Sentence Correction

akash singhal wrote:As automobiles replaced horses as the primary
means of transportation, it was widely
anticipated that the time spent in transit by
the average traveler would decrease.

A. As automobiles replaced horses as the
primary means of transportation, it was
widely anticipated that

B. Insofar as automobiles replaced horses as
the primary means of transportation, it was
anticipated widely

C. With horses being replaced by
automobiles as the primary means of
transportation, there was wide
anticipation that

D. As the primary means of transportation
replaced horses with automobiles, many
anticipated that

E. Automobiles replacing horses as the
primary means of transportation
produced anticipation widely that

B: it was anticipated widely the time
Here, it lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate B.

Generally, an introductory prepositional phrase serves as an ADVERB modifying the VERB in the following clause.
C: With horses...there was wide anticipation.
Conveyed meaning:
There was wide anticipation with horses.
This meaning is nonsensical.
Eliminate C.

D: the primary means of transportation replaced horses with automobiles.
Conveyed meaning:
The primary means of transportation stopped using horses and began to use automobiles.
This meaning is nonsensical, implying that the primary means of transportation was capable of making its own decisions.
Also, it is unclear WHAT exactly constitutes the primary means of transportation.
Eliminate D.

E: Automobiles...produced anticipation.
Not the intended meaning.
Automobiles themselves did not produce anticipation.
What produced anticipation was an EVENT:
THAT AUTOMOBILES WERE REPLACING HORSES as the primary means of transportation.
Eliminate E.

The correct answer is A.

Wonderful explanation Mitch. I have a question:

B: it was anticipated widely the time
Here, it lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate B.

Doesn't A have the same - lacking referent problem??
Anyway B is definitely wrong. "it was anticipated widely the time spent" is nonsensical.

~Binit.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

akash singhal wrote:As automobiles replaced horses as the primary
means of transportation, it was widely
anticipated that the time spent in transit by
the average traveler would decrease.

A. As automobiles replaced horses as the
primary means of transportation, it was
widely anticipated that

B. Insofar as automobiles replaced horses as
the primary means of transportation, it was
anticipated widely

C. With horses being replaced by
automobiles as the primary means of
transportation, there was wide
anticipation that

D. As the primary means of transportation
replaced horses with automobiles, many
anticipated that

E. Automobiles replacing horses as the
primary means of transportation
produced anticipation widely that

B: it was anticipated widely the time
Here, it lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate B.

Generally, an introductory prepositional phrase serves as an ADVERB modifying the VERB in the following clause.
C: With horses...there was wide anticipation.
Conveyed meaning:
There was wide anticipation with horses.
This meaning is nonsensical.
Eliminate C.

D: the primary means of transportation replaced horses with automobiles.
Conveyed meaning:
The primary means of transportation stopped using horses and began to use automobiles.
This meaning is nonsensical, implying that the primary means of transportation was capable of making its own decisions.
Also, it is unclear WHAT exactly constitutes the primary means of transportation.
Eliminate D.

E: Automobiles...produced anticipation.
Not the intended meaning.
Automobiles themselves did not produce anticipation.
What produced anticipation was an EVENT:
THAT AUTOMOBILES WERE REPLACING HORSES as the primary means of transportation.
Eliminate E.

The correct answer is A.

Thanks for the explanation
But my doubt was that we know
'As' is used to compare two verbs in two different clauses....
whereas like is used to compare two nouns..
Here, automobile and horses are nouns how is such a comparison possible????

binit wrote:Wonderful explanation Mitch. I have a question:

B: it was anticipated widely the time
Here, it lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate B.

Doesn't A have the same - lacking referent problem??

One purpose of it is to serve as an EXPLETIVE.
An expletive is a placeholder pronoun serving to DELAY THE SUBJECT.
In most cases, the delayed subject will be an infinitive phrase or a that-clause.
Examples:
IT is easy TO LOVE CHOCOLATE.
Here, it is standing in for to love chocolate.
Conveyed meaning:
TO LOVE CHOCOLATE is easy.
IT was not until last year THAT JOHN WROTE HIS FIRST BOOK.
Here, it is standing in for that John wrote his first book.
Conveyed meaning:
THAT JOHN WROTE HIS FIRST BOOK was not until last year.

A: It was widely anticipated that the time spent...would decrease.
Here, the referent for it is the that-clause in red.
Conveyed meaning:
That the time spent...would decrease was widely anticipated.

akash singhal wrote:Thanks for the explanation
But my doubt was that we know
'As' is used to compare two verbs in two different clauses....
whereas like is used to compare two nouns..
Here, automobile and horses are nouns how is such a comparison possible????

One purpose of as is to convey that two actions took place CONCURRENTLY.
A: As automobiles replaced horses, it was widely anticipated that the time spent in transit would decrease.
Here, as correctly serves to convey that the two actions in red (replaced and was widely anticipated) took place at the same time.

Thanks a ton Mitch. You basically cleared one of my undetected doubts about it. I saved your comment on EXPLETIVE as a future reference

~Binit.