Commercial competition

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:55 am
Thanked: 5 times
Followed by:3 members

Commercial competition

by metallicafan » Tue May 14, 2013 11:19 am
In a state of pure commercial competition, there would be a large number of producing firms, all unfettered by governmental regulations, all seeking to meet consumer needs and wants more successfully than each other.

A)all seeking to meet consumer needs and wants more successfully than each other.
B)all seeking more successfully to meet consumer needs and wants than the others.
C)each seeking to meet consumer needs and wants more successfully than one another.
D)each seeking to meet consumer needs and wants more successfully than the others.
E)each seeking successfully to meet consumer needs and wants than another

Please, your help and confirmation whether my reasoning in eliminating the choices is correct:
a) "each other" doesn't make sense in the sentence. In this case, we cannot compare "all" with "each other". The objective is to compare the individual effort of each one with the rest of the producing firms.
b) Misplaced modifier: Now "more succesfully" modifies "all seeking". It changes the intended meaning. "Others" doesn't make sense for the similar reasons in A.
c) "one another" is wrong. The idea of reciprocity is not required in this sentence.
d) Correct.
e) Misplaced modifier.

I have two additional doubts:
a) Is the structure in the choice an absolute phrase (a noun with a noun modifier that modifies the entire clause)? If the choices were noun modifiers, they would be modifying "government regulations" because noun modifiers modify the nouns next to them.
b) Is there a problem with "all"? In other words, could be there a structure correct using "all"?

Thanks!


OA is D .
Source: — Sentence Correction |

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:23 pm
Thanked: 36 times
Followed by:4 members

by fcabanski » Tue May 14, 2013 11:38 am
https://www.beatthegmat.com/one-another- ... 11014.html

This was already discussed on this forum. You can often eliminate multiple choices for the same reason.

A. "each other" and "one another" are reciprocal pronouns. They describe mutual action as in "Bob and his sister love one another." There is no reciprocal action in this sentence. There is a comparison. Eliminate A and C. You described this well in your explanation for C.

B. Your explanation is perfect. Eliminate B and E.

No choices besides D remain. D is the answer.
Expert GMAT tutor.
[email protected]

If you find one of my answers helpful, please click thank.

Contact me to discuss online GMAT tutoring.

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 308
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 12:51 am
Thanked: 16 times
Followed by:3 members

by Lifetron » Wed May 15, 2013 7:09 pm
Isn't D comparing 1 with many !? It doesn't seem parallel !

Can anyone comment on this ?

• Page 1 of 1