Despite being more complicated than four-handed canasta, the

1. Despite being more complicated than four-handed canasta, the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it more popular with experienced card players than the other versions of the game.

(A) the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it more popular with experienced card players than
strategy is compared with four handed canasta
(B) three-handed canasta has a more challenging strategy that makes it more popular with experienced card players than
Correct
(C) the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it the more popular with experienced card players than with
strategy is compared with four handed canasta
(D) three-handed canasta's more challenging strategy makes it the more popular with experienced card players than with
strategy is compared with four handed canasta
(E) three-handed canasta has a more challenging strategy making it more popular with experienced card players than with
experienced players are compared with other versions of the game

Question 1
Answer Should be B


A) The Modifier despite being…….four-handed canasta should immediately be followed by the noun it modifies i.e. three-handed canasta.

B) Correct choice

C) The Modifier despite being…….four-handed canasta should immediately be followed by the noun it modifies i.e. three-handed canasta.
This choice also differ from question's intended meaning. Intended meaning is The given strategy makes the three handed canasta more popular than other versions of the game with experienced players. While This choice implies that the given strategy makes three-handed canasta more popular with experienced players than with other version of game.

D) Repeats all the mistakes made in choice C

E) Does not imply intended meaning.

Narenn

Explanation:

Concepts tested: Parallelism, Comparison

First thing to note is that sentence starts with “despite”; so there must be two parallel actions or events or nouns associated with “despite”. The comparison is made with “four-handed canasta”, so the part after comma must start with something parallel to “four-handed canasta”.

The sentence has a second comparison where popularity of three-handed canasta should be compared with that of other versions of the game.

A) “Four-handed canasta” is illogically compared with “more challenging strategy”. Wrong.
B) Correct. Sentence has proper parallelism and comparison.
C) “Four-handed canasta” is incorrectly compared with the possessive noun “three-handed canasta's”. Wrong.
D) “Four-handed canasta” is illogically compared with “more challenging strategy”. Wrong.
E) “It” has no antecedent in the structure “THC making it …”. In the “more … than” structure, “experienced card players” is illogically compared with “other versions of the game”. Wrong.

Correct Answer is B.

Here is the Official Explanation from Kaplan.

The opening phrase of this sentence must modify the noun that directly follows it, but the comparative than four-handed canasta makes it clear that three-handed canasta, not the strategy, must follow the comma. Eliminate (A) and (C). Choice (D) can also be eliminated because three-handed canasta's is a possessive form, which acts more like an adjective than a noun and therefore, is not modified by the opening phrase.

There is a second comparison in this sentence—it (three-handed canasta) is more popular than what? To make the comparison work, the noun following than must be parallel to it. i.e. other versions of the game. Thus, than with in choice (E) is incorrect. The correct answer is choice (B), which fixes the modification problem and introduces no other problems.

Hope it helps

But B feels like we are comparing the "more complicated canasta" with the "more challenging strategy", no?

Official Explanation
Read the Original Sentence Carefully, Looking for Errors:

The opening phrase of this sentence must modify the noun that directly follows it. The comparative "than four-handed canasta" makes it clear that three-handed canasta, not the strategy, must follow the comma.

Scan and Group the Answer Choices:

(A) and (C) begin with "the more challenging strategy," (B) and (E) begin with "three-handed canasta," and (D) begins with "three-handed canasta's more challenging strategy." Use this 2-2-1 split to begin eliminating choices.

Eliminate Wrong Answer Choices:

Eliminate (A), (C), and (D). They all compare "four-handed canasta" to "strategy." (D) might have been a contender, but its use of the possessive "three-handed canasta's" effectively makes canasta into an adjective, not a noun, and four-handed canasta is being compared to a "more challenging strategy."

(B) and (E) both begin with the correct "three-handed canasta." However, (E) doesn't fit correctly into the original sentence. "... than with" at the end of (E) sets up an incorrect comparison between the "card players" and the "other versions of the game."

(B) is the only remaining choice, and it is correct.

TAKEAWAY: Make sure comparisons are logical: you can compare apples to oranges, or apple trees to orange trees, but not apples to orange trees.

Despite being more complicated than four-handed canasta, the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it more popular with experienced card players than the other versions of the game.

A. the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it more popular with experienced card players than
B. three-handed canasta has a more challenging strategy, which makes it more popular with experienced card players than
C. the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it the more popular with experienced card players than with
D. three-handed canasta's more challenging strategy makes it the more popular with experienced card players than with
E. three-handed canasta has a more challenging strategy, making it more popular with experienced card players than with

A, C, D are wrong because four-handed canasta is illogically compared to strategy.
E is wrong because the word “with” at the end of choice E makes illogical comparison between experienced card players and other versions of game.
Answer B has no error.

Despite being more complicated than four-handed canasta, the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it more popular with experienced card players than the other versions of the game.

A) the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it more popular with experienced card players than
B) three-handed canasta has a more challenging strategy, which makes it more popular with experienced card players than
C) the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it the more popular with experienced card players than with
D)three-handed canasta's more challenging strategy makes it the more popular with experienced card players than with
E) three-handed canasta has a more challenging strategy, making it more popular with experienced card players than with

Had option E) be given as

E) three-handed canasta has a more challenging strategy, making it more popular with experienced card players than

will it be also a correct answer choice?

GMATNinja souvik101990

The opening phrase of this sentence must modify the noun that directly follows it, but the comparative "than four-handed canasta" makes it clear that three-handed canasta, not the strategy, must follow the comma. Eliminate (A) and (C).

(A) and (C) begin with "the more challenging strategy," (B) and (E) begin with "three-handed canasta," and (D) begins with "three-handed canasta's more challenging strategy." Use this 2-2-1 split to begin eliminating choices.

Eliminate (A), (C), and (D). They all compare "four-handed canasta" to "strategy." (D) might have been a contender, but its use of the possessive "three-handed canasta's" effectively makes canasta into an adjective, not a noun, and four-handed canasta is being compared to a "more challenging strategy."

(B) and (E) both begin with the correct "three-handed canasta." However, (E) doesn't fit correctly into the original sentence. "... than with" at the end of (E) sets up an incorrect comparison between the "card players" and the "other versions of the game."

(B) is the only remaining choice, and it is correct

Posted from my mobile device

Despite being more complicated than four-handed canasta, the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it more popular with experienced card players than the other versions of the game.


(A) the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it more popular with experienced card players than
Incorrect comparison

(B) three-handed canasta has a more challenging strategy that makes it more popular with experienced card players than
Correct

(C) the more challenging strategy of three-handed canasta makes it the more popular with experienced card players than with
Incorrect comparison

(D) three-handed canasta's more challenging strategy makes it the more popular with experienced card players than with
Incorrect comparison

(E) three-handed canasta has a more challenging strategy making it more popular with experienced card players than with
Use of "with" is incorrect

IMO B

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