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comparison - OG

by agarwalva » Fri May 25, 2012 8:06 pm
Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last because refiners are paying about $5 a barrel more for crude oil than they were last year.

A. Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last because refiners are paying about $5 a barrel more for crude oil than they were

B. Heating-oil prices are expected to rice higher this year over last because refiners pay about $5 a barrel for crude oil than they did

C. Expectations are for heating-oil prices to be higher this year than last year's because refiners are paying about $5 a barrel fr crude oil more than they did

D. It is the expectation that heating-oil prices will be higher for this year over last because refiners are pauing about $5 a barrel more for crude oil now than what they were

E. It is expected that heating-oil prices will rise higher this year than last year's because refiners pay about $5 a barrel for crude oil more than they did


OA A
I went through a couple of posts and I have one big doubt here

Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last... isnt the comparision incorrect

Dont we need some thing like
Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than those last year... We are comparing prices this year and last year

Today's techonology allows manufacturers to make small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in production history.


A similar comparison in below sentence

Today's techonology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel efficient now than at any time in their production history.

a. small cars more fuel efficient now than at any time in their
b. small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their
c. small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in
d. more fuel-efficient small cars than those at any other time in their
e. more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in

OA C

Please explain.
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by ihatemaths » Fri May 25, 2012 10:26 pm
lets eliminate first
B and E -rise+higher redundant
C-wordy , though it can well be a "complex answer"
D-totally changes the meaning , as if every year they place an expectattion(generalising)

so left with
A

Second question:

D and E can be eliminated -after "make" we surely need "small cars" else the comparison goes wrong , so left with A , B , C.
A-distorts the entire meaning and comparison , wrongly framed .whateva it is.
B-"They" is ambiguous , we don't generally use they for (cars , bikes , vans)

so left with C
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by agarwalva » Fri May 25, 2012 10:34 pm
I need to understand if the comparison in the first sentence is correct..

heating oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last year

which one of the following is correct

It's colder today than it was yesterday.
It's colder today than yesterday.
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by ihatemaths » Sat May 26, 2012 2:08 am
it is correct.only "than" will do.
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by GMATGuruNY » Sat May 26, 2012 2:55 am
agarwalva wrote:Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last because refiners are paying about $5 a barrel more for crude oil than they were last year.

A. Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last because refiners are paying about $5 a barrel more for crude oil than they were

B. Heating-oil prices are expected to rice higher this year over last because refiners pay about $5 a barrel for crude oil than they did

C. Expectations are for heating-oil prices to be higher this year than last year's because refiners are paying about $5 a barrel fr crude oil more than they did

D. It is the expectation that heating-oil prices will be higher for this year over last because refiners are pauing about $5 a barrel more for crude oil now than what they were

E. It is expected that heating-oil prices will rise higher this year than last year's because refiners pay about $5 a barrel for crude oil more than they did


OA A
I went through a couple of posts and I have one big doubt here

Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last... isnt the comparision incorrect

Dont we need some thing like
Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than those last year... We are comparing prices this year and last year

Today's techonology allows manufacturers to make small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in production history.


A similar comparison in below sentence

Today's techonology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel efficient now than at any time in their production history.

a. small cars more fuel efficient now than at any time in their
b. small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their
c. small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in
d. more fuel-efficient small cars than those at any other time in their
e. more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in

OA C

Please explain.
Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last.
This comparison is correct because the SAME PRICES are being compared from one year to the next.

Small cars that are more fuel-efficient than at any time in THEIR production history.
This comparison is incorrect because the cars being manufactured now are not the SAME CARS that were manufactured in the past.

To make it clear that DIFFERENT CARS are being compared, we use THOSE:
Small cars that are more fuel-efficient than THOSE at any other time in production history.
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by patanjali.purpose » Sat May 26, 2012 7:31 am
GMATGuruNY wrote: Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last.
This comparison is correct because the SAME PRICES are being compared from one year to the next.

Small cars that are more fuel-efficient than at any time in THEIR production history.
This comparison is incorrect because the cars being manufactured now are not the SAME CARS that were manufactured in the past.

To make it clear that DIFFERENT CARS are being compared, we use THOSE:
Small cars that are more fuel-efficient than THOSE at any other time in production history.
Thanks Mitch.

I have some related doubt.

In another post you mentioned "The price is higher than was expected". No pronoun is needed in the sentence above because both verb phrases (is higher and was expected) are referring to the same price. Here I completely understand your perspective that we are comparing same price.

