than" as in D.

how "with" and "though otherwise it" are wrong in Option B?

Please help.

"Diet with" is unidiomatic.

This is complex because we have two things to keep parallel: the two qualities of the diet (calories and vitamins & minerals) and a comparison within that first quality (the number of calories). If we put the sentence together using choice D:

Laboratory rats and mice live up to 40 percent longer than usual when fed a diet that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat but that otherwise contains all necessary vitamins and nutrients.

We have:

a diet (that has...) but (that...contains...), which is parallel.

And:

a diet that has (at least 30 percent...fewer than...they would normally eat), which correctly compares the calories of the previous diet to the calories of the current diet.

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:Laboratory rats and mice live up to 40 percent longer than usual when fed a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise contains all necessary vitamins and nutrients.

a. of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise
b. with at least 30 percent fewer calories than what they would normally eat though otherwise it
c. that has at least 30 percent fewer of the calories that they would normally eat, but otherwise it
d. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat but that otherwise
e. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, though that otherwise

The problem with "than that which" in Choice A is that it ruins the comparison: "a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat." Using "that which" refers back to "a diet" when we should use "fewer than" as in D.

If "that which" refers to diet, then arent we comparing a diet to another diet, which would be correct?

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote: a diet that has (at least 30 percent...fewer than...they would normally eat), which correctly compares the calories of the previous diet to the calories of the current diet.

I thought 'they' here refers to rats and mice!

Bill, could you please clarify what I am missing in understanding the antecedent?

fangtray wrote:

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:Laboratory rats and mice live up to 40 percent longer than usual when fed a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise contains all necessary vitamins and nutrients.

a. of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, but that otherwise
b. with at least 30 percent fewer calories than what they would normally eat though otherwise it
c. that has at least 30 percent fewer of the calories that they would normally eat, but otherwise it
d. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than they would normally eat but that otherwise
e. that has at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat, though that otherwise

The problem with "than that which" in Choice A is that it ruins the comparison: "a diet of at least 30 percent fewer calories than that which they would normally eat." Using "that which" refers back to "a diet" when we should use "fewer than" as in D.

If "that which" refers to diet, then arent we comparing a diet to another diet, which would be correct?

We're comparing the calories, not the overall diets.

bubbliiiiiiii wrote:

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote: a diet that has (at least 30 percent...fewer than...they would normally eat), which correctly compares the calories of the previous diet to the calories of the current diet.

I thought 'they' here refers to rats and mice!

Bill, could you please clarify what I am missing in understanding the antecedent?

You are correct. The lab rats live longer when fed a diet of fewer calories than they (the lab rats) would normally eat.

fangtray wrote: If "that which" refers to diet, then arent we comparing a diet to another diet, which would be correct?

Comparison should be logical:

1. Between what one diet has Vs what the other diet has: Option A falls into this category, since that in ..that which they would normally eat refers to diet. But we have a problem here. A would read:

..at least 30 percent fewer calories than that (diet) which they would normally eat..

So, A is incorrectly comparing calories and diet. The least A should have been is:

..at least 30 percent fewer calories than that (diet) which they would normally eat has..

Not that the above sentence is perfect, but it least logically compares calories (30 percent fewer) Vs the calories that their normal diet has.

2. Between Calories Vs Calories: Option D falls into this category: 30 percent fewer calories than (calories) they (rats) would normally eat
As is evident, D gets it right.

I'm really confused here. Isn't the following sentence correct?

"Diet A has 30 percent fewer calories than diet B."

How is it different from the sentence above?

"..at least 30 percent fewer calories than that (diet) which they would normally eat.."

My understanding is that we don't really have to say the following explicitly
"Diet A has 30 percent fewer calories than the number of calories in diet B."