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by gmat_perfect » Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:31 am
According to some economists, the July decrease in unemployment so that it was the lowest in two years suggests that the gradual improvement in the job market is continuing.

(A) so that it was the lowest in two years
(B) so that it was the lowest two-year rate
(C) to what would be the lowest in two years
(D) to a two-year low level
(E) to the lowest level in two years

Why are the wrong options wrong?

Please explain/
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by kvcpk » Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:45 am
Is the OA D?
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by anin » Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:56 am
gmat_perfect wrote:According to some economists, the July decrease in unemployment so that it was the lowest in two years suggests that the gradual improvement in the job market is continuing.

(A) so that it was the lowest in two years
(B) so that it was the lowest two-year rate
(C) to what would be the lowest in two years
(D) to a two-year low level
(E) to the lowest level in two years

Why are the wrong options wrong?

Please explain/
'so that' is wrong. So that rules out A & B.
'to what' is awkward. So that rules out C
Between D & E - E sounds better because improvement is continuing.

So IMO its E.
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by hardik.jadeja » Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:30 pm
The fight is only between D and E. Rest of the choices are unnecessarily wordy.

I pick E because in D, the phrase "two-year low level" looks unidiomatic and awkward.

Hope that helps..
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by muralithe1 » Sat Jul 31, 2010 8:57 pm
The answer is E..but not D...D changes the meaning of the sentence.


According to OG:

D could mean either that in July unemployment decreased to the lowest level in two years (which presumably is the intended meaning), or it could mean that in July unemployment decreased to a low level, where it will stay for two years.
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by Shawshank » Sat Jul 31, 2010 10:08 pm
STILL NOT SURE.... CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN.. WHY E IS BETTER THAN D
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by gmat_perfect » Sun Aug 01, 2010 12:44 am
Shawshank wrote:STILL NOT SURE.... CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN.. WHY E IS BETTER THAN D
Ron has explained the option D as follows:

The principal objection here is that the meaning is unclear: for instance, a 'two-year low level' could mean that it hit a low level and then stayed there for two years. I don't think it's 'unidiomatic' enough to kill it based on idiomatic usage alone; the ambiguity is the real problem.

My preferred wording for phrases like this is 'unemployment decreased ... to its lowest level in two years.' But, as usual, choices between 2 acceptable styles are matters of opinion.
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