But in the "Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last" - The OIL PRICES LAST YEAR and OIL PRICES THIS YEAR are completely different, just as CARS NOW and CARS AT ANY OTHER TIME. Then how do you say we are talking about SAME PRICES.

I have another example: The gyrfalcon, an Arctic bird of prey, has survived a close brush with extinction; its numbers are now five times greater than when the use of DDT was sharply restricted in the early 1970's (correct sentence). Here again, we are comparing NUMBERS NOW with NUMBERS when DDT use was restricted. The NUMBERS NOW "are completely different from" NUMBERS WHEN DDT USE WAS RESTRICTED - but then WHY we do not find a PRONOUN "THOSE" in the correct option.

I am sure I am missing some very important point. Pls clarify.
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by agarwalva » Sat May 26, 2012 8:51 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last.
This comparison is correct because the SAME PRICES are being compared from one year to the next.

Small cars that are more fuel-efficient than at any time in THEIR production history.
This comparison is incorrect because the cars being manufactured now are not the SAME CARS that were manufactured in the past.

To make it clear that DIFFERENT CARS are being compared, we use THOSE:
Small cars that are more fuel-efficient than THOSE at any other time in production history.
hi mitch..
Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last... isnt this comparing the prices of last year and the current year (the actual time)


Look at this example from OG 12

41)
To develop more accurate population forecasts, demographers have to know a great deal more than
now about the social and economic determinants of fertility.

This is incorrect and explanation given is
the comparison made by the sentence must be between current and conditional knowledge, not between knowledge and time of knowing (now).

I am pretty sure I am missing something.. Comparisons is driving me crazy more today then yesterday
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by GMATGuruNY » Sun May 27, 2012 2:36 am
patanjali.purpose wrote:
GMATGuruNY wrote: Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last.
This comparison is correct because the SAME PRICES are being compared from one year to the next.

Small cars that are more fuel-efficient than at any time in THEIR production history.
This comparison is incorrect because the cars being manufactured now are not the SAME CARS that were manufactured in the past.

To make it clear that DIFFERENT CARS are being compared, we use THOSE:
Small cars that are more fuel-efficient than THOSE at any other time in production history.
Thanks Mitch.

I have some related doubt.

In another post you mentioned "The price is higher than was expected". No pronoun is needed in the sentence above because both verb phrases (is higher and was expected) are referring to the same price. Here I completely understand your perspective that we are comparing same price.

But in the "Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last" - The OIL PRICES LAST YEAR and OIL PRICES THIS YEAR are completely different, just as CARS NOW and CARS AT ANY OTHER TIME. Then how do you say we are talking about SAME PRICES.

I have another example: The gyrfalcon, an Arctic bird of prey, has survived a close brush with extinction; its numbers are now five times greater than when the use of DDT was sharply restricted in the early 1970's (correct sentence). Here again, we are comparing NUMBERS NOW with NUMBERS when DDT use was restricted. The NUMBERS NOW "are completely different from" NUMBERS WHEN DDT USE WAS RESTRICTED - but then WHY we do not find a PRONOUN "THOSE" in the correct option.

I am sure I am missing some very important point. Pls clarify.
Last year, the price of oil was low.
This year, the price of oil is high.
Combined:
The price of oil is higher this year than IT was last year.
The usage of IT here is correct because, with regard to each year, we are discussing the SAME THING: the price of oil.

An analogy:
Last year, John was not wealthy.
This year, John earned over a million dollars.
Combined:
John is much wealthier this year than HE was last year.

John is wealthier, but he remains WHO HE IS: John.
The same is true for the price of oil.
An increase or decrease does not change WHAT IT IS: the price of oil.

Now consider the following:
Cars manufactured last year were not fuel-efficient.
Cars manufactured this year are very fuel-efficient.
Combined:
Cars manufactured this year are more fuel-efficient than THEY were last year.
Not possible.
The usage of THEY here distorts the meaning because THEY refers to cars manufactured THIS YEAR; since these cars were manufactured THIS YEAR, they could have been less fuel-efficient LAST YEAR.
To make it clear that TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF CARS are being compared, we must use THOSE:
Cars manufactured this year are more fuel-efficient than THOSE manufactured last year.
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by jimmyjimmy » Mon May 28, 2012 10:15 am
It's colder today than it was yesterday.
It's colder today than yesterday.

Today its colder than it was yesterday.............(seems fine)
it's colder today than yesterday...................(seems fine)

correct me if m worng..............................


:idea:
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