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shabuzen102
Why can't it be the case that we were omitting the verb from the second half?
In order to omit something it has to be earlier in the sentence. I guess I'd ask you: what verb from earlier in the sentence would work in the end (and have the correct meaning)?

shabuzen102
Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are the current one.
In your example it looks like "to exceed" is omitted from the second half. That's a different situation from the SC discussed in this thread because "to exceed" is in the first half of the sentence. Hope that is helpful!

A.

Dear Andrew AtlanticGMAT,

Thanks for your response. The missing verb here is "was". Is "was" unacceptable since it's in a different tense from "is"?

Owning and living in a freestanding house is still a goal of of a majority of young adults like owning and living in a freestanding house WAS a goal of earlier generations.
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Quote:
The missing verb here is "was". Is "was" unacceptable since it's in a different tense from "is"?
Whatever you're inserting later in the sentence has to be present in the sentence and you can't modify it. How would anyone know what word needs to be inserted if not already present in the exact form needed? That would create ambiguity. Hope that is helpful!

A.
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Quote:
The missing verb here is "was". Is "was" unacceptable since it's in a different tense from "is"?
Whatever you're inserting later in the sentence has to be present in the sentence and you can't modify it. How would anyone know what word needs to be inserted if not already present in the exact form needed? That would create ambiguity. Hope that is helpful!

A.

Hi Andrew AtlanticGMAT,

I actually just found an OG question that used a verb with not in the exact form with the already present one:

Of all the wild animals in their area, none was more useful to the Delaware tribes than the Virginia white- tailed deer: it was a source of meat, and its hide was used for clothing, its antlers and bones were used for tools, and its sinews and gut were used for bindings and glue

So it looks like it only boils down to tense? Thanks!
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Quote:
I actually just found an OG question that used a verb with not in the exact form with the already present one:

Of all the wild animals in their area, none was more useful to the Delaware tribes than the Virginia white- tailed deer: it was a source of meat, and its hide was used for clothing, its antlers and bones were used for tools, and its sinews and gut were used for bindings and glue

I think this one is a bit different in that you have a list with the verbs was, was, were, and were. That's OK. You can change the # of a verb (plural/singular) in a list. In the original example the issue is that you lack a verb in the second half of the sentence, a situation that can also be OK, but in the example there is nothing to fill in the blank with from the first half.

If you use something from one part of a sentence in another you generally cannot modify the thing you use (change the verb tense or anything else). Hope that is helpful.

A.
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According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.
(A) like that of earlier generations
(B) as that for earlier generations
(C) just as earlier generations did
(D) as have earlier generations
(E) as it was of earlier generations
Request Expert Reply:
Correct choice E says:
E) According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, as it was of earlier generations.
I did not find the parallelism perfect because of the use of of before 'earlier generations'.
It could be better version (below) if we use for instead of of in choice E. What's your thinking, experts?
According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, as Owning and living was a goal of majority of young adults for earlier generations.
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TheUltimateWinner
I did not find the parallelism perfect because of the use of of before 'earlier generations'.
Wonder why you say that. The sentence is:

...owning and living is still a goal OF a majority of young adults...as it was OF earlier generations.

So, the parallelism is:

...a goal OF X..as it was OF Y
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Hi,

Let's see if we can break this one down. This is a comparison so both sides of the comparison need to be parallel in structure. The first half of the comparison has the structure doing X is still a goal of Y so the second half needs to have that same structure such as: as doing X was a goal of group Y in the past.

According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.
(A) like that of earlier generations
This translates to: Doing X is still a goal of group Y, like that of group Y in the past. This is missing the verb in the second of half. Owning and living in a freestanding house is incorrectly replaced by THAT instead of IT.

Let's pretend that we could use THAT the sentence would read: Owning and living in a freestanding house is still a goal of of a majority of young adults like owning and living in a freestanding house a goal of earlier generations. The verb is missing from the second half.

