OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)
THE PROMPTQuote:
A harsh new tobacco law in Australia has encountered massive resistance from big tobacco companies that
argue the new rules abuse intellectual property rights and diminish the value of their trademarks. • Some verbs—especially but not only reporting verbs—must be followed by
that.→
Argue must be followed by
that.
→ In speech, people often drop the word
that after many verbs.
On the GMAT, do not drop the word
that when the verb requires it.
For a very good overview of verbs that idiomatically are followed by a that-clause, go
here.
• adjective vs. adverb
→
intellectual (no -ly) is an adjective (what kind of property rights? Intellectual property rights.)
→ intellectually is an adverb that means "in an intellectual manner" or "pertaining to the intellect"
THE OPTIONSQuote:
A) argue
[THAT] the new rules abuse intellectual property rights and
diminish the value of their trademarks.
•
diminish the value is a long-winded way to say
devalue•
argue must be followed by
thatELIMINATE A
Quote:
B)
argue on the grounds of intellectual property rights being violated and trademark values being diminished by the new rules. • this construction is abominable
→ I almost never eliminate on the basis of style until the very end, but option B remains barely under consideration because it is a train wreck of passivity.
→ uncomfortably passive and ineffective because of that passive construction.
Noun phrases are not usually as effective as active verbs.
This sentence is a prime example of that tendency.
→ compare
--
argue on the grounds of IP rights being violated
to--
argue that the new rules abuse intellectual property rightNo contest.
The second construction is shorter, crisper, and more effective than the first is.
→ this phrasing is also inapt:
on the grounds of trademark values being diminished by the new rulesKEEP, tentatively.
Quote:
C) argue that the new rules
intellectually abuse property rights and devalue their trademarks.
• nonsensical meaning, part 1: inanimate object such as rules cannot do
anything "intellectually" (in an intellectual manner).
→ Human beings do things in an intellectual manner.
• nonsensical meaning, part 2: property rights cannot be "intellectually abused."
→ property rights do not have brains or intellects that can be abused
ELIMINATE C
Quote:
D) argue that the new rules abuse intellectual property rights and devalue their trademarks.
• looks good
→ (D) correctly uses
argue that → (D) uses concise, precise, sensible, and parallel phrasing:
abuse intellectual property rights and
devalue their trademarks Much better than option B. Eliminate B.
KEEP D
Quote:
E) argue that the new rules abuse property rights
intellectually and devalue their trademarks.
• as in option C,
intellectually does not work
→
property rights do not have intellects that can be abused
→ nor do rules have the agency to abuse anything or anyone in an intellectual manner.
Rights cannot do anything in an intellectual manner because they don't have brains.
ELIMINATE E
The best answer is D.COMMENTSThese answers range from very good to excellent.
As I took a satellite view, I noticed very different but equally effective styles of reasoning and writing—and that situation is exactly what we want.
Kudos to all.