SC-89 from OG 12

This topic has expert replies
Source: — Sentence Correction |

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 646
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 7:08 am
Thanked: 322 times
Followed by:143 members

by Kasia@EconomistGMAT » Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:38 pm
@kshism
Could you write again which answer seems better than the OA in your opinion?
Kasia
Senior Instructor
Master GMAT - the #1 rated GMAT course

"¢ If you found my post helpful, please click the "thank" button and/or follow me.

"¢ Take a 7 day free trial and find out why Economist GMAT is the highest rated GMAT course - https://gmat.economist.com/

"¢ Read GMAT Economist reviews - https://reviews.beatthegmat.com/economis ... mat-course

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:17 am

by kshism » Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:50 pm
its hidden, plz highlight the text by selecting it.

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 434
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:42 pm
Location: Bangalore, India
Thanked: 91 times
Followed by:46 members

by EducationAisle » Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:54 pm
D seems to compare:

a) How much it costs to maintain dirt roads with
b) How much paved roads cost

So, D is not comparing the maintenance costs of the two types of roads. Would have been better if D had been:

maintaining dirt roads costs twice as much as it does for maintaing paved roads

Not that this is an ideal sentence, but at least the comparison is logical.

If this is still not clear, you might want to google, am sure this example has beaten to death multiple times: ).
Ashish
MBA - ISB, GMAT - 99th Percentile
GMAT Faculty @ EducationAisle
www.EducationAisle.com

Sentence Correction Nirvana available at:

a) Amazon: Sentence Correction Nirvana

b) Flipkart: Sentence Correction Nirvana

Now! Preview the entire Grammar Section of Sentence Correction Nirvana at pothi

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:09 am
Dirt roads may evoke the bucolic simplicity of another century, but financially strained township point out that dirt roads cost twice as much maintaining paved roads.

A.
B. dirt roads cost twice as much to maintain as paved roads do
C. maintaining dirt roads costs twice as much as paved roads do
d. maintaining dirt roads costs twice as much as it does for paved roads
e. to maintain dirt roads costs twice as much as for paved roads

Why can't D be correct?
In D, it seems to refer to the entire phrase MAINTAINING DIRT ROADS.
Does is standing in for costs.
Thus, the implied meaning makes no sense: MAINTAINING DIRT ROADS costs twice as much as MAINTAINING DIRT ROADS costs for PAVED ROADS.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3

Legendary Member
Posts: 944
Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 8:21 am
Thanked: 8 times
Followed by:5 members

by RBBmba@2014 » Fri Feb 12, 2016 12:12 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
Dirt roads may evoke the bucolic simplicity of another century, but financially strained township point out that dirt roads cost twice as much maintaining paved roads.

A.
B. dirt roads cost twice as much to maintain as paved roads do
C. maintaining dirt roads costs twice as much as paved roads do
d. maintaining dirt roads costs twice as much as it does for paved roads
e. to maintain dirt roads costs twice as much as for paved roads

Why can't D be correct?
In D, it seems to refer to the entire phrase MAINTAINING DIRT ROADS.
Does is standing in for costs.
Thus, the implied meaning makes no sense: MAINTAINING DIRT ROADS costs twice as much as MAINTAINING DIRT ROADS costs for PAVED ROADS.
GMATGuruNY - a quick clarification needed.

The ABOVE is TRUE because the referent of a SUBJECT PRONOUN (such as IT) MUST be the NOUN Subject in the preceding clause + any attached Modifier to that NOUN Subject.

Am I correct or there is any other possible interpretation to this issue ?

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Feb 12, 2016 6:38 am
RBBmba@2014 wrote:
GMATGuruNY wrote:d. maintaining dirt roads costs twice as much as it does for paved roads

In D, it seems to refer to the entire phrase MAINTAINING DIRT ROADS.
Does is standing in for costs.
Thus, the implied meaning makes no sense: MAINTAINING DIRT ROADS costs twice as much as MAINTAINING DIRT ROADS costs for PAVED ROADS.
GMATGuruNY - a quick clarification needed.

The ABOVE is TRUE because the referent of a SUBJECT PRONOUN (such as IT) MUST be the NOUN Subject in the preceding clause + any attached Modifier to that NOUN Subject.
In D, dirt roads serves not as a modifier but as the DIRECT OBJECT of maintaining.
That said, similar reasoning applies:
The subject pronoun in the second clause (it) must serve to refer not only to the preceding subject (maintaining) but also to the attached direct object (dirt roads).
Thus
it = maintaining dirt roads.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3

User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 11:11 am

by sagarock » Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:45 am
Hii mitch sir,kindly elaborate on this construction 'as much to maintain as' with examples .iam finding difficult to come in terms with it

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Sep 16, 2016 3:14 am
sagarock wrote:Hii mitch sir,kindly elaborate on this construction 'as much to maintain as' with examples .iam finding difficult to come in terms with it
Generally, an infinitive modifier serves to express INTENT or PURPOSE.
An OA in GMATPrep:
Frogs take three years to reach adulthood.
Question: WHY do frogs take three years?
Answer: They take three years TO REACH ADULTHOOD.

OA: Dirt roads cost twice as much to maintain as paved roads do.
Here, as much as serves to compare the cost of dirt roads to the cost of paved roads, as follows:
Dirt roads cost twice as much as paved roads.
The purpose of to maintain is to express WHY dirt roads cost twice as much.
Question: WHY do dirt roads cost twice as much?
Answer: They cost twice as much TO MAINTAIN.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3

• Page 1 of 1