A recent national study of the public schools shows that there are now

starting point: as many as the correct usage.

A.there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were

as many than...Wrong

B.there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were

as many than ...Wrong

C.there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many as there were

as many as ...Correct

D.every thirty-two pupils now have one microcomputer, four times as many than there were

as many than ...Wrong

E.every thirty-two pupils now has one microcomputer, four times as many as

When you placed this one into the sentence, here what it looks like:
A recent national study of the public schools shows that .every thirty-two pupils now has one microcomputer, four times as many as four years ago.

four times as many as four years ago... wrong..



So C is the answer..

This is something that I got from the Princeton Review Verbal Workout (downloaded from https://64168.com/bbs)

The misplaced modifier rule applies to phrases, but not to clauses.

Fo the benefit of others (and to save my own time), I'm copy-pasting the OCRs version of the relevant text from the Workbook here

Most misplaced modifiers come down to making sure that the opening phrase, followed by a comma, modifies the subject of the sentence. There is a possible solution to other problems, however, that don't occur very often on the GMAT. As the Grammar Glossary will tell you, there is a fundamental difference between a phrase and a clause: A clause contains a subject and a verb, and a phrase lacks either a subject or a verb.

Clause: Although he looked for his glasses for hours,
Phrase: Having looked for his glasses for houfs,

See the difference? If you take away Although from the clause, you have a complete sentence: He lookedfor his glassesfor hours. The phrase, however, has no chance to stand by itself as a complete sentence. The misplaced modifier rule applies to phrases, but not to clauses. Therefore:

You can change a misplaced modifier into a legal sentence by changing a phrase into a clause.

Here's an example:

Wrong: While leaving the bank, Evelyn's purse was stolen.
Right: As she was leaving the bank, Evelyn's purse was stolen.

The opening phrase is now a clause (with the subject she and the verb was), so it's okay.

HTH

"one microcomputer" is singular, so "there is" is justified.
A is out. ( it uses "there are" )

"as many as" is the correct idiom and not "as many than"
B is out.

D and E change the meaning. It seems as if 32 pupils are sharing a computer each. The grammar is wrong too.

C is the best answer.

Yes OA is C. Obviously all other choices are incorrect. There are no close calls..but my concern is that in C, doesnt "four times as many as" immediately after comma seem to modify pupils rather than microrcomputer as desired by the meaning of sentence? What am I missing? What grammatical subtlelety is here.. can anybody elaborate with more examples? I know paul is on a vacation..

1st split: as X as. only C and E left. everything else does not complete the idiom with the scond as.

Btwn C and E. I go for C, b/c four times as many as seems to illogically refer to one computer in E. C makes it clearer I think. I dunno if this is the correct reasoning though.

C.

A recent national study of the public schools shows that there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were four years ago.

A.there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
are is wrong - cannot use plural for every + as many than is wrong too
B.there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
as many than is wrong
C.there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many as there were
correct usage of every with is and correct idiom as many as
D.every thirty-two pupils now have one microcomputer, four times as many than there were
every with have + as many than
E.every thirty-two pupils now has one microcomputer, four times as many as
awkward - every thirty - two pupils? this should have been every on of the thirty two pupils now has

A) there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were --- wrong usuage of 'are'. "as many than" wrong.
(B) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were ---"as many than" wrong.
(C) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many as there were --correct
(D) every thirty-two pupils now have one microcomputer, four times as many than there were ---"as many than" wrong.
(E) every thirty-two pupils now has one microcomputer, four times as many as --- changes the meaning on the sentences

(C)

(A) there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(B) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(C) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many as there were
(D) every thirty-two pupils now have one microcomputer, four times as many than there were
(E) every thirty-two pupils now has one microcomputer, four times as many as

"Is" definitely modifies "one computer". But I think sentence is bit ambiguous: "what does four times as many as.." modify? Is it referring to the improvement of the situation in which more computers are shared among fewer people, or worsening the situation in which people are four times to share one computer, implying less computers among more people. In any case, "were" sounds better in the sentence in comparison to the closest alternative "was". Could this be because it is an hypothetical situation?

Yes, one microcomputer "is"...

The way to read the "four times as many as there were" part is to read the first part as:

"one micro computer for every 32 pupils"

translate to: 1 out of 32

"four times as many as there were"

translate to: 1/32 = 4 times (some number)

In other words, the sentence is implying the ratio was 1 / (32*4) = 1 / (128) four years ago.

No need to do the math, of course--but that's basically what the sentence is implying.

The flipped sentence will read as ‘one micro computer is there for every thirty-two pupils’ – so ‘one’ is the subject and the verb should be ‘is’

Step 2. –‘as many as’ is the right idiom - . - C is the right answer
_________________

1. "There is now one " is the correct usage.
2. "As many as" is preferred to "as many than". Eliminate A,B,D

Hence C

A) there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(B) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(C) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many as there were
(D) every thirty-two pupils now have one microcomputer, four timesas many than there were
(E) every thirty-two pupils now has one microcomputer, four times as many as
_________________

A) there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(B) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(C) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many as there were
(D) every thirty-two pupils now have one microcomputer, four times as many than there were
(E) every thirty-two pupils now has one microcomputer, four times as many as-- pupils --> has is wrong

A recent national study of the public schools shows that there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were four years ago.

(A) there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(B) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(C) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many as there were
(D) every thirty-two pupils now have one microcomputer, four times as many than there were
(E) every thirty-two pupils now has one microcomputer, four times as many as

Correct IDIOM is "as many as" - Hence, A and B are out as they use "as many than" which is incorrect

D and E - Change the meaning - "number of microcomputers per pupil has become four times, not the number of pupils"

Hence - Answer is C
_________________

the whole phrase of one computer per 32 pupils.

Also there is NOT a pronoun so it does not need an antecedent.

For example,

There are many more houses in Bombay than there were in 1645. Totally fine.
_________________

"As many as" is correct : A, B, D are out.

Between C and E : C is more nearer to the original sense of the question.

C
_________________

Hi Experts,

Why option E is wrong and C is correct and why were is correct instead of was.

E) every thirty-two pupils now has one microcomputer, four times as many as

E is wrong because 1. It compares years to computers and 2 because two pupils is plural and 'has' is a wrong verb
C is correct because it uses the correct verb 'is' for the singular 'one computer' and the plural 'were' for the plural 'as many as'
_________________

Hi Narendran,

Thank you very much for replying to my post, however, I am still in a situation of doubt. Please help me clarifying these
1. I am not able to get the comparison of years to computers. Please tell me this concept, if any thread or question type is this please share it with me. I will practice more questions on this.
2. Two people is plural--> firstly it has every at the start if the sentence and secondly it has every 2 pupils that make it a collective thing so cant it be taken as singular ?