boomers

[imskpwr]

Having provided for life's basic necessities and having seen their children off into the world, the Baby Boomers are now more affluent, with more cash left over for discretionary spending.

(A) Having provided for life's basic necessities and having seen their children off into the world

(B) Having provided for life's basic necessities and seeing their children off into the world

(C) Having life's basic necessities provided for and their children being seen off into the world

(D) Although they have provided for life's necessities and seen their children off into the world

(E) Despite having provided for life's basic necessities and having seen their children off into the world

Please explain your answers.

[patanjali.purpose]

Having provided for life's basic necessities and having seen their children off into the world, the Baby Boomers are now more affluent, with more cash left over for discretionary spending.

(A) Having provided for life's basic necessities and having seen their children off into the world

(B) Having provided for life's basic necessities and seeing their children off into the world

(C) Having life's basic necessities provided for and their children being seen off into the world

(D) Although they have provided for life's necessities and seen their children off into the world

(E) Despite having provided for life's basic necessities and having seen their children off into the world

Please explain your answers.

E - use of DESPITE changes the meaning; original sentence makes a positive statement about baby boomers, but DESPITE makes it negative

D - use of ALTHOUGH (same as E)

C - elements connected by AND are not parallel; HAVING...NECESSITIES and THEIR CHILDREN BEING..

B - same as C; it also changes the meaning HAVING PROVIDED...and SEEING (seeing conveys the meaning that baby boomers are seeing their children now)

IMO A

A - all elements parallel

[imskpwr]

E - use of DESPITE changes the meaning; original sentence makes a positive statement about baby boomers, but DESPITE makes it negative

D - use of ALTHOUGH (same as E)

Can you tell me how it is positive. I still feel it's negative and that why I picked a wrong option.

[patanjali.purpose]

E - use of DESPITE changes the meaning; original sentence makes a positive statement about baby boomers, but DESPITE makes it negative

D - use of ALTHOUGH (same as E)

Can you tell me how it is positive. I still feel it's negative and that why I picked a wrong option.

When to use "although", "despite", "in spite of", "though", and "even though"

Those words have the same meaning that is to describe the idea of contrast. But there's a little difference of using them.

Although is used before a full sentence

Although John has studied hard, his English is not better yet.
Note: John has studied hard is a full sentence that consists of a subject + Verb + object

Despite or in spite of is used before a phrase

Despite rough weather, John still comes on time.
In spite of rough weather, John still comes on time.
Note: Rough weather is a phrase/not a full sentence

Source: https://chescoern.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12 ... spite.html

Having described the use of ALTHOUGH and DESPITE, lets see the original sentence (WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS SENTENCE: positive/negative). Use of HAVING DESCRIBED just says that I HAVE JUST DESCRIBED THE USE OF XXXX, LETS US NOW LOOK FOR SOMETHING ELSE. This sentence does not show any CONTRAST. The use of ALTHOUGH/DESPITE intends to convey CONTRAST.

[GmatKiss]

IMO: A