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As with ants, the elaborate social structure of termites includes a

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EatMyDosa

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Bunuel

As with ants, the elaborate social structure of termites includes a few individuals reproducing and the rest serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling intruders.

(A) As with ants, the elaborate social structure of termites includes a few individuals reproducing

(B) As do ants, termites have an elaborate social structure, which includes a few individuals to reproduce

(C) Just as with ants, termite social structure is elaborate, including a few individuals for reproducing

(D) Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce

(E) Like that of ants, the termite social structure is elaborate, including a few individuals that reproduce

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egmat, CrackVerbalGMAT, EMPOWERgmatVerbal, GMATWhizTeam

In option E (below), that seems to act as the subject of the clause and refers to the preceding noun individuals (ants). Can that be used to refer to living entities? My understanding is that that is used to refer to things.

Please advise where am I going wrong in my understanding?

Option E - Like that of ants, the termite social structure is elaborate, including a few individuals that reproduce

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07 Aug 2020, 14:33

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EatMyDosa

Bunuel

NEW question from GMAT® Official Guide 2019

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Hello EatMyDosa!

Great question! The word "that" can be used to refer to people, animals, and things. "Who" can only refer back to human people. Since we're talking about bugs here, "that" is totally appropriate to use!

Hope that helps! Make sure to tag us at EMPOWERgmatVerbal if you have any other questions!

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Updated on: 28 Feb 2021, 20:12

Originally posted by mba757 on 12 Aug 2020, 19:17.
Last edited by mba757 on 28 Feb 2021, 20:12, edited 2 times in total.

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Hi MartyTargetTestPrep GMATNinja

For Answer Choice B, I can't seem to fully understand the problem here. Is there a meaning and parallelism error here?
(1) meaning error: "...a few individuals to reproduce..." almost sounds as though there's some bizarre intent for these individuals and given this meaning and structure
(2) parallelism error: the infinitive with the simple present tense (can you never have the infinitive and the simple present tense parallel with one another?)

Also there seem to be conflicting responses above. "As do ants, termites have..." wouldn't this logically work and be parallel?

(B) As do ants, termites have an elaborate social structure, which includes a few individuals to reproduce
(1) “…a few individuals to reproduce AND the rest serve…” – lacks parallelism

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18 Mar 2021, 19:13

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samgyupsal

The clearest issue with (B) is parallelism.

When analyzing parallelism, first find the marker ("and," in this case), then look at the word immediately following that marker: "and the rest serve..."

"The rest" is a noun, so we're looking to see whether there are any nouns that could be parallel to it. "A few individuals" fits the bill!

But look what happens when you consider each parallel piece with the stem:

The first parallel piece works with the stem: "an elaborate social structure, which includes a few individuals to reproduce."

The second piece, on the other hand, makes absolutely zero sense with the stem: an elaborate social structure, which includes the rest serve the colony by tending juveniles..."

Eliminate (B) because the parallelism doesn't work. For more on parallelism and meaning, check out this video.

I hope that helps!

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03 Aug 2021, 06:34

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A.hold
B.incorrect- as do is not correct
C.just as-----so is an idiom .so is not present
D.hold
E.incorrect comparison . social structure is compare with termities

Between A and D.
I never go with ing form -reproducing,go with reproduce
Also reproduce is llel with serve
So select D

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13 Aug 2021, 05:08

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Is the use of that correct in option E? Will that replace social structure( in which case it would be right) or the whole phrase termite social structure (in which case the use would be wrong)

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14 Aug 2021, 15:41

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RIYA1505

Is the use of that correct in option E? Will that replace social structure( in which case it would be right) or the whole phrase termite social structure (in which case the use would be wrong)

(E) Like that of ants, the termite social structure is elaborate, including a few individuals that reproduce and the rest serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling intruders.
Issue1: a few individuals that reproduce vs the rest serve
Other 1: that --> termite social structure; not social structure; --> as compared to D. meaning is emhasis on elements not on structure
Other 2 : termite social structure is doer of including a few individuals . A pack of box includes choclates. vs compared with D: in which --> make sense

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15 Aug 2021, 06:56

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Bunuel

(A) As with ants, the elaborate social structure of termites includes a few individuals reproducing
a few individual reproducing isn't the right tense and doesn't deliver the perfect meaning

(B) As do ants, termites have an elaborate social structure, which includes a few individuals to reproduce
As do is akward placement and unnecessary addition of comma distorts the meaning