(B) as that for earlier generations
(C) just as earlier generations did
(D) as have earlier generations
(E) as it was of earlier generations
This translates to: Doing X is still a goal of group Y, as doing X was a goal of group Y in the past or Owning and living in a freestanding house is still a goal of of a majority of young adults as owning and living in a freestanding house was a goal of earlier generations. This is parallel throughout.

It often helps to replace the pronouns with the nouns that they are replacing so that you get a more complete idea of how the sentence should be structured.

I hope that this helps. Let me know if you need more advice on this question.

HG.



how can Owning and living replaced by 'IT' ? 'Owning and living' is compound a subject.[/color]
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abhinavkant3
how can Owning and living replaced by 'IT' ? 'Owning and living' is compound a subject.[/color]
Hi Abhinav, good observation. This post should help.

Thankfully, this is in the non-underlined portion. I have never come across any official sentence that actually tests on this rather nuanced concept.
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chuckle
According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.

chuckle
(A) like that of earlier generations

i) "that" would refer to "a goal" but then the sentence would say "Owning and living...is still a goal...,like a goal of earlier generations". Illogical Comparison.
ii) "like" is used to compared nouns. Here we are comparing the clause "owning and living...is still a goal" to "that of earlier generations". Therefore, "like" is incorrectly used.

Eliminate Option A.

chuckle
(B) as that for earlier generations

i) "that" would refer to "a goal" but then the sentence would say "Owning and living...is still a goal...,as a goal for earlier generations". Illogical Comparison.

Eliminate Option B

chuckle
(C) just as earlier generations did

i) "just as earlier generations did"...did what? did a goal? We have no idea what this is referring to.

Eliminate Option C.

chuckle
(D) as have earlier generations

i) Illogical comparison. "as have earlier generations" what? We have no clue.

Eliminate Option D.

chuckle
(E) as it was of earlier generations

-> "it" logically refers to "owning and living"
-> "owning and living...is still a goal... of youth" is logically parallel to "owning and living was (a goal) of earlier generations"

Option E is the answer.
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I have one question similar to the question topic

7. According to a recent poll, owning and living in a detached house on its own land is still the dream of a majority of generation x-ERs, like that of the baby-boomers.

(A) like that of the baby-boomers.
(B) much like the baby-boomers
(C) as it was of the baby-boomers
(D) like the baby-boomers
(E) as it was with the baby-boomers

I am confused between C & E as it was of OR as it was with ?
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chuckle
According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.


(A) like that of earlier generations
While like could be used to compare the goal, the sentence intends to compare that owning a house on its own land is still a goal of young adults and to compare a clause using as is the correct choice. Additionally, there is not a clear referent for “that” here, could be freestanding house or could be goal.
(B) as that for earlier generations
That seems to be referring to a noun here and you cannot use as to compare nouns.
(C) just as earlier generations did
The sentence is comparing the fact that the house is still goal of young adults, how it was for earlier generations. The only logical referent here for did is own or live, neither of which are the intended comparison.
(D) as have earlier generations
Same Error as C, the have has no logical substitution or referent to a verb that would be grammatically correct or make sense as a comparison.
(E) as it was of earlier generations
Bingo. As is correctly use to compare actions and the fact that X is still a goal of current gen, as it was of earlier gens. The linking verbs is and was are properly compared.
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AtlanticGMAT
Hi,

Let's see if we can break this one down. This is a comparison so both sides of the comparison need to be parallel in structure. The first half of the comparison has the structure doing X is still a goal of Y so the second half needs to have that same structure such as: as doing X was a goal of group Y in the past.

According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.
(A) like that of earlier generations
This translates to: Doing X is still a goal of group Y, like that of group Y in the past. This is missing the verb in the second of half. Owning and living in a freestanding house is incorrectly replaced by THAT instead of IT.

Let's pretend that we could use THAT the sentence would read: Owning and living in a freestanding house is still a goal of of a majority of young adults like owning and living in a freestanding house a goal of earlier generations. The verb is missing from the second half.

