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555-605 Level|   Meaning/Logical Predication|   Modifiers|   Pronouns|                           
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Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah spe 12 Apr 2021, 01:12
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AndrewN


I hope that adds some clarity to the matter. I know it can be hard sometimes to break the habit of interpreting a sentence only in the way you want to see it, but trust me, as soon as you start to let go of the notion that you know what the sentence is aiming to say, you will pick up on issues that make eliminations easier.

Thank you for thinking to ask me about this one.

- Andrew
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thanks Andrew, I got it. except above you mentioned, this seems a little abstract for me. would you please give some examples ?
I know my this request is not reasonable, (actually, I don't know how to say sorry in English for my this request.)
I appreciate if you can, but it's understandable if can not.
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Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah spe 12 Apr 2021, 04:10
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Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah species’ homogeneity makes them especially vulnerable to disease.


(A) the cheetah species’ homogeneity makes them especially vulnerable to disease

(B) the cheetah species is especially vulnerable to disease because of its homogeneity

(C) the homogeneity of the cheetah species makes it especially vulnerable to disease

(D) homogeneity makes members of the cheetah species especially vulnerable to disease

(E) members of the cheetah species are especially vulnerable to disease because of their homogeneity



The one thing that this sentence glaringly points out is in the non underlined portion where the pronoun used is Plural. So we are to look for a plural subject. The sentence “ Almost like clones in their similarity to one another” should be modifying the species itself and not the homogeneity. However if the sentence just uses species, it is considered as singular. Following this rule, A,B,C, and D are out. That leaves us with a long phrase E, which is clear and concise in meaning.


GMATNinja AjiteshArun please tell me if my approach is correct.

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Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah spe 12 Apr 2021, 08:07
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zoezhuyan
AndrewN


I hope that adds some clarity to the matter. I know it can be hard sometimes to break the habit of interpreting a sentence only in the way you want to see it, but trust me, as soon as you start to let go of the notion that you know what the sentence is aiming to say, you will pick up on issues that make eliminations easier.

Thank you for thinking to ask me about this one.

- Andrew

thanks Andrew, I got it. except above you mentioned, this seems a little abstract for me. would you please give some examples ?
I know my this request is not reasonable, (actually, I don't know how to say sorry in English for my this request.)
I appreciate if you can, but it's understandable if can not.
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Hello again, zoezhuyan. I was merely hoping to say that you should keep an open mind as to what the sentence may be aiming to convey. If you get rid of an answer choice too quickly, you may be examining the finer points of incorrect answers for no good reason. This is why you want to eliminate an answer choice only if you are next to positive it is wrong. If you are unsure, just place that option or split on hold while you look for easier targets. You might want to check out this recent SC Butler question that is based on an official one for an exercise in determining what a sentence says versus what you think it may say.

Happy studies.

- Andrew
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Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah spe 12 Apr 2021, 08:38
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look at choice b and e, one of the differences is "its homogeneity" and "their homogeneity".

logically, we can not say "its homoeneity' because "homogeneity" is used to say about the similarity of many entities. we need more than one entities before we say about their homogeneity.

we can say the "surface's homogeneity". this could be correct but this meaning can not apply in this sentence.

so, "their homogeneity" is correct and "Its homogeneity" is incorrect.
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Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah spe 12 Apr 2021, 20:56
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Shef08
The one thing that this sentence glaringly points out is in the non underlined portion where the pronoun used is Plural. So we are to look for a plural subject. The sentence “ Almost like clones in their similarity to one another” should be modifying the species itself and not the homogeneity. However if the sentence just uses species, it is considered as singular. Following this rule, A,B,C, and D are out. That leaves us with a long phrase E, which is clear and concise in meaning.
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Hi Shef08,

Correct. With a plural their, we don't want the singular species in option B (we know it is singular because of the is and its after it). We also don't want homogeneity as the subject (options A, C, and D).
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Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah spe 13 Apr 2021, 00:32
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AjiteshArun
Shef08
The one thing that this sentence glaringly points out is in the non underlined portion where the pronoun used is Plural. So we are to look for a plural subject. The sentence “ Almost like clones in their similarity to one another” should be modifying the species itself and not the homogeneity. However if the sentence just uses species, it is considered as singular. Following this rule, A,B,C, and D are out. That leaves us with a long phrase E, which is clear and concise in meaning.
Hi Shef08,

Correct. With a plural their, we don't want the singular species in option B (we know it is singular because of the is and its after it). We also don't want homogeneity as the subject (options A, C, and D).
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Thank you AjiteshArun, this helps to know that am learning in the correct direction!!! Big thank you!!!!

