Sentence Correction

GMATGuruNY wrote:

GmatKiss wrote:World War II, which resulted in the death of over 70 million individuals, proved to be the deadliest conflict in human history, claiming nearly twice as many lives than would be killed in World War I.

A) lives than would be killed in World War I
B) lives as would World War I
C) lives than those who were killed in World War I
D) lives than World War I
E) lives as World War I

OA after some discussion!

In A, C and D, as many...THAN is not idiomatic. The correct idiom is AS MANY AS. Eliminate A, C and D.

In B, claiming as many lives...as WOULD World War I implies -- nonsensically -- that World War I took place AFTER World War II. Eliminate B.

I'm troubled by E, which must be the OA.
E employs ellipsis: the omission of words in a comparison.
When ellipsis is used, the omitted words should appear -- IN THE EXACT SAME FORM -- earlier in the sentence.
The omitted verb in E seems to be HAD CLAIMED, but the preceding form of this verb is CLAIMING:

...CLAIMING twice as many lives as World War I [HAD CLAIMED].

HAD CLAIMED ≠ CLAIMING.
This sort of ellipsis is to be avoided on the GMAT.

What is the source of this question?

Thanks a lot Mitch for your response

Thanks Gmatkiss

GMATGuruNY wrote:

GmatKiss wrote:World War II, which resulted in the death of over 70 million individuals, proved to be the deadliest conflict in human history, claiming nearly twice as many lives than would be killed in World War I.

A) lives than would be killed in World War I
B) lives as would World War I
C) lives than those who were killed in World War I
D) lives than World War I
E) lives as World War I

OA after some discussion!

In A, C and D, as many...THAN is not idiomatic. The correct idiom is AS MANY AS. Eliminate A, C and D.

In B, claiming as many lives...as WOULD World War I implies -- nonsensically -- that World War I took place AFTER World War II. Eliminate B.

Hi Mitch,

Could you pls explain in a bit more detail 'why WOULD world war I' implies action after World War II

Thanks

patanjali.purpose wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote:

GmatKiss wrote:World War II, which resulted in the death of over 70 million individuals, proved to be the deadliest conflict in human history, claiming nearly twice as many lives than would be killed in World War I.

A) lives than would be killed in World War I
B) lives as would World War I
C) lives than those who were killed in World War I
D) lives than World War I
E) lives as World War I

OA after some discussion!

In A, C and D, as many...THAN is not idiomatic. The correct idiom is AS MANY AS. Eliminate A, C and D.

In B, claiming as many lives...as WOULD World War I implies -- nonsensically -- that World War I took place AFTER World War II. Eliminate B.

Hi Mitch,

Could you pls explain in a bit more detail 'why WOULD world war I' implies action after World War II

Thanks

Hi Patanjali,

Would is basically past tense of the verb will but when the same is used in past then it means that the action will happen after that past ...... In the above we are in present & we are talking about that world war 2 resulted in 70 million deaths ------- this is past tense, now if we use would then the action will happen after this Past then it means the action will happen after this past

For example: If I won, I would distribute sweets.......over here if you see first I am talking about winning and then distribution of sweets will follow......

You can analyse the main sentence with this example..... U will be able to understand what I am saying

aspirant2011 wrote:

patanjali.purpose wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote:

GmatKiss wrote:World War II, which resulted in the death of over 70 million individuals, proved to be the deadliest conflict in human history, claiming nearly twice as many lives than would be killed in World War I.

A) lives than would be killed in World War I
B) lives as would World War I
C) lives than those who were killed in World War I
D) lives than World War I
E) lives as World War I

OA after some discussion!

In A, C and D, as many...THAN is not idiomatic. The correct idiom is AS MANY AS. Eliminate A, C and D.

In B, claiming as many lives...as WOULD World War I implies -- nonsensically -- that World War I took place AFTER World War II. Eliminate B.

Hi Mitch,

Could you pls explain in a bit more detail 'why WOULD world war I' implies action after World War II

Thanks

Hi Patanjali,

Would is basically past tense of the verb will but when the same is used in past then it means that the action will happen after that past ...... In the above we are in present & we are talking about that world war 2 resulted in 70 million deaths ------- this is past tense, now if we use would then the action will happen after this Past then it means the action will happen after this past

For example: If I won, I would distribute sweets.......over here if you see first I am talking about winning and then distribution of sweets will follow......

You can analyse the main sentence with this example..... U will be able to understand what I am saying

Hi Aspirant2011,

Thanks. I understand the use of 'would' better now.

Thanks for your time and explanation.