Cost of education

[AnjaliOberoi]

Most of Portugal's 250,000 university students boycotted classes in a one-day strike to protest a
law that requires them to contribute $330 a year toward the cost of higher education, previously
paying $7 per year.
A. year toward the cost of higher education, previously paying $7 per year
B. year toward the cost of higher education, for which was previously paid $7 per year
C. year, compared to the previously $7 per year, toward the cost of higher education
D. year toward the cost of higher education, instead of the $7 per year required previously
E. year as opposed to the $7 per year required previously for the cost of higher education

OA D

[theCodeToGMAT]

Most of Portugal's 250,000 university students boycotted classes in a one-day strike to protest a law that requires them to contribute $330 a year toward the cost of higher education, previously paying $7 per year.
A. year toward the cost of higher education, previously paying $7 per year
INCORRECT; the red part should have modify students

B. year toward the cost of higher education, for which was previously paid $7 per year
INCORRECT; awkward construct

C. year, compared to the previously $7 per year, toward the cost of higher education
INCORRECT; "7 per year" is noun so we need adjective.

D. year toward the cost of higher education, instead of the $7 per year required previously

E. year as opposed to the $7 per year required previously for the cost of higher education
INCORRECT; meaning has changed.

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Hi AnjaliOberoi,

This SC implies a "comparison", which means that we'll need to use "parallelism" rules.

The first part of the sentence uses the phrase "contribute $330....", but we don't know what the students are contributing to/towards, so the sentence NEEDS to clarify that point; the phrase "...toward the cost of higher education" cleans that up. Eliminate C and E.

The second part of the sentence compares $7 to $330, but MUST also parallel the first part (so the second phrase also must mention what the $7 was for). Eliminate A and B.

The phrase "required previously" provides enough context to compare the current contribution to the past contribution.

Final Answer: D

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich