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Help to crack!

by GmatKiss » Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:23 pm
Executives and federal officials say that the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers, significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of more than $100 billion a year.

(A) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business
of
(B) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already cost business
(C) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, already with business costs of
(D) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costing business
(E) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costs business

Please help in cracking this SC
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by badpoem » Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:21 pm
GmatKiss wrote:Executives and federal officials say that the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers, significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of more than $100 billion a year.

(A) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business
of --> the part after which is not making making much sense -- the business is more than 100b or the cost to business is 100b.
(B) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already cost business --> correct. "which" describes the clause -- the effects of drug and alcohol abuse -- and this is what costs business the requisite amount
(C) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, already with business costs of --> the cost of drug and alcohol abuse is not 100b. Rather it is costing business.
(D) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costing business --> significant in compounding is too wordy.
(E) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costs business --> same as above.

Please help in cracking this SC
IMO (B).
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by aspirant2011 » Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:26 pm
GmatKiss wrote:Executives and federal officials say that the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers, significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of more than $100 billion a year.

(A) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of
(B) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already cost business --- effects of drug and alcohol abuse is a prepositional phrase therefore which refers to effects
(C) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, already with business costs of---- changes the intended meaning
(D) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costing business
(E) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costs business

Please help in cracking this SC
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by GMATGuruNY » Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:42 pm
GmatKiss wrote:Executives and federal officials say that the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers, significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of more than $100 billion a year.

(A) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business
of
(B) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already cost business
(C) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, already with business costs of
(D) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costing business
(E) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costs business

Please help in cracking this SC
The underlined portion should include OF. I've amended the SC to reflect its actual construction.

In A, of more than 100 billion a year seems to modify BUSINESS. The intended meaning of the sentence is that the EFFECTS cost more than 100 billion a year. Eliminate A.

In C, business costs changes the intended meaning. The intention of the sentence is to discuss the costs of DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE. Eliminate C.

In D and E, significant seems to modify WORKERS. The workers themselves are not significant. The intended meaning is that the USE OF CRACK AND COCAINE...is significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse. Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is B.
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by zaarathelab » Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:36 pm
Mitch,

I picked B with the following rule:
in choice B, which refers to 'effects'. It is the same rule that suggests that which can refer to a subject in a prepositional phrase and need not necessarily refer to a noun preceding it.
For example the box of nails, which is lying on the table....

Am i correct?
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by vishal.pathak » Sat Dec 03, 2011 12:40 pm
GMATGuruNY wrote:
GmatKiss wrote:Executives and federal officials say that the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers, significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of more than $100 billion a year.

(A) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business
of
(B) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already cost business
(C) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, already with business costs of
(D) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costing business
(E) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costs business

Please help in cracking this SC
The underlined portion should include OF. I've amended the SC to reflect its actual construction.

In A, of more than 100 billion a year seems to modify BUSINESS. The intended meaning of the sentence is that the EFFECTS cost more than 100 billion a year. Eliminate A.

In C, business costs changes the intended meaning. The intention of the sentence is to discuss the costs of DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE. Eliminate C.

In D and E, significant seems to modify WORKERS. The workers themselves are not significant. The intended meaning is that the USE OF CRACK AND COCAINE...is significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse. Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is B.
Hi Mitch,

A few doubts:
1.
I thought that the only ways for 2 clauses to be connected by comma are:
a. comma + fanboy
b. comma + verb-ing modifier
c. appositive

Here we see that clauses are connected by adverbs(significantly) and by adjectives(significant). Is this correct

2. I thought that "which" is a pronoun and stands for the closest noun. In the correct option, why cant we consider that which to be referring to abuse. It is illogical but is it not grammatically possible

Please help

Regards,
Vishal
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by avik.ch » Sun Dec 04, 2011 12:38 am
vishal.pathak wrote:
Hi Mitch,

A few doubts:
1.
I thought that the only ways for 2 clauses to be connected by comma are:

a. comma + fanboy
I dont know what is "fanboy" - Please explain
vishal.pathak wrote:
b. comma + verb-ing modifier

c. appositive
appositives are noun phrases and not a clause
vishal.pathak wrote:
Here we see that clauses are connected by adverbs(significantly) and by adjectives(significant). Is this correct
Here "significantly ...." is an adverb modifier that is modifying the clause - "the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers".

Just consider this example :

He quickly ran to the closest corner of the room.
quickly, he ran to the closest corner of the room.

vishal.pathak wrote: 2. I thought that "which" is a pronoun and stands for the closest noun. In the correct option, why cant we consider that which to be referring to abuse. It is illogical but is it not grammatically possible

Please help

Regards,
Vishal
"Which" can refer to a noun or noun phrase guided by the meaning of the sentence.

Please refer these posts :

https://www.beatthegmat.com/appositive-v ... tml#417272

https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/pos ... tml#p31162


I hope this helps !!
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by vishal.pathak » Sun Dec 04, 2011 1:25 am
avik.ch wrote:
vishal.pathak wrote:
Hi Mitch,

A few doubts:
1.
I thought that the only ways for 2 clauses to be connected by comma are:

a. comma + fanboy
I dont know what is "fanboy" - Please explain
vishal.pathak wrote:
b. comma + verb-ing modifier

c. appositive
appositives are noun phrases and not a clause
vishal.pathak wrote:
Here we see that clauses are connected by adverbs(significantly) and by adjectives(significant). Is this correct
Here "significantly ...." is an adverb modifier that is modifying the clause - "the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers".

Just consider this example :

He quickly ran to the closest corner of the room.
quickly, he ran to the closest corner of the room.

vishal.pathak wrote: 2. I thought that "which" is a pronoun and stands for the closest noun. In the correct option, why cant we consider that which to be referring to abuse. It is illogical but is it not grammatically possible

Please help

Regards,
Vishal
"Which" can refer to a noun or noun phrase guided by the meaning of the sentence.

Please refer these posts :

https://www.beatthegmat.com/appositive-v ... tml#417272

https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/pos ... tml#p31162


I hope this helps !!
Hi Avik,

This post really helped. Could you please clarify 1 more thing.

The "which" in option B can refer to "effects" and also to "abuse". Don't you think this to be a pronoun antecedent problem


Ron has written that
if you have "X of Y, which..."
then:
* if Y works as the antecedent of "which", then "which" should stand for Y.
* if Y doesn't work as the antecedent, but "X of Y" DOES work, then "which" can stand for "X of Y".

What does "works" mean here. In option B here, abuse can be a grammatical antecedent of which but not logical. Should we consider this as working or not working
Regards,
Vishal
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by avik.ch » Sun Dec 04, 2011 9:28 pm
"Which" do refer to "effects " and not to "abuse".

which already cost(this is plural) business... so which must have a plural antecendant, and so its "effects", which is plural. More over from the meaning of the sentence "Which" should refer to "effects".

What "which" refer is guided by the meaning of the sentence and what are its surrounding words.

Please see OG 12 SC #26, this problem is based on this concept.

One more example from OG-12, RC.

https://www.beatthegmat.com/modifier-t92964.html


Hope this helps !!
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by avik.ch » Sun Dec 04, 2011 9:29 pm
hii vishal,

Can you please tell me what is "fanboy" with some example.

Never heard of it.
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by amit2k9 » Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:10 pm
avik.ch wrote:hii vishal,

Can you please tell me what is "fanboy" with some example.

Never heard of it.
clean B usage here.

fanboy = for,and,nor,but,or,yet - structure is ---complete thought -- , fanboy --- complete thought --

More so this will give some help - https://www.our-school.com/eng4biotech/files/commas.htm
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