Knewton SC - Electron Size

[rohu27]

In the last few decades, physicists have identified the existence of different "flavors" of subatomic particles called quarks, most of them as small or smaller than the electron, which display a property known as color charge.

a)most of them as small or smaller than the electron, which display
b)most of them as small or smaller than the electron and displaying
c)mostly as small or smaller than the electron, displaying
d)mostly at least as small as the electron, which display
e)most of them at least as small as the electron, displaying

Please provide explanation for your answer choice.

[bubbliiiiiiii]

In the last few decades, physicists have identified the existence of different "flavors" of subatomic particles called quarks, most of them as small or smaller than the electron, which display a property known as color charge.

In my opinion,

Subject: Physicists, Verb: have
most of them may refer to physicists or quarks
which refers to electron whereas it should refer to quarks.


a)most of them as small or smaller than the electron, which display - as given above.
b)most of them as small or smaller than the electron and displaying
c)mostly as small or smaller than the electron, displaying
modifies the quarks, shows a characteristic of quarks.
d)mostly at least as small as the electron, which display
e)most of them at least as small as the electron, displaying
D and E change the comparison of original sentence. Comparison is as small or smaller than not atleast as small as.

Please correct incase wrong.

[force5]

rohu for me E

a)most of them as small or smaller than the electron, which display
b)most of them as small or smaller than the electron and displaying
c)mostly as small or smaller than the electron, displaying
d)mostly at least as small as the electron, which display
e)most of them at least as small as the electron, displaying

now between C and E. The problem with C is incorrect comparison. As small.... than - is an incorrect way to do comparison.

E is doing the correct comparison. quarks ....as small as.....electron
Hence E

cheers

[HSPA]

as small as electron is the correct construction. +1 for E

[atulmangal]

IMO E,

But i want to ask one question...In Op C...the use of mostly is correct or not??? if yes, then what it is modifying ???

[HSPA]

atleast / mostly : these words are nearly in sync with word "nearly"

electron - noun
small electron - adj+noun
mostly - adverb

how to reflect this on small...

[rohu27]

OA is indeed E,
another approach is to identify the idiom : as X as Y
u can nail it dwn to D and E then.

@Atul,
here is the OE for C:

Choice C improperly uses the adverb mostly, which seems to describe how small the quarks are and not the number of quarks that are as small as the electron.
HTH

[AIM GMAT]

Thanks rohu for bring up this question .

IMO E .

Is this also a variant of " increasing / increasingly " question ?

According to me there are 3 check points to attack this question i.e idiom , first comma modifier and second comma modifier.

@Atul - Right question . I too wondered the same . Well as per my understanding mostly is modifying quarks and the use is not correct in option C . The reason being that an adverb cannot modify nouns .Now question arises whether MOST is adjective or not ? That i am not sure of , i did some googling couldnt find any thing concrete. Will post in case get anything related to this issue .


-- Most is not adj . It is superlative form of 'much' , used as pronoun , determiner and adverb. Now i have added some more source to digging more deep .

[atulmangal]

@ Rohu

@Atul,
here is the OE for C:

Choice C improperly uses the adverb mostly, which seems to describe how small the quarks are and not the number of quarks that are as small as the electron.
HTH

I think the sentence demands us this same thing i.e "how small the quarks are" not the "the number of quarks" as u suggested...as because of this size thing only certain property was shown...Moreover i think even Op E reflects the same meaning as Op C...please correct me if m wrong

Guys my approach was...i find that only Op C and Op E is using COMMA + DISPLAYING and thats correct others using which etc are wrong...b/w Op C and E i was really confused but i thought that its better to pick Op E as this option contains "at least as small as"...rather than picking up "as small or smaller than" this construction

[Target2009]

+1 to E.

[bubbliiiiiiii]

Hi All,

Can someone please clarify what mistake made me think the following?

D and E change the comparison of original sentence. Comparison is as small or smaller than not atleast as small as.

[aspirant2011]

Hi Bubliii,

you never say "as small than it" you always say "as small as it" in order to make the proper comparison........and also the idiom is "as x as y".............