The diplomatic consequences of Saudi Arabia's decision to hold down an

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION



THE PROMPT

• Strip this sentence
→ The diplomatic consequences of Saudi Arabia's decision to hold down an increase in the price of oil seem at least equal, if not outweigh, the economic importance of the move.

→ The diplomatic consequences . . . seem at least equal, if not outweigh, the economic importance of the move.

• The verb is seem.

• Seem is a linking verb in this sentence (and in almost all sentences on the GMAT).
→ A linking verb, well, links the subject to a description of the subject.
A linking verb tells us what the subject is rather than what the subject does.

→ The description that follows a linking verb is called a subject complement—something that identifies or describes the subject.
Infinitives can be subject complements.
The subject complements that describe diplomatic consequences must be some form of equal and some form of outweigh.
→ True, subject complements are often adjectives. But outweigh can never be an adjective.
→ So start looking for a way to make equal and outweigh parallel.

Each must be a subject complement that fits with seem.
Consequences seem ____ if not____ the economic importance of the move.

• SEEM . . . X, if not Y

Outweigh and equal are in a construction that requires parallelism.
Again, in Seem . . . to X, if not to Y—the X and Y elements must be parallel.

For the Y element, we have two choices: outweigh or outweighing.
→ The consequences seem . . . outweigh
→ The consequences seem . . . outweighing

Neither of those is correct. Something must be present in words that precede outweigh in order to render this construction sensible.
The something is the verbal "to equal."
In option D, the word TO "carries over" to outweigh.
Option D is the only way to make equal into a verbal (and thus similar to outweigh).

• SPLIT INFINITIVES
Finally, split infinitives and placement of "at least."
1) where are people getting the idea that "at least" cannot be placed before "to equal"?
That idea is not accurate.
The infinitive is to equal. The modifier is at least.
When we put at least between the word to and the word equal, we split the infinitive.

Although you will not be tested on split infinitives because the issue is too contentious, on the GMAT, you are very unlikely to see "to at least equal."

2) In fact, on the GMAT, I have seen one split infinitive in the non-underlined portion, and zero split infinitives in correct answer choices.
Watch for split infinitives in official questions.
You will not find many. You may not find any.
I don't like split infinitives, so I'm sort of glad that GMAT SC writers do not like them, either.
Many of you with very good prose skills are not yet aware that although GMAT does not test split infinitives, it does not like them, either.
The phrase to at least equal is not likely to be part of a GMAT answer. Now you know.

Correct and GMAT-like: at least to equal

THE OPTIONS


• the adjective equal and the verb outweigh are not parallel

• See whether the second part of the subject complement [i.e., outweigh] fits with seem
Consequences seem . . . outweigh the economic importance of the move.
That sentence does not work.

• See whether the first part of the subject complement (equal) fits with seem
→ Wrong: consequences seem equal . . . the economic importance
→ the consequences seem equal TO the economic importance
ELIMINATE A


• equal to is an adjective that not parallel with the verb outweigh

• See whether the second part of the subject complement [i.e., outweigh] fits with seem
→ Nonsensical:Consequences seem . . . outweigh the economic importance of the move.
ELIMINATE B


• check the second part of the subject complement:
→ Nonsensical: consequences . . . seem outweighing the economic importance of the move.
ELIMINATE C

• Bingo. We have two infinitive phrases that are proper subject complements, that fit with seem, and that are parallel.
→ The diplomatic consequences seem to equal the economic importance of the move.
→ The diplomatic consequences seem to outweigh the economic importance of the move.
Those work.

(Now, the sentence actually means that at the very least, the diplomatic consequences seem equal to the economic importance of the move. In fact, the consequences even seem to outweigh the economic importance of the move.)

KEEP D


• the adjective equal is not parallel with the infinitive to outweigh

• we need . . . seem TO equal, at least, if not to outweigh . . .
ELIMINATE E

The best answer is D.

COMMENTS

GCMEMBER , welcome to SC Butler.

I'm a bit under the weather and fear that my fever may be interfering with the clarity of my prose.
I'll check back and edit if needed.
I've read what I've written a few times: it appears to be comprehensible.

Members of this crew are spirited. Good for you!
I like the dialogue.
A couple of you were really close to reasoning yourselves to the correct answer.

I think most people forgot to focus on subject complements (the thing on the other side of a linking verb).
And now you'll remember that infinitives can be (and often are) subject complements.

I don't care that the answers are all over the place.
This process is exactly how we learn.
I promise that the next time an infinitive is lurking around, you will catch it. (Well, assuming you read my OE.)

Kudos to all. You were brave.