Question based on use of like vs Such as

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Question based on use of like vs Such as

by rogue_rohit » Fri Dec 19, 2008 11:51 am
The market for recycled commodities like aluminum and other metals remain strong despite economic changes in the recycling industry.
A. commodities like aluminum and other metals remain
B. commodities like those of aluminum and other metals are remaining
C. commodities such as aluminum and other metals remains
D. commodities, such as aluminum and other metals, remain
E. commodities, like the commodities of aluminum and other metals, remains


OA: E


Explanations please, Thanks :)
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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by mals24 » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:07 pm
E How??? I think it should be C

Ok since market is singular we need remains so ABD out

C you use 'such as' correctly to give examples of commodities.

In E since you use 'like' your showing a similarity between markets and commodities!!!.

I think E would have been fine if it read like that of commodities such as aluminum. Then you'd correctly be showing a similarity between 2 markets.

Now the million dollar question: Whats the source?

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by rogue_rohit » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:12 pm
I agree C should be the correct answer. E doesnt make sense to me.


My source is papers called GMAT Sets. It is believed that these sets have questions very close to GMAT difficulty level. But the answers sometimes seem a bit messed up

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by logitech » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:22 pm
LGTCH
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by iamcste » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:27 pm
iamcste wrote:The market for recycled commodities like aluminum and other metals remain strong despite economic changes in the recycling industry.

A. commodities like aluminum and other metals remain

Remain is incorrect for singular subject "The market"
B. commodities like those of aluminum and other metals are remaining

"are" is incorrect for for singular subject "The market"

Note: "those" is correct here.. Many may have rejected for incorrect reference

C. commodities such as aluminum and other metals remains

Market of "recycled commodities " and not just "commodities"

recycled commodity-commodity out of a commodity

here "unrecycled aluminium or other metals" are given as examples of "recycled commodities

this is incorrect and hence eliminate

Finally, recycled commodities may not be exhibiting all the properties similar to aluminium or other metals..so "like" is apt here

On first look, this meets our criteria and hence next time whenever we have "such as"--have an additional check point whether the examples logically meet the category being discussed..




D. commodities, such as aluminum and other metals, remain

Remain is incorrect for singular subject "The market"
E. commodities, like the commodities of aluminum and other metals, remains


"remains" agrees with the singular subject "The market"

One more imp point what makes it stronger candidate to C is that non-essential info is correctly punctuated..

means if you read the sentence without "like...metals"...meaning doesnt change at all

Rest of the stuff discussed in C

Choose E
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by mals24 » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:31 pm
Ohh man i dint know i need to do a course on commodities also for GMAT (as if CR SC and RC werent enough!!)

Thanks iamcste your logic makes sense.

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by rogue_rohit » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:31 pm
thanks logitech, I will do further research on this question

Still believe the right choice is "C" :D

Update: Please ignore that I still believe "C" is the right choice. Obsolete post :P
Last edited by rogue_rohit on Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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by rogue_rohit » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:39 pm
Iamcste - thanks for your reply. You reply makes sense. One small clarification on your explanation - Use of "like" in option E is correct because "Commodities of Aluminum and other metals" have also remain strong like the market for recycles commodities.


Wow - this was a real gem of a question!!! Do we get such questions in real GMAT!! :shock:

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by mals24 » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:41 pm
here "unrecycled aluminium or other metals" are given as examples of "recycled commodities

this is incorrect and hence eliminate
Ok i just checked online apparently aluminum can be recycled so the examples are valid. So back to C and im confused again!!!

Can anyone shed some light on this also
In E since you use 'like' your showing a similarity between markets and commodities!!!.

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by rogue_rohit » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:52 pm
mals24 wrote:
here "unrecycled aluminium or other metals" are given as examples of "recycled commodities

this is incorrect and hence eliminate
Ok i just checked online apparently aluminum can be recycled so the examples are valid. So back to C and im confused again!!!

They CAN be recycled but not necessarily. Hence if the prob had written "..... recycled commodities such as recycled Aluminum and other metals....", it would have been right. However I assume in the problem the intent was to compare "recycled commodities" to "commodities of aluminum and other metal". Both of these items ("recycled commodities" and "commodities of aluminum and other metal") although different but have similarities in a way that despite economy their markets were strong


Can anyone shed some light on this also
In E since you use 'like' your showing a similarity between markets and commodities!!!.

