Alpacas’ fleece is worth surprisingly little compared to their market

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of this sentence is that alpaca fleece is worth surprisingly little compared to the market value of an alpaca, and, to elaborate, a top breeding specimen can bring upwards of $100,000 while five pounds of fleece fetch only $80 to $240.

Concepts tested here: Subject - Verb Agreement + Pronouns + Meaning + Idioms + Awkwardness/Redundancy

• “if” is used to refer to phrases that lead to a “then” clause and “whether" is used for showing alternatives; "whether" generally wins over "if" on GMAT.
• “while” is used for actions that take place simultaneously, irrespective of whether these actions are positive, negative, or neutral.
• "compared/comparison with" is used for comparing similar things and "compared/comparison to" is used for comparing different things.

A: This answer choice incorrectly refers to the plural noun "pounds" with the singular verb "fetches". Further, Option A fails to form a complete sentence; as "bringing" is a present participle ("verb+ing" - "bringing" in this sentence) and "fetches" is part of a modifying phrase, there is no active verb to act upon the subject "specimen". Additionally, Option A incorrectly uses "if" to refer to concurrent actions, a "top breeding specimen" earning $100,000 and "five pounds of fleece" fetching only $80 to $240; please remember, "while" is used to refer to actions that take place simultaneously, and "if" is only used to refer to phrases that lead to a “then” clause. Besides, Option A uses the passive voice construction "Alpaca’s fleece", rendering it awkward and needlessly indirect.

B: This answer choice incorrectly refers to the plural noun "pounds" with the singular verb "fetches". Moreover, Option B incorrectly refers to the plural noun "Alpacas'" with the singular pronoun "its". Further, Option B fails to form a complete sentence; as "bringing" is a present participle ("verb+ing" - "bringing" in this sentence) and "fetches" is part of a modifying phrase, there is no active verb to act upon the subject "specimen". Additionally, Option B incorrectly uses "comparison with" to compare two dissimilar elements, "Alpacas’ fleece" and "its market value"; please remember, "comparison with" is used for comparing similar things, and "comparison to" is used for comparing different things. Besides, Option B uses the passive voice construction "Alpaca’s fleece", rendering it awkward and needlessly indirect.

C: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "its market value"; the construction of this phrase illogically implies that the alpaca fleece is worth surprisingly little compared to its own market value; the intended meaning is that alpaca fleece is worth surprisingly little compared to the market value of an alpaca. Moreover, Option C further alters the meaning of the sentence through the modifying phrase "while a top breeding specimen...only $80 to $240"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that alpaca fleece being worth surprisingly little compared to its market value and a top breeding specimen bringing in upwards of $100,000 are two simultaneous actions, even though five pounds of fleece fetch only $80 to $240; the intended meaning of this sentence is that alpaca fleece is worth surprisingly little compared to the market value of an alpaca, and, to elaborate, a top breeding specimen can bring upwards of $100,000 while five pounds of fleece fetch only $80 to $240.

D: Correct. This answer choice correctly refers to the plural noun "pounds" with the plural verb "fetch". Moreover, Option D avoids the pronoun error seen in Option B, as it uses no pronouns. Further, Option D acts upon the independent noun "specimen" with the active verb "can bring" to form a complete thought, leading to a complete sentence. Additionally, Option D uses the phrase "the animal’s market value" and the independent clause "a top breeding specimen...$100,000", conveying the intended meaning - that alpaca fleece is worth surprisingly little compared to the market value of an alpaca, and, to elaborate, a top breeding specimen can bring upwards of $100,000 while five pounds of fleece fetch only $80 to $240. Besides, Option D correctly uses "while" to refer to concurrent actions, a "top breeding specimen" earning $100,000 and "five pounds of fleece" fetching only $80 to $240. Additionally, Option D correctly uses "compared to" to refer to two dissimilar elements, "Alpacas’ fleece" and "market value". Besides, Option D is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.

E: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly refers to the plural noun "pounds" with the singular verb "fetches". Further, Option E uses the passive voice construction "worth of the alpaca’s fleece", rendering it awkward and needlessly indirect.

Hence, D is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "If" vs "Whether" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



To understand the concept of "Compared with" vs "Compared to" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team