(C) Just as with ants, termite social structure is elaborate, including a few individuals for reproducing
for reproducing feels like a job but the intended meaning that the social structure provides these luxuries should be the intended meaning and several commas also makes the sentence akward

(D) Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce
The meaning is perfect consice the which addition makes it all the more appealling let us hang on to it

(E) Like that of ants, the termite social structure is elaborate, including a few individuals that reproduce
This is a hot mess dependent clauses seperated through commas that reproduce is akward and the meaning is murky

Therefore IMO D

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07 May 2022, 01:41

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Bunuel

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In Option B, can I say that ''as do ants'' is an action verb, whereas ''termites have'' is not an action verb, but indicating mere possession. Is this good reason to eliminate such comparison? Is it correct to say that action verbs such as ''do/does/did'' should be compared with another action verbs only?

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Vighnesh

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07 May 2022, 03:46

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Like is used to show similarity or comparison and certainly appeals best here hence a,b,c are eliminatedm
Now checking D and E , D is absolutely parralel with nouns and hence D is correct

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28 Jun 2022, 20:41

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Is choice B a valid comparison at the beginning of the sentence? As clause, clause. If not, how would the sentence have to change to make it a valid sentence while still using "as" to make the comparison?

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Hi MartyTargetTestPrep

Could you please address my query below:

(B) As do ants, termites have an elaborate social structure, which includes a few individuals to reproduce

Isn't the comparison correct here as we are comparing two clauses? Clause 1 = As do ants and Clause 2 = termites have an elaborate social structure.

(D) Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce

My initial thought was that the comparison is wrong in this case because a noun- "like ants"- is being compared to a cause- "termites have an elaborate social structure".

Maybe I am unfamiliar with this structure.

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Vegita

Yes, technically, that comparison is correctly worded. It's not incorrect.

However, using an "as do" type of comparison is not ideal there. Such a structure is best used for adding additional information about an additional thing rather than for comparing the main thing discussed with something else.

Here's an example in which "as do" makes more sense than it does in the sentence about the termites and ants..

The members of the orchestra meet three times a week, as do those of the choir.

We can see that the point of the "as do" part of the sentence is to present additional information about members of the choir rather than to make a point about members of the orchestra.

Notice how "like the members of the choir" in the following sentence keeps the focus on members of the orchestra.

Like the members of the choir, the members of the orchestra meet three times a week.

So, "like" works better in the sentence about the termites because it keeps the focus on the termites rather than shifting it to ants for no clear reason.

Quote:

(D) Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce

My initial thought was that the comparison is wrong in this case because a noun- "like ants"- is being compared to a cause- "termites have an elaborate social structure".

Maybe I am unfamiliar with this structure.

This structure correctly conveys that termites are "like ants." In other words, "like" is correctly used to express a comparison of two nouns, "ants" and "termites."

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Bunuel

NEW question from GMAT® Official Guide 2019

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Hi GMATNinja AjiteshArun KarishmaB egmat,

Although i got this correct, i can't understand how below two OPTIONS are wrong. I am not able to point a definite error here:

(B) As do ants, termites have an elaborate social structure, which includes a few individuals to reproduce

can ''do'' be the reason to eliminate this option? ''DO'' denotes action, but the corresponding parallel element is ''just a state''
One can object the parallelism isn't there between ''to reproduce'' and ''serve'', but can't it be the case of ellipsis?

E) Like that of ants, the termite social structure is elaborate, including a few individuals that reproduce

Here, comparison ''that(social structure)'' of ants and ''termite social structure'' seems good.
''Including....'' is describing the social structure
that reproduce || [that] serve

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30 Aug 2023, 03:39

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ashutosh_73

Bunuel

NEW question from GMAT® Official Guide 2019

(SC03014)

The options you mentioned do not integrate with the rest of the sentence.

(B) As do ants, termites have an elaborate social structure, which includes a few individuals to reproduce and the rest serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling intruders.

... which includes A and B
A is a noun - a few individuals to reproduce ('to reproduce' is modifying the noun 'individuals')
B is a clause - the rest serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling intruders

This is not acceptable. The elements in a list must be equivalents.

(E) Like that of ants, the termite social structure is elaborate, including a few individuals that reproduce and the rest serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling intruders.

Same problem.
... including A and B

A is a noun - a few individuals that reproduce ('that reproduce' modifies individuals)
B is a clause - the rest serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling intruders

Not Ok.

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