bigoyal wrote:
The number of people flying first class on domestic flights rose sharply in 1990,
doubling the increase of the previous year.
(A) doubling the increase of
(B) doubling that of the increase in
(C) double as much as the increase of
(D) twice as many as the increase in
(E) twice as many as the increase of
Source :
GMATPrep Default Exam PackAttachment:
Test 1 R4 V3A.jpg
"the increase in X" means that X itself has increased. therefore, "the increase in the previous year" doesn't make sense, because the implication would be that the previous year itself had increased (what would that possibly mean?).
eliminate (B) & (D).
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"That" refers to the number of people.
b. doubling "the number of people" of the increase in the previous year.
Also note that the correct answer replaces "that" with "increase." You're saying the increase doubled, not the number of people flying first class. Important meaning shift.
"the increase of TIME PERIOD", by contrast, means exactly what it should mean in this particular instance.
Another reason to eliminate (B)
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if you say "twice as many", then this construction should be paired with a countable noun.
e.g., twice as many dogs --> "dogs" is a countable noun
if you said "twice as much", then this construction should be paired with an uncountable noun.
e.g., twice as much water --> "water" is an uncountable noun
if the noun in question is already an explicitly numerical quantity, then you should use neither "much" nor "many". instead, you should just use "twice" or "double" by itself.
e.g., twice the increase --> "increase" is an explicitly numerical quantity
these rules are followed pretty closely.
so, for instance:
twice as much water --> correct, since "water" is an uncountable noun (but is not an explicitly numerical quantity)
twice the water... --> incorrect, since water is not a numerical quantity
twice as much as the increase... --> incorrect; redundant
twice the increase... --> correct
So you can not use "as much as/as many as" if the noun(increase) is an explicitly numerical quantity.
and also in (D) & (E), you can not use "MANY" with uncountable noun "increase"
eliminate (C), (D) and (E)
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