A firm that specializes in the analysis of handwriting claims from a

Question

A firm that specializes in the analysis of handwriting claims  from a one-page writing sample that it can assess  more than three hundred personality traits, including enthusiasm, imagination, and ambition.

(A) from a one-page writing sample that it can assess

(B) from a one-page writing sample it has the ability of assessing

(C) the ability, from a one-page writing sample, of assessing

(D) to be able, from a one-page writing sample, to assess

(E) being able to assess, from a one-page writing sample,

The Official Guide for GMAT Review 2015

Practice Question  
Question No.: SC 122
Page: 694

Good Housekeeping - Volume 191 - Page 236
 https://books.google.com/books?id=aQQyAQAAIAAJ 
1980

Using a writing sample of from one to three pages, these experts claim  to be able to determine  a person's social, mental, and emotional traits, as well as goal orientation and even attitudes toward parents and siblings.

fameatop · Accepted Answer

A firm that specializes in the analysis of handwriting claims  from a one-page writing sample that it can assess  more than 300 personality traits, including enthusiasm, imagination, and ambition.
(A)  from a one-page writing sample  that it can assess - 
 Use of IT is  NOT ambiguous , but "from a one-page writing sample" must be separated using comma because relative pronoun THAT is placed next to SAMPLE indicating that sample can assess traits, but it is not the intended meaning of the sentence.

(B) from a one-page writing sample it has the  ability of assessing  - 
 Ability must be followed by an Infinitive (To assess). Same error as in option A

(C) the  ability , from a one-page writing sample,  of assessing - 
 Ability must be followed by an Infinitive (To assess)

(D) to be able, from a one-page writing sample, to assess -  Eliminates all the errors. Thus CORRECT

(E) being able to assess, from a one-page writing sample -  This option has 2 errors. 
1) BEING should not be used.
2) Placement of "from a one-page writing sample" changes the meaning. 
 Intended Meaning  - Firms claims that it can assess more than 300 personality traits. This claim is based on One page writing sample.
 Changed Meaning - Firms claims that it can assess a range of activities, which include
a) One page writing sample
b) more than 300 personality traits

Hope this detailed explanation helps.

Fame

KyleWiddison · Answer

This is exactly why the GMAT is reducing the number of idiom-based questions, especially those that don't seem to affect the meaning of the sentence.

For this question, the proper form of the idiom is "claim to be able to assess". The second 'to' in the phrase is essential and idiomatic, even though it might sound a bit awkward or wordy to non-native speakers.

The idiom, "claim the ability to assess" would have been suspect but potentially correct, but in this question you are given the form "claim the ability of assessing", which is not idiomatic.

I believe that on the GMAT today, you wouldn't expect to see a choice between C & D because they both can convey proper meaning. The rest of the options, however, would still be fair game because they include obvious meaning flaws that should be spotted by both native and non-native speakers.

KW

gamjatang · Answer

D is the best answer.

A and B sound like the firm's claim is written on a one-page writing sample.

"The ability of assessing" in C is awakard.

"...claims being able to assess" in E is awakard.

vshaunak@gmail.com · Answer

(A) from a one-page writing sample that it can assess
 ****Incorrect pronoun reference. What is 'it' referring to - sample or firm.*** 

(B) from a one-page writing sample it has the ability of assessing
 *******same as in A. In addition to that, the construction is awkward**** 
(C) the ability, from a one-page writing sample, of assessing
 *****Unidiomatic**** 
(D) to be able, from a one-page writing sample, to assess
 ****Correct. claims to be able ..........to assess is idiomatic****** 
(E) being able to assess, from a one-page writing sample
 ****Unidiomatic, does not convey the original meaning***

raconteur · Answer

D for me.

This is testing the idiom "claim to be".

The use of "assessing" in B and C are incorrect. No need for progressive tense when simple present will work just fine.

C. "claims the ability...of assessing..." -- what exactly does it claim?? The ability of what?Not clear.
D. "claims to be able ...to assess..." is correct. Although I wouldn't say it this way naturally in spoken English, this sentence is correct.
E. "claims being able to assess" -- use of "being" is never good in regards to GMAT.

anuj4012 · Answer

Hello,

How in option C, the modifier " from a one page sample" modifies the verb "claims" and in option D, it modifies the verb "assess"?
They both appear to have the same structure.

Regards,
Anuj

egmat · Answer

There is actually no pronoun error in the original sentence; the only error is the placement of the prepositional phrase beginning with ‘from’. When a pronoun begins a clause, it usually refers to the subject of the previous clause, even if there are other nouns in between; there is no ambiguity in such a case. Here, the pronoun ‘it’ refers to the subject of the first clause, ‘a firm’.

Regards,
Meghna

Regards,
Meghna

aditya8062 · Answer

COMMA+ INCLUDING  is an EXCEPTION of  COMMA+ VERBING  construction . "COMMA+ INCLUDING" is used to serve examples.

DmitryFarber · Answer

Usually, "comma + -ing" indicates an adverbial modifier. But that can't be the case here: "including" can't modify the previous action. As Aditya said, ",including" is often used to introduce examples. It's very similar to ", such as."

rohan89 · Answer

aditya8062 
Also, isn't CLAIMS TO a correct idiom from the above given options? Can we declare 'D' as the winner based on this?