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by adilka » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:55 pm
Agreed with Mals24. I also feel that if you're using Like, you're comparing commodities to Markets! Which is not the case.

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by iamcste » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:57 pm
see, Paper tests can be teared...Have a sip !!

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by adilka » Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:18 pm
rogue_rohit wrote:
mals24 wrote:
here "unrecycled aluminium or other metals" are given as examples of "recycled commodities

this is incorrect and hence eliminate
Ok i just checked online apparently aluminum can be recycled so the examples are valid. So back to C and im confused again!!!

They CAN be recycled but not necessarily. Hence if the prob had written "..... recycled commodities such as recycled Aluminum and other metals....", it would have been right. However I assume in the problem the intent was to compare "recycled commodities" to "commodities of aluminum and other metal". Both of these items ("recycled commodities" and "commodities of aluminum and other metal") although different but have similarities in a way that despite economy their markets were strong


Can anyone shed some light on this also
In E since you use 'like' your showing a similarity between markets and commodities!!!.

Rohit, I do see what you are trying to say, but this seems awkward. I think the proper way to communicate your point would be as follows
"The market for recycled commodities, like the markets for aluminum and other metals, remain strong"

I think the way you position it
"..... commodities, like the commodities of aluminum...."
still compares Markets to Commodities, which is not correct

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by rogue_rohit » Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:35 pm
Adilka, I think we all understand the concept now. This SC problem set is probably not very well phrased hence both of the possible answer choices (C and E) leave some minute room for subjectivity based on the reader's interpretation of "commodities". I think it is good question to illustrate how "like" and "such as" change the meaning of a sentence. And I am sure if a GMAT question comes to where "Such as" Vs "like" error is present, I will make the right choice.

Reitirating what Iamcste said, spending more time on this question may be worthless. But I am happy to follow the thread if we get more inputs
adilka wrote:
rogue_rohit wrote:
mals24 wrote:
here "unrecycled aluminium or other metals" are given as examples of "recycled commodities

this is incorrect and hence eliminate
Ok i just checked online apparently aluminum can be recycled so the examples are valid. So back to C and im confused again!!!

They CAN be recycled but not necessarily. Hence if the prob had written "..... recycled commodities such as recycled Aluminum and other metals....", it would have been right. However I assume in the problem the intent was to compare "recycled commodities" to "commodities of aluminum and other metal". Both of these items ("recycled commodities" and "commodities of aluminum and other metal") although different but have similarities in a way that despite economy their markets were strong


Can anyone shed some light on this also
In E since you use 'like' your showing a similarity between markets and commodities!!!.

Rohit, I do see what you are trying to say, but this seems awkward. I think the proper way to communicate your point would be as follows
"The market for recycled commodities, like the markets for aluminum and other metals, remain strong"

I think the way you position it
"..... commodities, like the commodities of aluminum...."
still compares Markets to Commodities, which is not correct

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by ronniecoleman » Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:04 pm
iamcste wrote:
iamcste wrote:The market for recycled commodities like aluminum and other metals remain strong despite economic changes in the recycling industry.

A. commodities like aluminum and other metals remain

Remain is incorrect for singular subject "The market"
B. commodities like those of aluminum and other metals are remaining

"are" is incorrect for for singular subject "The market"

Note: "those" is correct here.. Many may have rejected for incorrect reference

C. commodities such as aluminum and other metals remains

Market of "recycled commodities " and not just "commodities"

recycled commodity-commodity out of a commodity

here "unrecycled aluminium or other metals" are given as examples of "recycled commodities

this is incorrect and hence eliminate

Finally, recycled commodities may not be exhibiting all the properties similar to aluminium or other metals..so "like" is apt here

On first look, this meets our criteria and hence next time whenever we have "such as"--have an additional check point whether the examples logically meet the category being discussed..




D. commodities, such as aluminum and other metals, remain

Remain is incorrect for singular subject "The market"
E. commodities, like the commodities of aluminum and other metals, remains


"remains" agrees with the singular subject "The market"

One more imp point what makes it stronger candidate to C is that non-essential info is correctly punctuated..

means if you read the sentence without "like...metals"...meaning doesnt change at all

Rest of the stuff discussed in C

Choose E
[/quote]


??

Market for Recycled commodities, like << it should market of aluminum and cooper >>

the orginal sentence it seems to convey that aluminum are market..

Market for Recycled commodities, like that of aluminum and cooper,

i know logically the above sentence does make sense...but then why we want to plug in LIKE..
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