Although the income of farmers is expected to be lower this

Question

14. Although the income of farmers is expected to be lower this year than last year, their crop yields per acre far  surpass last year . 

(A) surpass last year 
(B) surpasses last yearâ€™s
(C) surpasses that of last yearâ€™s 
(D) surpass those of last year 
(E) surpass those of last year's

prep_gmat · Answer

crop yields requires a plural verb. Also if last year's is in the sentence you dont need of last year's I think.

D.

nocilis · Answer

D) surpass those of last year 

Correct S-V Agreement and correct comparison

gmat2me2 · Answer

I am not sure why C could be wrong.

Is crop yields per ACRE plural? 

May be someone can answer this

Thanks

jpv · Answer

check what "that" refers to.. and what "year's.." refer to... One is enough to refer "yields".

gmat2me2 · Answer

jpv I am not certain if "crop yields per acre" is plural. 

Sorry about it but I am still confused

Arsene_Wenger · Answer

'Crop yields per acre' is a lot to consider. Just say 'Yields' or 'Crop Yields', and you will discover it is plural. e.g. Their yields have surpassed those of last year. NOT Their yields has..... :roll:

So, we may say: Crop yields have........ NOT Crop yields has Therefore: Crop yields per acre surpass.... NOT Crop yields per acre surpasses.

banerjeea_98 · Answer

OA is "D"......I always get confused with comparatives .....can someone help...2 fold ques...

1) when to use "than that of" vs just "than"......

2) more so when there are possesives involved....like "than those of last year's"....like in E....isn't this correctly saying "yields of last year" by using possesvie "those of last year's"..



Thx

jpv · Answer

Its not a question of singular or plural. Its a question of redundancy.

That also refers to yields.
last year's (yields) also refers to yields.

One is enough. Do you copy??

nocilis · Answer

Banerjee, 
I think your questions are very valid and I had similar doubts earlier:

1) when to use "than that of" vs just "than"...... 

Example:

 * GMAT is tougher  than  SAT 
(Here we are comparing GMAT and SAT and not the properties of the tests so  than  is good enough)

 *  A question  in GMAT is tougher than  that  in SAT 
(Here we are comparing a property of GMAT with a property of SAT so  than that  is needed). 

 'that'  refers to the subject -  a question . A good way to check will be replace 'that' with the 'a question' and see if it is right.

In plural form, we use  those  to replace a plural subject

 *  Questions  of GMAT are tougher than  those  of SAT 

 'those'  refers to the plural subject -  questions . A good way to check will be replace 'those' with 'questions' and see if it is right.

2) more so when there are possesives involved....like "than those of last year's"....like in E....isn't this correctly saying "yields of last year" by using possesvie "those of last year's".. 

Again, the simplest way to test this is by replacing  those  with  yields 

'yields of last year" is correct
'yields of last year's" is wrong because  of  is already doing the job of the possesive.

Hope that helps.

gmat2me2 · Answer

nocilis

That was good.....

jov....Thanks to you too

banerjeea_98 · Answer

thx a ton Nocilis....I think u cleared my doubt once and for all....thx bud

Paul · Answer

Nocilis, that was a great explanation! :banana :cool

Although the income of farmers is expected to be lower this

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