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To Screen Women - Economist CAT

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To Screen Women - Economist CAT

by Tmoni26 » Fri Jan 23, 2015 9:07 am
To screen women for colorectal cancer, the use of either colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable although a recent study shows that this is the preferred method

A. or flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable although a recent study shows that this
B. and flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable although a recent study shows that colonoscopy
C. or performing flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable although a recent study shows that the former
D. or flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable although a recent study shows that the former
E. or flexible sigmoidoscopy is an acceptable method although a recent study shows that colonoscopy

OA - D

This is from the Economist CAT.

I will leave this for about an hour or 2, then I would ask my question and post the answer.

Thanks to Marty Murray, I can now block the OA...
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by GMATGuruNY » Fri Jan 23, 2015 10:37 am
Tmoni26 wrote:To screen women for colorectal cancer, the use of either colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable although a recent study shows that this is the preferred method

A. or flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable although a recent study shows that this
B. and flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable although a recent study shows that colonoscopy
C. or performing flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable although a recent study shows that the former
D. or flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable although a recent study shows that the former
E. or flexible sigmoidoscopy is an acceptable method although a recent study shows that colonoscopy
In A, this lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate A.

In B, either...and is unidiomatic.
The correct idiom is either X or Y.
Eliminate B.

Either X or Y must serve to connect PARALLEL FORMS.
C: either colonoscopy or performing flexible sigmoidoscopy
Here, colonoscopy (noun) and performing flexible sigmoidoscopy (VERBing + direct object) are not parallel forms.
Eliminate C.

E: the USE...is an acceptable METHOD
Here, use and method seem redundant.
Eliminate E.

An introductory infinitive modifier (to + VERB) should serve to express the intent of the SUBJECT of the following clause.
SC42 in the OG13:
To develop more accurate population forecasts, demographers would have to know a great deal more than they do now.
Here, to develop (an introductory infinitive modifier) correctly serves to express the intent of demographers (the subject of the following clause).
Conveyed meaning:
DEMOGRAPHERS intend TO DEVELOP more accurate population forecasts.

OA: To screen women for colorectal cancer, the use...is acceptable.
Here, to screen (an introductory infinitive modifier) seems to refer to the use (the subject of the following clause), implying that THE USE intends TO SCREEN women.
Since the use cannot have an intent, this sentence is not viable.
I would ignore this SC.
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by ceilidh.erickson » Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:39 am
Mitch is right - this is a very poorly written SC question. I would avoid studying from this source.

On GMAT SC, an initial modifier must be followed by the thing that it's modifying. Here are some OG examples (examples of the correct answers, not necessarily the originals):

#65: Digging in sediments in Northern China, scientists have gathered...

#88: Often visible as smog, ozone is formed...

#110: Published in Harlem, The Messenger was owned...

In the example sentence you gave, we have the initial modifier "to screen women for colorectal cancer." What follows the modifier needs to be a PERSON (or entity) who is doing the screening.

E.g: To screen women for colorectal cancer, DOCTORS can use either colonoscopy...

Disregard any sources that publish un-GMAT-like material.
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