BTGmoderatorDC wrote: ↑

Fri May 26, 2023 6:46 pm

Although he is reported to have spoken his mind freely while being a young child, Ralph Nader was 25 years old before he began to advocate professionally as an attorney.

A. while being a young child
B. while in childhood
C. at the time of his being a child
D. as being in childhood
E. as a young child


OA E

Source: Veritas Prep

This sentence correction question is testing us on idiom usage and conciseness. The sentence is referring to Ralph Nader's actions when he was a young child.

A) "while being a young child" - incorrect. The phrase "while being" is awkward and unnecessarily verbose
B) "while in childhood" - incorrect. This is also awkward. We typically say "as a child" or "when he was a child," not "while in childhood."
C) "at the time of his being a child" - incorrect. This is verbose and overly formal
D) "as being in childhood" - incorrect. This is not a natural way to express the idea
E) "as a young child" - correct. This is a clear, concise, and idiomatic way to express the idea

Answer is E

In this sentence, the goal is to convey that Ralph Nader spoke his mind freely during his childhood in a clear and concise manner. The phrase should fit grammatically and stylistically within the sentence, maintaining proper parallel structure and clarity.

Option A, "while being a young child," is awkward and unnecessarily wordy.

Option B, "while in childhood," is clearer than option A but still a bit awkward in the context of the sentence.

Option C, "at the time of his being a child," is overly wordy and awkward.

Option D, "as being in childhood," is grammatically incorrect and awkward.

Option E, "as a young child," is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. It conveys the time period of Nader's life effectively and fits well into the structure of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is E) "as a young child".


Bernard Baah
MS '05, Stanford
GMAT and GRE Instructor
MapAdvantage Prep
https://mapadvantagegmat.com