According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal comput

Question

According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal computer companies and most of the nation’s largest local telephone companies would enable customers to receive Internet data over regular telephone lines with speeds much higher than is currently possible.

A. with speeds much higher than is
B. with speeds that are much higher than are
C. at much higher speeds as are
D. at much higher speeds than that
E. at speeds much higher than are

egmat · Accepted Answer

Hi there,

According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal computer companies and most of the nation’s largest local telephone companies would enable customers to receive Internet data over regular telephone lines with speeds much higher than is currently possible.

https://e-gmat.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Grammar.png

Error Analysis

1. Use of “with” is not correct here. This gives the sense of “in addition with”. The correct idiom to use here is “at speeds”.
2. Singular verb “is” does not agree in number with plural subject “speeds”.

POE

Choice A:  with speeds much higher than is:  Incorrect  for the reasons stated above.

Choice B:  with speeds that are much higher than are:  Incorrect.  1. This choice repeats the idiom error of Choice A. 2. “that are” is not needed in the sentence.

Choice C:  at much higher speeds as are:  Incorrect.  The correct idiom is X much higher “than” Y, and not much higher “as” Y.

Choice D:  at much higher speeds than that:  Incorrect.  Singular “that” does not agree in number with plural “speeds”.

Choice E:  at speeds much higher than are:  Correct.

Even if Choice D had “those” instead of “that”, Choice E still would have been a better choice because “are” after than clarifies the comparison in the sentence.
The sentence says that the alliance would make the internet speed much higher than the speeds currently are. The presence of “are” makes the comparison clear between the current speeds and the speeds that will be in the future.

And yes, you are correct in saying that "speeds" is understood after "are".

Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha

KarishmaB · Answer

Responding to a pm:

You receive data AT high speed i.e. lots of data per second rather than WITH high speed. 'With' doesn't make sense here. You don't get speed with the data.
Also, the use of 'speeds' shows that you can receive data at various speeds and the alliance could increase these speeds. So the usage of plural 'are' is correct. So (E) is fine.

puru8816 · Answer

HTH <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" />

eybrj2 · Answer

I picked D because I thought that "that" in D could refer to speed. 
In other words, at much higher speeds than speed currently possible.

But I realized soon that "that" in D is not consistent with speedS, which are plural.

So if "that" in D were "those", could D be an answer?
(at much higher speeds than those currently possible.)
If it could, which one is better between the modified D and E as an answer?

Also, I have a question regarding E.

Is it ok to say that "speeds" are omitted before "are" in E?
( at speeds much higher than (speeds) are currently possible.)

Thanks.

SreeViji · Answer

What's the problem with option 'D'?

KarishmaB · Answer

'that' - singular; 'speeds' - plural

pqhai · Answer

Idiom: 
 receive data  at  speeds  --> correct
 receive date  with  speeds  --> wrong.

According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal computer companies and most of the nation’s largest local telephone companies would enable customers to receive Internet data over regular telephone lines with speeds much higher than is currently possible.

A.  with speeds  much higher than  is  
 Wrong.  "with speeds" is wrong. In addition, "speeds" is plural --> "is" is wrong

B.  with speeds  that are much higher than are 
 Wrong.  "with speeds" is wrong.

C. at much higher speeds  as  are 
 Wrong.  "higher + as" is wrong.

D. at much higher speeds than  that 
 Wrong.  "speeds" is plural --> "that" refers to singular --> wrong comparison.
 
E. at speeds much higher than are
  Correct.

Hope it helps.

Practicegmat · Answer

Thanks for the reply!
I have a doubt regarding "that" always referring to plural.
But let me put one sentence :
"Dr Lees's degree allows him to diagnose ear , nose and throat diseases  that  he cures for very little fee".
As per my knowledge this sentence is correct.
But at the same time "that" here refers to diseases. Could you please explain? Am I wrong anywhere ?

Also, for (e) :

According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal computer companies and most of the nation’s largest local telephone companies would enable customers to receive internet data over regular telephone lines  at speeds much higher than are  currently possible.
In this sentence which part is exactly parallel to" at speeds much higher than are"

Thanks!

pqhai · Answer

Hi practicegmat.

The two "that" are different. The one in the question is " demonstrative pronoun ". The one in your example is " relative pronoun ".

