Sentence Correction

There is a widespread belief in the United States and Western Europe that young people have a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents and that the source of the change lies in the collapse of the "work ethic."

(A) a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents
(B) less of a commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents
(C) a smaller commitment to work and a career than that of their parents and grandparents
(D) less of a commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents had
(E) a lessening of the commitment to work and a career that their parents and grandparents had

[spoiler]OA: Will be posted later. Have two doubts in option C i.e

1. Isn't the usage of smaller better than less?
2. Isn't that in option C relate to commitment to work and a career, so that the latter part of the sentence becomes commitment to work and a career of their parents and grandparents????[/spoiler]

There is a widespread belief in the United States and Western Europe that young people have a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents and that the source of the change lies in the collapse of the "work ethic."

(A) a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents
(B) less of a commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents
(C) a smaller commitment to work and a career than that of their parents and grandparents
(D) less of a commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents had
(E) a lessening of the commitment to work and a career that their parents and grandparents had

OA looks like D. Only D and E have "had" which is key, all others compare work and career to parents and grandparents! A lessening of the commitment is awkward.

I think D.

I think you can be more committed or less committed to something. But smaller/larger doesn't seem to work with something intangible such as "commitment"

Also, D has 'had' which is parallel to 'young people have...'

Please answer my doubt asked in the question.......

@aspirant2011 : less commintment is better here.
Hence we can over look option C too

navami wrote:@aspirant2011 : less commintment is better here.
Hence we can over look option C too

what about the second doubt. Please answer that also.

aspirant2011 wrote:

navami wrote:@aspirant2011 : less commintment is better here.
Hence we can over look option C too

what about the second doubt. Please answer that also.

You are right. that refers to commitment. Option C is wrongly comparing young people with commitment, which is wrong.

smackmartine wrote:

aspirant2011 wrote:

navami wrote:@aspirant2011 : less commintment is better here.
Hence we can over look option C too

what about the second doubt. Please answer that also.

You are right. that refers to commitment. Option C is wrongly comparing young people with commitment, which is wrong.

Thnks a lot smackmartine, I got it

aspirant2011 wrote:
1. Isn't the usage of smaller better than less?

Not enough different to matter. Commitments can be measured in size (a big commitment, a great commitment, a small commitment, etc.) or as uncountable entities (less of a commitment, more of a commitment, etc.). Either one could play a part in the right answer and the GMAT will always -- as here -- provide another difference through which to identify the right answer.

Hi Guys.

I don't understand what's wrong with option C here..

'a smaller commitment to work and a career than that of their parents and grandparents'. Doesn't 'that' refer to commitment??

Regards,
Amit

gmat_for_life wrote:Hi Guys.

I don't understand what's wrong with option C here..

'a smaller commitment to work and a career than that of their parents and grandparents'. Doesn't 'that' refer to commitment??

Regards,
Amit

Consider a simpler sentence: I have less money than Tom has. Seems okay. Now consider: I have less money than that of Tom. "That" seems to refer to money, but this doesn't make any sense. How can I have less money than Tom's money has? It sounds as though Tom's money is a subject that has its own money.

Same problem here. I can write: Jim has less of a commitment to democracy than Jon has. But it's not correct to write: Jim has less of a commitment to democracy than that of Jon, because now it sounds as though Jim has less of a commitment to democracy than Jon's commitment to democracy has. (Does Jon's commitment to democracy have its own commitment??)