Shefali

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Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah spe 24 Jun 2022, 05:05
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Much of the action is in the non-underlined portion of this sentence: “Almost like clones in their similarity to one another...” That phrase includes the plural pronoun “their”, so it needs to be followed by a plural noun that could reasonably be described as “like clones” in terms of their similarity to each other.

With that in mind…

Quote:
(A) the cheetah species’ homogeneity makes them especially vulnerable to disease
(A) definitely doesn’t work, because “the cheetah species’ homogeneity” is singular, and it’s unreasonable to say that the “homogeneity” is “almost like clones in their similarity to one another.”

So (A) is out.

Quote:
(B) the cheetah species is especially vulnerable to disease because of its homogeneity
The trouble here is that “the cheetah species” is singular, and once again, a singular species can’t logically be described as “almost like clones in their similarity to one another.” (And in case you’re wondering: yes, “species” can also be plural, but in this case, it’s followed by “is”, and then “its” refers back to “species” later in the sentence. So “species” is definitely singular in this particular sentence.)

We can eliminate (B), too.

Quote:
(C) the homogeneity of the cheetah species makes it especially vulnerable to disease
(C) repeats the exact same error as (A): “the homogeneity” is singular, and it’s still totally unreasonable to say that the “homogeneity” is “almost like clones in their similarity to one another.”

That takes care of (C).

Quote:
(D) homogeneity makes members of the cheetah species especially vulnerable to disease
(D) rearranges a few things, but the heart of the problem is still completely the same as in (A) and (C): “homogeneity” is singular, and it’s once again unreasonable to say that the “homogeneity” is “almost like clones in their similarity to one another.”

(D) is gone, and I really hope we like (E), or else we’ll be starting over…

Quote:
(E) members of the cheetah species are especially vulnerable to disease because of their homogeneity
Yup, this is fine! “Members” is plural, and it makes sense to say that “members of the cheetah species” are “almost like clones in their similarity to one another.”

“Their” also jumps out at me at the end of the sentence, and that’s fine, too: “their” refers to “members of the cheetah species.”

So (E) is our winner.
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Is it possible that “their could refer to clones?

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Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah spe 24 Jun 2022, 05:25
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Tanchat
GMATNinja
Much of the action is in the non-underlined portion of this sentence: “Almost like clones in their similarity to one another...” That phrase includes the plural pronoun “their”, so it needs to be followed by a plural noun that could reasonably be described as “like clones” in terms of their similarity to each other.

With that in mind…

Quote:
(A) the cheetah species’ homogeneity makes them especially vulnerable to disease
(A) definitely doesn’t work, because “the cheetah species’ homogeneity” is singular, and it’s unreasonable to say that the “homogeneity” is “almost like clones in their similarity to one another.”

So (A) is out.

Quote:
(B) the cheetah species is especially vulnerable to disease because of its homogeneity
The trouble here is that “the cheetah species” is singular, and once again, a singular species can’t logically be described as “almost like clones in their similarity to one another.” (And in case you’re wondering: yes, “species” can also be plural, but in this case, it’s followed by “is”, and then “its” refers back to “species” later in the sentence. So “species” is definitely singular in this particular sentence.)

We can eliminate (B), too.

Quote:
(C) the homogeneity of the cheetah species makes it especially vulnerable to disease
(C) repeats the exact same error as (A): “the homogeneity” is singular, and it’s still totally unreasonable to say that the “homogeneity” is “almost like clones in their similarity to one another.”

That takes care of (C).

Quote:
(D) homogeneity makes members of the cheetah species especially vulnerable to disease
(D) rearranges a few things, but the heart of the problem is still completely the same as in (A) and (C): “homogeneity” is singular, and it’s once again unreasonable to say that the “homogeneity” is “almost like clones in their similarity to one another.”

(D) is gone, and I really hope we like (E), or else we’ll be starting over…

Quote:
(E) members of the cheetah species are especially vulnerable to disease because of their homogeneity
Yup, this is fine! “Members” is plural, and it makes sense to say that “members of the cheetah species” are “almost like clones in their similarity to one another.”

“Their” also jumps out at me at the end of the sentence, and that’s fine, too: “their” refers to “members of the cheetah species.”

So (E) is our winner.

Is it possible that “their could refer to clones?

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Hello Tanchat,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, "their" cannot refer to "clones", as this reference would make no logical sense.

If we replace "their" with the possessive form of "clones", we get "Almost like clones in the clones' similarity to one another"; this essentially leads to an incoherent meaning.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
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Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah spe 25 Jun 2023, 07:15
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