(B) as that for earlier generations
(C) just as earlier generations did
(D) as have earlier generations
(E) as it was of earlier generations
This translates to: Doing X is still a goal of group Y, as doing X was a goal of group Y in the past or Owning and living in a freestanding house is still a goal of of a majority of young adults as owning and living in a freestanding house was a goal of earlier generations. This is parallel throughout.

It often helps to replace the pronouns with the nouns that they are replacing so that you get a more complete idea of how the sentence should be structured.

I hope that this helps. Let me know if you need more advice on this question.

HG.

Hi AtlanticGMAT ,
I understand we require a correct parallel option. doing X was a goal of group Y in the past.
However, Doing A is still a goal of group X, like that of group Y in the past. if we want to convey that a goal of group X is the same as a goal of group Y, we can use "like that of X". can't we?
For example, Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce and the rest are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle intruders.

So, if the goal of X is doing A and the goal of X and Y are the same, Like the goal of X, that of Y is doing A should be correct?
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Dear Experts,

I understand that Like is used to compare Noun to Noun and As is used to compare clause to clause or Action to Action. However, how we actually know whether the question want to compare Noun or Action? For example, in this question, owing and living.... is still a goal of a majority of young adults. then owing and living = goal of young adults. goal of earlier generations is the same as goal of young adults. Then, why is Option A : like that of earlier generations wrong?
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Tanchat
Dear Experts,

I understand that Like is used to compare Noun to Noun and As is used to compare clause to clause or Action to Action. However, how we actually know whether the question want to compare Noun or Action? For example, in this question, owing and living.... is still a goal of a majority of young adults. then owing and living = goal of young adults. goal of earlier generations is the same as goal of young adults. Then, why is Option A : like that of earlier generations wrong?

You can do either to get the correct meaning across.

"Like those in earlier generations, young adults today have the goal of owning and living in a free-standing house."

Or

"As did those in earlier generations, young adults today still have the goal of owning and living in a free-standing house."

Or, as the right answer here,

"According to a recent poll, owning and living in a detached house on its own land is still the dream of a majority of generation x-ERs, as it was of earlier generations."

Answer A says 'like THAT of earlier generations.' Like that what? The only option would be the 'goal.' So what is the 'goal' of earlier generations 'like?' The only option is the goal of young adults... But those goals aren't LIKE each other... It's the same goal. I'm not saying these goals are like each other, I'm saying these generations are like each other, in that they have the same goal.
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Tanchat
Dear Experts,

I understand that Like is used to compare Noun to Noun and As is used to compare clause to clause or Action to Action. However, how we actually know whether the question want to compare Noun or Action? For example, in this question, owing and living.... is still a goal of a majority of young adults. then owing and living = goal of young adults. goal of earlier generations is the same as goal of young adults. Then, why is Option A : like that of earlier generations wrong?

You can do either to get the correct meaning across.

"Like those in earlier generations, young adults today have the goal of owning and living in a free-standing house."

Or

"As did those in earlier generations, young adults today still have the goal of owning and living in a free-standing house."

Or, as the right answer here,

"According to a recent poll, owning and living in a detached house on its own land is still the dream of a majority of generation x-ERs, as it was of earlier generations."

Answer A says 'like THAT of earlier generations.' Like that what? The only option would be the 'goal.' So what is the 'goal' of earlier generations 'like?' The only option is the goal of young adults... But those goals aren't LIKE each other... It's the same goal. I'm not saying these goals are like each other, I'm saying these generations are like each other, in that they have the same goal.

Thank for your response. ReedArnoldMPREP

However, if they have the same goal, while I cannot use "Like" in this contest.
Is LIKE not the same as "SAME" ?
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I have a doubt, please correct me if I am wrong:
I thought that all instances of the same pronoun in a sentence should have the same antecedent. Is this the wrong understanding or something else is at play here? Both the occurrences of "it" have different antecedents in this sentence.

"its"("owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land") : antecedent = house
"it" in Option E("as it was of earlier generations") : antecedent = owning and living
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Why not this?

My understanding was “according to recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like the goal of earlier generations”

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