It takes a deft balance between savings discipline, investment knowled

Hey Guys,

Ick. I really don't like how many times I'm seeing the word "wordy" on this page. Wordiness is ALMOST NEVER a reason to cross anything off on the GMAT. It's an excuse to be lazy with your understanding of either grammar or meaning in the sentence.

It takes a deft balance between savings discipline, investment knowledge, risk taking, luck, and time to raise a million dollars through investments.

(A) It takes a deft balance between
PROBLEM: Can't use "between," because more than 2 things are being balanced.

(B) Deft balancing is needed between
PROBLEM: Same as above.

(C) Deftly balanced, it takes
PROBLEM: This sentence begins with an adverbial modifier "deft balanced," which means it needs to modify a verb. The only verb it can modify is "takes." But that doesn't make any sense. It's not the taking that's balanced, but the various nouns that NEED to be balanced.

(D) It takes a deft balance of
ANSWER

(E) A deft balance is what one needs among
PROBLEM: The "among" is unclear here. It sounds like the "one" is hanging out PHYSICALLY "among" these various things. As if, when hanging out with savings discipline, investment stuff, etc., one needs to have a deft balance of...something else. That isn't mentioned. It doesn't make any sense.

Hope that helps!

-t

P.S. I'm taking a break from the forums, so please don't PM me with anything else for right now. Thanks!