Analytics firms report that global Internet usage through mobile

Question

Analytics firms report that global Internet usage through mobile devices rose to 8.5 percent in 2012,  nearly twice the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent.

A) nearly twice the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent
B) nearly doubling the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent
C) nearly doubling 2011’s 4.3 percent
D) nearly double that of 2011’s 4.3 percent
E) almost double the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent

chetan2u · Accepted Answer

Hi,
i will be happy to answer the query..
let us see the two one by one..
A. Analytics firms report that global Internet usage through mobile devices rose to 8.5 percent in 2012,  nearly twice the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent. 
what does the coloured portion modify,.. the preceding quantity, which is year 2012.... twice is an appositive modifier, that is "it modifies the preceding noun"..
so the sentence illogically means 2012 is tnearly twice...

whereas comma + ing modifier will always modify the preceding clause, which is the case here..
 Analytics firms report that global Internet usage through mobile devices rose to 8.5 percent in 2012,  nearly doubling the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent. 
that is why B is correct

chetan2u · Answer

Hi,
 the main point hinges on modifier.. 
the problem with the original and choice D and E is that they wrongly modify 2012.
B and C eliminate that error by using ing modifier..
The structure of C is awkward in usage of "2011’s 4.3 percent"..
B is the answer...

just a point..
how can we make A or E correct...
Analytics firms report that global Internet usage through mobile devices rose to 8.5 percent ,  nearly twice the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent. , in 2012...
Analytics firms report that global Internet usage through mobile devices rose in 2012 to 8.5 percent,  nearly twice the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent.

gmatser1 · Answer

What is the difference between A and B?

kanigmat011 · Answer

Hi Chetan,

Doesn't placement of nearly ahead of doubling in B has any effect.
without nearly also doubling has the same effect.
Whats the significance of nearly here.
Please shed some light here

AryamaDuttaSaikia · Answer

Explanation:

Twice vs. double vs. doubling (global internet usage cannot be twice the 2011 figure) “Double” can refer either to “internet usage” or to the year 2012... “Doubling”correctly shows cause and effect.

mukulgupta5 · Answer

Analytics firms report that global Internet usage through mobile devices rose to 8.5 percent in 2012,  nearly twice the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent.

nearly twice the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent
nearly doubling the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent
nearly doubling 2011’s 4.3 percent
nearly double that of 2011’s 4.3 percent
almost double the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent

Nick90 · Answer

experts .....pls explain the use of ..

nearly twice 
nearly doubling 
almost double

Senthil7 · Answer

I am no expert just up the learning curve. But I got the right answer simply by reading for meaning.

1. Analytics firms report that global  Internet usage  through mobile devices  rose  to 8.5 percent in 2012,  nearly twice  the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent - rose to X nearly twice ... does not make sense. We are looking for a comparative inference / modifier.
2. Analytics firms report that global  Internet usage  through mobile devices  rose to  8.5 percent in 2012, nearly doubling the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent  -   This is correct as the phrase after comma modifies the rise in usage correctly.  
3. Analytics firms report that global  Internet usage  through mobile devices  rose to  8.5 percent in 2012,nearly  doubling 2011’s  4.3 percent  - 2011's what is 4.3? Incorrect construction. 
4. Analytics firms report that global  Internet usage  through mobile devices  rose to  8.5 percent in 2012, nearly double that of 2011’s 4.3 percent   - 2 errors here. It does not modify the rise in price merely compares the figures which is incorrect. Also 2011's is not correct in my view. 
5. Analytics firms report that global  Internet usage  through mobile devices  rose to  8.5 percent in 2012,  almost double the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent    - Incorrectly modifies the action of rise in percent by merely modifying the 8.5 percent.

mukulgupta5 · Answer

In this we have a choice between Twice vs. double vs. doubling (global internet usage cannot be twice the 2011 figure) “Double” can refer either to “internet usage” or to the year 2012... “Doubling”correctly shows cause and effect. Hence correct answer should be B.

----------------
Please consider giving kudos if you like this post

----------------
Please consider giving kudos if you like this post

Navinder · Answer

Hi  chetan2u ,
Can you please explain use of twice and double.
Thanks

bjh · Answer

According to the National Science Foundation, in 2003 there were 198,113 female science and engineering graduate students, almost 42% of the graduate students in those fields, twice as much as 1981.
a. twice as much as 1981
b. twice as many as 1981
c. double the figure for 1981
d. double what it was in 1981
e. a number double that of 1981’s
hi the correct answer for the question above is C. Why here "double" doesn't modify "fields"? thanks!

techiesam · Answer

AryamaDuttaSaikia

Its clearly between B and C,but I can't find out any grammatical error in C.Though C sounds a little awkward.Can anyone point out what is grammatically wrong in C?

Nightmare007 · Answer

Same here, Even am confused what is wrong with C. More over isn't figure in B redundant ?

daagh · Answer

The vulnerable part in B is the foul on prepositional parallelism; you have something in 2012, a prepositional phrase, and for the sake of effective parallelism, you must compare the same with another prepositional phrase in 2011. The use of a noun phrase such as "the 2011 figure of 4.3 percent" rather than a prepositional phrase is not only unparallel in B but also no less ugly than 2011’s 4.3 percent in C.

Prashantsri · Answer

A – Modifier error. ‘nearly twice the …’ is modifying 2012. This obviously makes no sense at all. D and E both have the exact same problem too, so that’s three options out. C is correct but also kind of awkward. ‘doubling 2011’s 4.3 percent sounds strange’. B is the best choice.

abhi2707 · Answer

I have a doubt: B is the stated OA
but phrases such as "GI usage...rose...xxxx, nearly Doubl-ing......." can be used when the Verb-ing is modifying the verb as well as the doer of the verb. GI usage cannot be the doer? There has to be an active doer.

While Answer E seems the next best: But 'of 4.3%' seems redundant
Can somebody please help?

thangvietnam · Answer

this is special pattern. the phrase after comma can be an adjective modifying the preceding clause or an adverb modify the main clause. 
but in this problem, adjective phrase after comma can not work because "in 2012" is adverb. this make adjective phrase after comma is not legal because adjective phrase must modify a preceding noun or preceding noun phrase. the noun phrase is noun+modifier of this noun. if there is an adverb such as "in 2012", adjective phrase can not jump over this phrase to modify the noun standing before the adverb.

this is not official question and the above rule is not valid because there is official answer, in which "which clause" can jump over short verb phrase to modify the subject.

VerbalBot · Answer

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.

Analytics firms report that global Internet usage through mobile

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Analytics firms report that global Internet usage through mobile

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards