OG-10-SC-103

[paes]

Students in the metropolitan school district lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming ever more dependent on information-based industries.

(A) lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming
(B) lack math skills to a large enough degree that they will be difficult to absorb into a city's economy that becomes
(C) lack of math skills is so large as to be difficult to absorb them into a city's economy that becomes
(D) are lacking so much in math skills as to be difficult to absorb into a city's economy becoming
(E) are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming

[spoiler]Please explain D and E.
I am always confuse between the Idion 'so...as' and 'so ....that..'[/spoiler]

[uwhusky]

This is unfortunately not an idiom related question.

You are "so" lazy! --> "You are lazy" with more emphasis.

It's like the emphasizer "do": I do like you. --> "I like you" with more emphasis.

You are so lacking, and lacking so much...

The idiom you're thinking of is:

His knowledge springs not so much from experience as from schooling.

[this_time_i_will]

Please note that the constructs- so...as to & such...as to-are wrong.

[paes]

Please note that the constructs- so...as to & such...as to-are wrong.

'such...as' is wrong.
'so ...as' is not wrong.

see a example from OG

Often major economic shifts are so gradual as to be indistinguishable at first from ordinary fluctuations in the financial markets.

[paes]

This is unfortunately not an idiom related question.

You are "so" lazy! --> "You are lazy" with more emphasis.

It's like the emphasizer "do": I do like you. --> "I like you" with more emphasis.

You are so lacking, and lacking so much...

The idiom you're thinking of is:

His knowledge springs not so much from experience as from schooling.

I didn't get you fully.

'so..as' is a correct idiom.

some examples from OG:
Often major economic shifts are so gradual as to be indistinguishable at first from ordinary fluctuations in the financial markets.

The Emperor Augustus, it appears, commissioned an idealized sculptured portrait, the features of which are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an "artificial

[this_time_i_will]

Please note that the constructs- so...as to & such...as to-are wrong.

'such...as' is wrong.
'so ...as' is not wrong.

see a example from OG

Often major economic shifts are so gradual as to be indistinguishable at first from ordinary fluctuations in the financial markets.

Please have a look at the explanation for option C in Q#37 (OG-12)

[ru2008]

Is A the answer?

[paes]

Is A the answer?

OA is E.

[GMATGuruNY]

Students in the metropolitan school district lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming ever more dependent on information-based industries.

(A) lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming
(B) lack math skills to a large enough degree that they will be difficult to absorb into a city's economy that becomes
(C) lack of math skills is so large as to be difficult to absorb them into a city's economy that becomes
(D) are lacking so much in math skills as to be difficult to absorb into a city's economy becoming
(E) are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming

[spoiler]Please explain D and E.
I am always confuse between the Idion 'so...as' and 'so ....that..'[/spoiler]

Quickest approach:

The economy is ever more dependent, so the verb becomes in B and C should be becoming in order to reflect that the action is continuous. Eliminate B and C.

The following idioms are correct:

so X as to Y
so X that Y

In A, such a large degree as to make is not the correct idiom; the correct idiom would be so large a degree as to make. Eliminate A.

In D, lacking so much in math skills as to be difficult is not the correct idiom; the correct idiom would be so lacking in math skills as to be difficult. Eliminate D.

The correct answer is E, which uses the idiom so X that Y: so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult.

Hope this helps!

[paes]

Thanks Guru.
explanation is really helpful to discard D.

[paes]

This is unfortunately not an idiom related question.

You are "so" lazy! --> "You are lazy" with more emphasis.

It's like the emphasizer "do": I do like you. --> "I like you" with more emphasis.

You are so lacking, and lacking so much...

The idiom you're thinking of is:

His knowledge springs not so much from experience as from schooling.

Thanks uwhusky.
I understood your explanation after reading Mitch's explanation

[FightWithGMAT]

Students in the metropolitan school district lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming ever more dependent on information-based industries.

(A) lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming
(B) lack math skills to a large enough degree that they will be difficult to absorb into a city's economy that becomes
(C) lack of math skills is so large as to be difficult to absorb them into a city's economy that becomes
(D) are lacking so much in math skills as to be difficult to absorb into a city's economy becoming
(E) are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming

[spoiler]Please explain D and E.
I am always confuse between the Idion 'so...as' and 'so ....that..'[/spoiler]

Quickest approach:

The economy is ever more dependent, so the verb becomes in B and C should be becoming in order to reflect that the action is continuous. Eliminate B and C.

The following idioms are correct:

so X as to Y
so X that Y

In A, such a large degree as to make is not the correct idiom; the correct idiom would be so large a degree as to make. Eliminate A.

In D, lacking so much in math skills as to be difficult is not the correct idiom; the correct idiom would be so lacking in math skills as to be difficult. Eliminate D.

The correct answer is E, which uses the idiom so X that Y: so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult.

Hope this helps!

Why "them" is not ambiguous here??

[GMATGuruNY]

Why "them" is not ambiguous here??

Here's E:

Students in the metropolitan school district are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming ever more dependent on information-based industries.

The pronoun them must be replacing a plural noun. The only options are students and skills. We know that them refers to students because:

-- Students is the subject of the sentence.

-- If them were referring to skills, the sentence would be saying that it will be difficult to absorb math skills into a city economy, and this statement makes no sense.

[inactived]

Students in the metropolitan school district lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming ever more dependent on information-based industries.

(A) lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming
(B) lack math skills to a large enough degree that they will be difficult to absorb into a city's economy that becomes
(C) lack of math skills is so large as to be difficult to absorb them into a city's economy that becomes
(D) are lacking so much in math skills as to be difficult to absorb into a city's economy becoming
(E) are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming

Can anyone explain the usage or meaning difference(s) between "a city's economy" and "a city economy" in this question? Apart from other reasoning, e.g. idioms (so X that Y, so X as to Y, enough), verb, etc., can we eliminate possibly wrong answer choice by splitting 2/3 - "a city's economy" & "a city economy"?

Many thanks