OG Question - jumbo rocket

[paridhi]

The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.

(A) The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.
(B) The development of a new jumbo rocket is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration and be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit at a lower cost than the space shuttle.
(C) The new development of a jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit at a lower cost than the space shuttle.
(D) A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle can, and at a lower cost.
(E) A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and to cost less.

OA is D
Can somebody please post the explanation for the elimination of A?

[martin.jonson007]

Undisputely D

B'coz this is the only sentence which talk abt the verb of 2nd half part.. i.e. than the space shuttle

which is CAN

-> next phase of space exploration will be IS COMPARED TO WHAT space shuttle can do

i.e. WILL BE vs. CAN DO -> RIGHT

UNLIKE

next phase of space exploration will be vs. space shuttle -> WRONG

In short, You can compare VERB with VERB

and noun with noun

You can't compare verb with noun and viceversa.

IN all option apart from D, VERB (WILL BE ) is compared with noun i.e. Space shuttle wch is ofcourse wrong


hope it helps...

[vivek1110]

Option is A is grammatically incorrect.

(A) The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.

The "will be.." part requires some punctuation, and could have been framed better.

[fitzgerald23]

(A) The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.

The easiest way to eliminate A is to take out all the excess which leaves you with:

The development...will be able to deliver a heavier load ...than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.

The development cant deliver anything. Its the jumbo rocket that can deliver the instruments. So you can eliminate A based on that.

[RumpelThickSkin]

(A) The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.

The easiest way to eliminate A is to take out all the excess which leaves you with:

The development...will be able to deliver a heavier load ...than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.

The development cant deliver anything. Its the jumbo rocket that can deliver the instruments. So you can eliminate A based on that.

absoultely!!!

this is one of those 10 -20 second solution questions. A, B & C eliminated in an instant.

[paridhi]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Actually I too would have chosen D but for A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration - what i understood from the statement was as if it was saying the jumbo rocket is expected to carry US - which is not correct.

can someone please explain....

I also have some doubts on comparison being done in the OA. For explaining my confusion I will quote another OG Question

Salt deposits and moisture threaten to destroy the mhenjo-daro excavation in Pakistan, the site of an ancient civilization that that flourished at the same time as the civilizations in the Nile delta and the river valleys of Tigris and Euphrates.

a. same
b. that had flourished at the same time as had the civilizations.
c. that flourished at the same time those had
d. flourishing at the same time as those did
e. flourishing at the same time as those were

Here OA is A whereas I had chosen B because only in B it appropriately compares flourishing of Mohen jo daro and the other civilizations in the Nile...

Please explain.

[paes]

A, B, C are out because of the absurd meaning.

But I am unable to select D over E.

See E :

A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and to cost less.

1. comparison is right here
-- 'than the space shuttle' , I agree that the verb is missing here. But it is not necessary to put a verb here. See the following sentence
I am taller than he.
I am taller than he is. : both statements are correct.

2. E is maintaining the parallelism

will be able 'to deliver ...' and 'to cost less'

In D :
I am unable to understand 'and at a lower cost' -> is parallel to what ?

Somebody please explain.

[kevincanspain]

The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.

(A) The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.
(B) The development of a new jumbo rocket is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration and be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit at a lower cost than the space shuttle.
(C) The new development of a jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit at a lower cost than the space shuttle.
(D) A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle can, and (DO SO) at a lower cost (THAN THE SPACE SHUTTLE CAN).
(E) A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, (CAN OR WILL?) and to cost less (WILL BE ABLE TO COST LESS ??? --- ungrammatical).

[paes]

Thanks Kevin.
A good explanation to select between D and E.

[agganitk]

In option D, the AND is preceded by comma. AND is acting as coordinating conjuction, which is used to connect two independent clauses. How come the construction ", AND AT A LOWER COST" is right?

[gmat_perfect]

(E) A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and to cost less.

I make skull of this sentence.

Jumbo rocket will be able to deliver a heavier load than S. shuttle ( can do).

=> In the option E, CAN DO is missing.

It changes the meaning of the sentence.

And hence, option E is out.

[ankitp]

In option D, the AND is preceded by comma. AND is acting as coordinating conjuction, which is used to connect two independent clauses. How come the construction ", AND AT A LOWER COST" is right?

Can someone answer this? I'm also tripped up on the AND

[mundasingh123]

@Kevin

(D) A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle can, and (DO SO) at a lower cost (THAN THE SPACE SHUTTLE CAN).

WRT The phrase "at a lower cost " "Dont U think that D is not clear about cost comparison
What i mean is
The rocket can carry a heavier load at a cost lower than the cost of WHAT
Thanks

[Target2009]

The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.

(A) The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.
Incorrect : Its Rocket that is expected to carry... not the development is expected to carry..

(B) The development of a new jumbo rocket is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration and be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit at a lower cost than the space shuttle.
Incorrect: Same as above

(C) The new development of a jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit at a lower cost than the space shuttle.
Incorrect: Development ...will be able to deliver..

(D) A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle can, and at a lower cost.
Correct

(E) A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and to cost less.
Incorrect: and to cost less.

IMO D

[rohit56]

The challenge here is to revise the sentence and present a complex idea as simply as possible. What will deliver the instruments into orbit? They will be delivered not by the development of a rocket but rather by the rocket itself; the jumbo rocket, not its development, must be the subject of the sentence. The phrase a heavier load of instruments than the space shuttle suggests a comparison between the load of instruments and the shuttle, whereas it is actually the different capabilities of the rocket and the shuttle that are being compared. The comparison should be written: The jumbo rocket will be able to deliver a heavier load...than the space shuttle can. That is used to introduce restrictive clauses; such clauses are essential to the meaning of a sentence. The that is expected...exploration clause is not essential; it should be introduced by which and set off with commas.

(A) The subject should be the rocket, not its development; verb can is needed after space shuttle to create a correct comparison; that should be replaced by whichand the clause should be set off with commas
(B) The subject should be the rocket, not its development; verb can is needed after space shuttle to create a correct comparison
(C) The subject should be the rocket, not its development; verb can is needed after space shuttle to create a correct comparison
(D) Correct. The rocket is the subject of this sentence; the comparison between the rocket and the shuttle is clear; the nonrestrictive clause is correctly introduced and punctuated. Hence, D is the answer.
(E) Verb can is needed after space shuttle to create a correct comparison; to cost less is confusing because it seems to parallel to deliver