okdongdong wrote:
At an orientation meeting, the travelers were told that a visa, a landing card, and evidence of inoculation against typhoid fever would be needed by each of them.
(A) a visa, a landing card, and evidence of inoculation against typhoid fever would be needed by each of them
(B) they would need a visa, a landing visa, and evidence of their being inoculated against typhoid fever
(C) they would need evidence of being inoculated against typhoid fever and a visa and landing card
(D) they would each need a visa, a landing card, and evidence of inoculation against typhoid fever
(E) they would need visas, landing cards, and evidence of inoculation against typhoid fever for each of them.
sujit2k7 wrote:
Can u please post your ans for this question. I am not sure what is wrong in A.
I am responding to a private message from
sujit2k7. I like this SC question. Here's a full analysis.
(A) a visa, a landing card, and evidence of inoculation against typhoid fever would be needed by each of themThis answer is 100% grammatically correct, but unfortunately, it's in the passive structure, which makes it weak, indirect, and flaccid. The passive voice is not always wrong, but when an active alternative is readily available, the passive will never be correct on the GMAT. For more on this see:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/active-vs- ... -the-gmat/If all four other answers were completely wrong, we might have to settle for
(A), because at least it's free of grammatical error, but we strongly suspect that we will find something considerably stronger.
(B) they would need a visa, a landing visa, and evidence of their being inoculated against typhoid feverThis one starts out strong, but the phrase "...
evidence of their being inoculated against ..." is an abomination. This is like a giant flashing neon sign that says: take this answer choice out back and shoot it!
(B) is incorrect.
(C) they would need evidence of being inoculated against typhoid fever and a visa and landing cardThere no way this choice could be correct, but it wins a comedy award. First of all, it has the "
evidence of being inoculated against" flaw, like
(B), but what's great is that the horrible word order suggests folks have to be inoculated against typhoid, inoculated against a visa, and inoculated against a landing card! Good laughs, but
(C) is flamboyantly incorrect.
(D) they would each need a visa, a landing card, and evidence of inoculation against typhoid feverDirect, clear, sleek, elegant --- a very strong candidate for the correct answer.
(E) they would need visas, landing cards, and evidence of inoculation against typhoid fever for each of them.This one is indefinably awkward. First of all, we are conflating what they need collectively with what they need individually. Furthermore, the "
each of them" structure at the end is awkward --- does each of them have their own brand of typhoid fever, thereby each needing his own kind of inoculation?? This is awkward and puzzling, not a good example of clear & strong writing.
Overall, the best possible answer is
(D), as many folks on this page have already concluded.
Mike
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Mike McGarry
Magoosh Test PrepEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. — William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)