GMAT Prep QP1 : In the English-Speaking world Anton

[NandishSS]

In the English-Speaking world Anton Chekhov is by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that Chekhov's stories made him popular while his plays were given a more ambivalent reception, even by his fellow writers.

(A) by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that
(B) by far better known for his plays than he was for his short stories, but during his lifetime
(C) known far better for his plays than he was for his short stories, but during his lifetime
(D) far better known for his plays than were his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that
(E) far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but during his lifetime

HI Guru, Experts,

Can you please me with this problem? How do we eliminate POE by Verb Tense and Comparison?

Thanks
Nandish

[GMATGuruNY]

In the English-Speaking world Anton Chekhov is by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that Chekhov's stories made him popular while his plays were given a more ambivalent reception, even by his fellow writers.

(A) by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that
(B) by far better known for his plays than he was for his short stories, but during his lifetime
(C) known far better for his plays than he was for his short stories, but during his lifetime
(D) far better known for his plays than were his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that
(E) far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but during his lifetime

HI Guru, Experts,

Can you please me with this problem? How do we eliminate POE by Verb Tense and Comparison?

Thanks
Nandish

The COMPARATIVE form of an adjective serves to compare two things:
Adam is TALLER than Bob.
Chocolate is MORE POPULAR than vanilla.

The SUPERLATIVE form of an adjective serves to indicate the MOST EXTREME member of a group:
Adam is the TALLEST member of the team.
Chocolate is the MOST POPULAR flavor of ice cream.

Generally, by far serves to modify a SUPERLATIVE:
John is BY FAR the TALLEST member of the team.
Chocolate is the MOST POPULAR flavor of ice cream BY FAR.

To modify a COMPARATIVE, far is sufficient:
Chocolate is FAR MORE POPULAR than vanilla.

A and B: by far better known.
Here, by far incorrectly serves to modify a comparative (better known).
Eliminate A and B.

C: better known for his plays than he was
D: better known for his plays than were
In each of these comparisons, the portion in red is not parallel with the portion in blue.
Eliminate C and D.

The correct answer is E.

[gui_guimaraes]

In the English-Speaking world Anton Chekhov is by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that Chekhov's stories made him popular while his plays were given a more ambivalent reception, even by his fellow writers.

(A) by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that
(B) by far better known for his plays than he was for his short stories, but during his lifetime
(C) known far better for his plays than he was for his short stories, but during his lifetime
(D) far better known for his plays than were his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that
(E) far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but during his lifetime

HI Guru, Experts,

Can you please me with this problem? How do we eliminate POE by Verb Tense and Comparison?

Thanks
Nandish

The COMPARATIVE form of an adjective serves to compare two things:
Adam is TALLER than Bob.
Chocolate is MORE POPULAR than vanilla.

The SUPERLATIVE form of an adjective serves to indicate the MOST EXTREME member of a group:
Adam is the TALLEST member of the team.
Chocolate is the MOST POPULAR flavor of ice cream.

Generally, by far serves to modify a SUPERLATIVE:
John is BY FAR the TALLEST member of the team.
Chocolate is the MOST POPULAR flavor of ice cream BY FAR.

To modify a COMPARATIVE, far is sufficient:
Chocolate is FAR MORE POPULAR than vanilla.

A and B: by far better known.
Here, by far incorrectly serves to modify a comparative (better known).
Eliminate A and B.

C: better known for his plays than he was
D: better known for his plays than were
In each of these comparisons, the portion in red is not parallel with the portion in blue.
Eliminate C and D.

The correct answer is E.

Hi Mitch! @GMATGuruNY

What about the end of the sentences? ",but..." Can you explain the differences among them? Tks!

[GMATGuruNY]

In the English-Speaking world Anton Chekhov is by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that Chekhov's stories made him popular while his plays were given a more ambivalent reception, even by his fellow writers.

(A) by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that
(B) by far better known for his plays than he was for his short stories, but during his lifetime
(C) known far better for his plays than he was for his short stories, but during his lifetime
(D) far better known for his plays than were his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that
(E) far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but during his lifetime

Hi Mitch! @GMATGuruNY

What about the end of the sentences? ",but..." Can you explain the differences among them? Tks!

A: Anton Chekhov is by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that Chekhov's stories made him popular.
Here, it is a placeholder pronoun standing in for the that-clause in blue.
Conveyed meaning:
Anton Chekhov is by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but that Chekhov's stories made him popular was during his lifetime.
It is illogical to express a contrast between the subject in blue (a person) and the subject in red (a that-clause).
Eliminate A.

The same reasoning can be used to eliminate D.

[gui_guimaraes]

In the English-Speaking world Anton Chekhov is by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that Chekhov's stories made him popular while his plays were given a more ambivalent reception, even by his fellow writers.

(A) by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that
(B) by far better known for his plays than he was for his short stories, but during his lifetime
(C) known far better for his plays than he was for his short stories, but during his lifetime
(D) far better known for his plays than were his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that
(E) far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but during his lifetime

Hi Mitch! @GMATGuruNY

What about the end of the sentences? ",but..." Can you explain the differences among them? Tks!

A: Anton Chekhov is by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but it was during his lifetime that Chekhov's stories made him popular.
Here, it is a placeholder pronoun standing in for the that-clause in blue.
Conveyed meaning:
Anton Chekhov is by far better known for his plays than for his short stories, but that Chekhov's stories made him popular was during his lifetime.
It is illogical to express a contrast between the subject in blue (a person) and the subject in red (a that-clause).
Eliminate A.

The same reasoning can be used to eliminate D.

Hi Mitch! @GMATGuruNY

I understand what a placeholder (concept) is, but I didn't know that you can replace the 'that clause' for the pronoun 'it'. So, every time that there is a placeholder 'it' can replace it with the 'that clause' and check the meaning? What about parallelism? Can we decide among the answer choices by checking parallelism? I mean, using 'but' as a marker. Many tks!