GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Painting a picture with a brush is like playing a

Hello again, everyone. I suspect this question will prove more contentious than others, in large part because no sentence is entirely incorrect. They are all free of grammatical errors. Furthermore, not every split is one that can be used as a basis for a definitive elimination—in fact, none can. It is a question in which clear and concise wins the day, and there is little more to it than that. Just have fun and be open to learning something new. I will adopt a slightly different method of discussion to break down the answer choices.



Split #1: Like versus not unlike—Of course, we all know that like is used to draw a comparison. To say that something is like something else is to point out a similarity between two elements. But its double-negative cousin, not unlike, can operate in a similar capacity, only this latter construct offers a bit more wiggle room between what, exactly, is being compared. For instance, if I were comparing one boxer to another boxer, I would probably use like to highlight their similarities: Tyson Fury fights like a man who is much lighter on his feet. But notice that in the sentence at hand, we are comparing painting a picture with a brush to playing a sport with a tool of the trade. A brush and any of the "tools of the trade" listed are not all that similar, and neither are the activities themselves. Can you imagine playing baseball with a paintbrush? How about golf, tennis, or hockey? To acknowledge that the comparison takes some liberties, then, not unlike is more fitting. It is not that like is incorrect, just that not unlike is more apt. Thus, answer choices (B) and (C) are forerunners on this consideration.

Split #2: whether a bat, club, racket, or stick versus whether a bat, a club, a racket, or a stick—Again, I would not say that either of these is necessarily wrong. Does the article a really make that much of a difference? Typically, a whether X or Y construct will repeat the article if X and Y are not the same element. For instance, we would write, I have to decide whether to buy a Snickers bar or a Kit-Kat when I get to the store. Both are candy bars, but they are different types of candy bars, so the article is usually repeated. Juxtapose this with a more direct comparison: Whether a million dollars or twenty, money can be spent just as fast. (We would not say a twenty.) Now, is it incorrect to omit the article if the parallel elements are not the same? Not really. Sometimes leaving out such repetition makes the sentence more direct and emphatic: Whether a Pepsi or Coke, I am simply not a fan of colas. What it all boils down to in this question is which option is safer? I would say the one with the repetition of articles, since there is no particular need for emphasis. Thus, answer choices (B) and (D) are forerunners on this consideration.

Split #3: All five choices provide different endings—I will parse the mini-splits within them using the | symbol.

(A) but | at | other times | it is | your worst enemy
(B) other times your worst enemy
(C) but | at | other times your worst enemy
(D) but | other times your worst enemy
(E) but | other times | it is | your worst enemy

How to choose the best of the lot? First, is but necessary? Believe it or not, no. The omission of a conjunction is known as asyndeton, and it shows up somewhat frequently when "time words" in particular are held in parallel. There is even an official SC question that tests the concept, a notorious question on Jean-Paul Sartre. (Have a look if you are curious or need proof.) Note that sometimes is an adverb; other times is not exactly adverbial, but other is modifying times, and other times is, in any case, present in all five answer choices, so we have to accept it as a parallel element referring to times in general. At first glance, (B) is the most concise and functional.

If you did not catch the little-known asyndeton, though, you should ask yourself whether at is necessary for the comparison: sometimes versus but at other times or but other times? At is not incorrect, but neither is it required. The conjunction but implies the at in the comparison: sometimes [this], but [at] other times [that]. On this consideration, (B), (D), and (E) are favored.

Finally, does it is need to be spelled out: other times it is your worst enemy or other times your worst enemy? Again, the longer version is not incorrect: it has a clear referent in the implement. But the shorter version works just as well: sometimes the implement [this], [but] other times [that]. That is, the lengthier iteration adds nothing in the way of clarity that the shorter one lacks, so we should favor (B), (C), and (D) on this consideration.

Altogether, the only answer choice that passes each trial is (B), so it is the one we should choose. Do I think the question would appear as is on the GMAT™? No, not at this time. But does that make it worthless tripe? Now it is my turn to be a naysayer. Perhaps any one of these points could appear in a question down the road, who knows?

I hope you enjoyed this one. As always, happy studies.

- Andrew