DmitryFarber · Answer

I'd be careful about that. If you choose the right answer on the grounds that the other four have incorrect idioms, you had better be  very  confident that you are correct. "Claims + noun" can be correct in some cases, and "claims that" is fine. The big problem with the construction in A is that it throws a bunch of distorting text between "claims" and "that."

sayantanc2k · Answer

Your argument is right. In neither case "from a one page sample" modifies "claims".

Option C is wrong not because " from a one page sample" modifies "claims", but because wrong idiom "ability of" is used. Correct usage is "ability to".

egmat · Answer

Hi Anuj, Thanks for posting your doubt here. :-)

In both the choices C and D, the prepositional phrase from one page sample modifies the action denoted by able to or ability of. However, Choice C is incorrect as it uses incorrect idiom ability of . The correct idiom is ability to or able to . Also, claim the ability is not the appropriate expression. The expression claim to be able to is better worded. Hope this helps. :-)

Thanks. Shraddha

BillyZ · Answer

From Ron (Manhattan)

(C) 
The correct idiom is ' the ability to assess '. However, that idiom would not work so well in this particular context; it would be used more to discuss the abstract notion of this ability.

(E) 
' being ' is needlessly wordy here. 
This is not a passive voice construction, though. Ironically, the passive-voice constructions (such as  Being amused is better than being angered ) are the only ones in which 'being' is a CORRECT, non-wordy construction, since passive voice must take some form of ' to be '.

More to the point, ' claims being able... ' is an incorrect idiom, so we don't even need to think about wordiness - it's already solidly wrong.

CLAIM

RIGHT :
They CLAIM THAT they CAN read minds.
They CLAIM TO BE ABLE to read minds.

WRONG :
They CLAIM BEING ABLE to read minds

GMATNinjaTwo  &  GMATNinja , Could you explain the prepositional phrase " from a one-page writing sample " in (D)? Does the prepositional phrase modified "analysis of handwriting"?

GMATNinja · Answer

Using choice D, the sentence becomes:

A firm that specializes in the analysis of handwriting claims to be able, from a one-page writing sample, to assess more than three hundred personality traits, including enthusiasm, imagination, and ambition.

The prepositional phrase "from a one-page writing sample" acts as an adverb, modifying the infinitive "to assess".

VKat · Answer

Through trailing chats, I came to know that "claim to be " is a correct idiom to use.
Could you please help whether am on correct path or not?

DmitryFarber · Answer

VKat , "claims to be" is certainly one correct form, and it's what we use in the correct answer here, so you know it's valid! However, there are other uses of the word "claim." As my colleague Ron (quoted by hazelnut above) points out, we can also say "claim that." We can also follow "claim" directly with a noun. Let's look at each form:

Claim  : We are directly making a claim on something by saying that it is or should be ours.

To claim a prize, fill out this form.
Is someone going to claim this burrito, or should I throw it away?
Both sides claimed a victory in the debate last night.
Several Russian politicians claim a direct line of descent from the last tsar.

Claim to be: We are saying that we  are  something. As with the verb "is," this can be followed by a noun or a modifier ("I am the king" or "I am tall"). In the original q, "able to assess" serves as a modifier.

My friend was scammed by someone on the phone claiming to be a Microsoft representative.
I don't claim to be beautiful, but I'm not frightening to look at.
My cousin claims to be able to solve a Rubik's Cube in 12 seconds.

Claim that: We are saying that some statement is true. The part after "that" should always be an independent clause.

Several companies claim that their patents were infringed by the new product.
He claimed that he would get the job done overnight, but I didn't believe him.

ydmuley · Answer

A firm that specializes in the analysis of handwriting claims  from a one-page writing sample that it can assess  more than three hundred personality traits, including enthusiasm, imagination, and ambition.

(A)  from a one-page writing sample  that it can assess ==>  A Firm... claims... from a one-page writing sample.. == After carefully reading, it changes the meaning, A firm does not claim from one page of writing samples, rather A firm claims about their ability to........ assess............. - Hence Out

(B)  from a one-page writing sample  it has the ability of assessing ==>  A Firm... claims... from a one-page writing sample.. == After carefully reading, it changes the meaning, A firm does not claim from one page of writing samples, rather A firm claims about their ability to........ assess............. - Hence Out

(C)  the ability , from a one-page writing sample,  of  assessing  ==> "The Ability - Of" is incorrect IDIOM

(D)  to be able , from a one-page writing sample,  to  assess  ==> Abe To == Is correct IDIOM

(E)  being able to  assess, from a one-page writing sample, ==  Usage of "being able" is incorrect

Dinesh654 · Answer

Hello experts,  AndrewN   ReedArnoldMPREP 
I want to validate my reasoning.
What the difference between A and D.

The change in postion of "from a one-page writing sample" is changing the meaning for sure.
I think the phrase is modifying "able" - The firm is able to assess more than three hundred personality traits, including enthusiasm, imagination, and ambition from a one page writing sample.

in A - the firm is claiming from a one page writing sample- sounds not good.

A firm that specializes in the analysis of handwriting claims from a

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