*  Demonstrative pronoun  can function by themselves as substitutes for specific nouns / antecedents. ==> The parallel nature must be maintained.
For example:
WRONG: The  books  I borrowed at the library yesterday are similar to  THAT  of your. "books" - plural is not parallel to "that" which refers to singular antecedent.
CORRECT: The  books  I borrowed at the library yesterday are similar to  THOSE  of your.

* Relative pronoun  is used to introduce one type of subordinate clause called a relative clause
"that" modifies the preceding noun/noun phrase. It does not matter the preceding noun/noun phrase is singular or plural.
For example: 
CORRECT: The  cars THAT  have introduced in the auto show are very expensive.

Hope it's clear.

Practicegmat · Answer

Thanks pqhai for the great explanation! I got it.
Could you also answer to my next question :

For (e) :

According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal computer companies and most of the nation’s largest local telephone companies would enable customers to receive internet data over regular telephone lines at speeds much higher than are currently possible.
In this sentence which part is exactly parallel to" at speeds much higher than are"

Thanks!

pqhai · Answer

Hi practicegmat.

I think your question should be:  what is comparing  in the structure "at speeds much higher than are"? Because the phrase "at speeds much higher than are" is not parallel to anything.

The structure is: customers receive data  at speeds much higher than are  currently possible
Subject: customers
Verb: receive
Object: speeds.
Modifier: much higher than are currently possible.
==> The sentence could be rewritten like: The structure is: customers receive data at speeds much higher than   are currently possible
==> "new" speeds is comparing with "speeds are currently possible"

Hope it helps.

TGC · Answer

According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal computer companies and most of the nation’s largest local telephone companies would enable customers to receive Internet data over regular telephone lines with speeds much higher than is currently possible.

A. with speeds much higher than is
 'With....' modifies telephone lines. illogical 
B. with speeds that are much higher than are
 Same as (A) 
C. at much higher speeds as are
 'Higher' anticipates use of 'than' 
D. at much higher speeds than that
 Speeds are plural so cannot use 'that' 
E. at speeds much higher than are
Bingo !

him1985 · Answer

According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal computer companies and most of the nation’s largest local telephone companies would enable customers to receive Internet data over regular telephone lines with speeds much higher than is currently possible.

A. with speeds much higher than is -  With is modifying telephone lines , Illogical construction 
B. with speeds that are much higher than are -  With is modifying telephone lines , Illogical construction 
C. at much higher speeds as are -  X higher THAN Y - is the correct idiom 
D. at much higher speeds than that -  here that starts a new clause, in which that is the subject but no verb exist 
E. at speeds much higher than are - correctly compares speeds

purevsurenn · Answer

if speeds is plural and countable. here why is it using much- uncountable ????

KarishmaB · Answer

much is modifying "higher" here, not speeds.

Does this make sense: at speeds many higher than ...?

That tower is higher than this tower.
That tower is  much  higher than this tower.
"much" tells you how much higher the tower is.

mvictor · Answer

this question tests comparison concepts

A. with speeds much higher than is 
with speeds modifies telephone lines. it also has a SV error. instead of "is" must be "are", because the subject the verb associates is speeds.

B. with speeds that are much higher than are 
same error as in A. with speeds - meaning error

C. at much higher speeds as are 
although it corrects the meaning error present in A and B, it introduces another error. the correct comparison is much higher than but not much higher as

D. at much higher speeds than that 
corrects the meaning error, but relative pronoun that does not have a clear antecedent.

E. at speeds much higher than are 
corrects the meaning error
comparison idiom is correctly used
verb agrees in number with the subject.

himasagar1212 · Answer

I must disagree. I am no expert in grammar but "that" doesn't attach itself to singular elements alone.

For eg:
"The  chairs   that  have cushions are comfortable"

KarishmaB · Answer

In the original sentence, 'that' acts as a demonstrative pronoun. Its plural is those.
In your sentence, 'that' acts as a relative pronoun - same for both singular and plural.

ThangLe · Answer

Hi expert,
Are "at much higher speeds" in choice D and "at speeds much higher" in choice E the same? Can we POE base on this point?
Thanks.

According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal comput

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According to analysts, an alliance between three major personal comput

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