quickly vs quicker

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Mustang: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 43; Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:20 pm; Thanked: 2 times; GMAT Score:770

quickly vs quicker

by Mustang » Sun Apr 26, 2009 6:54 pm

In the Comparisons chapter of Manhattan GMAT the concept on "quickly" is as follows:

Do not compare an adverb that ends in -ly by changing the ending to -er. Instead add "more". The example given is around quicker vs. more quickly.

The question I had is that can this be generalized i.e should quicker (or for that matter any other adverb ending in -ly) never be used in a sentence for comparison and instead be replace by more quickly.

eg:

Adrian runs (more slowly / slower) than Jacob. Which is correct option in this?

Thanks

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Sun Apr 26, 2009 6:54 pm

Vemuri: Legendary Member; Posts: 682; Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:40 am; Thanked: 32 times; Followed by:1 members

Re: quickly vs quicker

by Vemuri » Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:26 pm

Mustang wrote:In the Comparisons chapter of Manhattan GMAT the concept on "quickly" is as follows:

Do not compare an adverb that ends in -ly by changing the ending to -er. Instead add "more". The example given is around quicker vs. more quickly.

The question I had is that can this be generalized i.e should quicker (or for that matter any other adverb ending in -ly) never be used in a sentence for comparison and instead be replace by more quickly.

eg:

Adrian runs (more slowly / slower) than Jacob. Which is correct option in this?

Thanks

Well, I would want to see what the experts have to say. But, I personally feel that in the above example, 'slower' should be used instead of 'more slowly'. The latter is wordy & acts as an oxymoron.

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Uri: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 229; Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:56 am; Thanked: 8 times; GMAT Score:700

by Uri » Tue Apr 28, 2009 4:29 am

a very good point raised! can some expert plz help?

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Stacey Koprince: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 2228; Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm; Location: Montreal, Canada; Thanked: 639 times; Followed by:694 members; GMAT Score:780

by Stacey Koprince » Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:39 am

This is a modifier issue. Is the word modifying a noun? If so, it should be in adjective form. Is the word modifying something other than a noun (verb, adjective, ...)? If so, it should be in adverb form.

Adverb form is typically -ly, and you need to keep the -ly even when making a comparison, because you still need to word to be in adverb form if it is modifying something other than a noun. That's why we have to add the word "more" (or less, or whatever).

eg
Adrian runs (more slowly / slower) than Jacob.

What is slowly / slower modifying? It's modifying the verb, runs. So it should be "more slowly."

Or you could say "Adrian is slower than Jacob" - now, the slower is referring to a noun, Adrian.

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vineetbatra: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 355; Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:42 pm; Thanked: 2 times; Followed by:1 members

by vineetbatra » Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:43 am

Despite recent increases in sales and cash flow that have propelled automobile companies' common stocks to new highs, several industry analysts expect automakers, in order to conserve cash, to set cash more conservatively than they were.

A) to set dividends more conservatively than they were
B) to set dividends more conservatively than they have been
C) to be more conservative than they have been in setting dividends
D) that they will be more conservative than they were in setting dividends
E) that they will be more conservative than they have been to set dividends

Stacey, using this rule I selected B instead of C because I thought after More it should be conservatively.

Can you please explain why B is wrong and C is correct? Maybe I did not understand this rule properly.

Thanks,

Vineet

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subgeeth: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 167; Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:04 pm; Thanked: 4 times

by subgeeth » Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:51 am

Hi this is my take why it is C and not B

Conservative on C is modifying analyst
Conservatibely on B is modifying set

But C is correct becaus of they

They in B can refer to divdends or analyst
C resolves this issue

pls correct me if I am wrong

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nervesofsteel: Legendary Member; Posts: 594; Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:51 pm; Thanked: 12 times

by nervesofsteel » Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:05 pm

vineetbatra wrote:Despite recent increases in sales and cash flow that have propelled automobile companies' common stocks to new highs, several industry analysts expect automakers, in order to conserve cash, to set cash more conservatively than they were.

A) to set dividends more conservatively than they were
B) to set dividends more conservatively than they have been
C) to be more conservative than they have been in setting dividends
D) that they will be more conservative than they were in setting dividends
E) that they will be more conservative than they have been to set dividends

Stacey, using this rule I selected B instead of C because I thought after More it should be conservatively.

Can you please explain why B is wrong and C is correct? Maybe I did not understand this rule properly.

Thanks,

Vineet

IMO B is wrong because

1) They can refer to Dividends or analysts .. So unclear
2) At the End of the sentence .. HAVE BEEN is used...it should be
have been setting...

in case we have to avoid the repetition .. we can't avoid it in B
because there is a TO SET in the sentence ...
The sentence will read like ....

to set dividends more conservatively than they have been TO SET

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akhpad: Legendary Member; Posts: 809; Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:10 pm; Thanked: 50 times; Followed by:4 members

by akhpad » Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:07 am

Hi,

Can you please look to the Ron's explanation?

https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/des ... t5893.html

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Stacey Koprince: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 2228; Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm; Location: Montreal, Canada; Thanked: 639 times; Followed by:694 members; GMAT Score:780

by Stacey Koprince » Thu Apr 08, 2010 9:20 am

Let me know if you still have questions after reading Ron's discussion of this problem. Also, as subgeeth notes above, the "more conservative / more conservatively" part is referring to different things in B vs. C.

B is talking about SETTING something more conservatively - the "conservatively" is modifying that verb / action.
C is talking about ANALYSTS being more conservative - the "conservative" is modifying the people.

Kind of like:
I am more conservative than I was before I got into that car accident.
I drive more conservatively than I did before I got into that car accident.

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vineetbatra: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 355; Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:42 pm; Thanked: 2 times; Followed by:1 members

by vineetbatra » Sun Apr 11, 2010 12:22 pm

Stacey,

Thanks for the response.

After reading your post and Ron's post I have understood that We use Conservative when referring to a noun, but I don't understand how more conservative is modifying Analysts, it should modify automakers because they are the ones setting dividends.

Thanks,

Vineet

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akhpad: Legendary Member; Posts: 809; Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:10 pm; Thanked: 50 times; Followed by:4 members

by akhpad » Sun Apr 11, 2010 6:13 pm

Hi Stacey,

I have understood this question but I have one doubt. I believe conservative is modifying to automakers. right?

Several industry analysts expect automakers to be more conservative than they have been in setting dividends.

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A.Kiran: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 79; Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:03 am; Thanked: 1 times

by A.Kiran » Mon Apr 12, 2010 9:50 pm

thats exactly i had in my mind too.

Conservative is saying about the AUTOMAKERS ( objective )
and not the Analysts ( Main Noun )

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Stacey Koprince: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 2228; Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm; Location: Montreal, Canada; Thanked: 639 times; Followed by:694 members; GMAT Score:780