Because there is not a linguistic census in France, as there is for Br

Hello Everyone!

Let's tackle this question, one thing at a time, and narrow down our options quickly so we know how to answer questions like this when they pop up on the GMAT! To begin, let's take a quick look at the question and highlight any major differences between the options in orange:

Because there is not a linguistic census in France, as there is for Britain, there is difficulty in estimating the number of speakers of Brento, a Celtic language.

(A) Because there is not a linguistic census in France, as there is for Britain, there is difficulty in estimating
(B) Because there is no linguistic census in France, unlike Britain, it is difficult to estimate
(C) Unlike Britain, there is no linguistic census in France, and that fact makes for difficulty in estimating
(D) There is not a linguistic census in France, as there is for Britain, a fact making for difficulty in the estimation of
(E) There is no linguistic census in France, as there is in Britain, a fact that makes it difficult to estimate

There are a few key differences we can focus on here to eliminate wrong choices:

1. there is not a linguistic census / there is no linguistic census (countable vs. non-countable nouns)
2. as there is for Britain / unlike Britain / as there is in Britain (parallelism)
3. their endings (wordiness)

Let's take a slightly different path than many of the previous comments and start with #1 on our list: "there is not a linguistic census" versus "there is no linguistic census." It's a fairly simple "either/or" split that will eliminate 2-3 options quickly.

The term "census" here is a non-countable noun, meaning there is only one and no possibility for there to be more than one. This means we cannot use "a linguistic census" here because that would suggest there could be more than one type of census we could be talking about. Let's eliminate any options that treat the word "census" as though it's a countable noun:

(A) Because there is not a linguistic census in France, as there is for Britain, there is difficulty in estimating
(B) Because there is no linguistic census in France, unlike Britain, it is difficult to estimate
(C) Unlike Britain, there is no linguistic census in France, and that fact makes for difficulty in estimating
(D) There is not a linguistic census in France, as there is for Britain, a fact making for difficulty in the estimation of
(E) There is no linguistic census in France, as there is in Britain, a fact that makes it difficult to estimate

We can eliminate options A & D because they treat the non-countable noun "census" as though it is countable. Now that we have it narrowed down to 3 options, let's tackle #2 on our list: parallelism. We need to make sure that France and Britain are discussed using parallel wording and structure:

(B) Because there is no linguistic census in France, unlike Britain, it is difficult to estimate

This is INCORRECT because it's not parallel. This sentence is trying to compare the fact that there is no linguistic census in France with the entire country of Britain, which are not parallel items.

(C) Unlike Britain, there is no linguistic census in France, and that fact makes for difficulty in estimating

This is also INCORRECT because it's not parallel. It's trying to compare Britain the country with the lack of a linguistic census in France, which are not parallel items.

(E) There is no linguistic census in France, as there is in Britain, a fact that makes it difficult to estimate

This is CORRECT because it's completely parallel! It is comparing the fact that there is no census in France with the fact that there is (a census) in Britain.


There you have it - option E is our correct choice! By focusing on the "either/or" splits first, we were able to eliminate enough wrong options to make finding the correct one easier!


Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.
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Beware of tunnel vision! Sometimes if you focus too much on one part of the sentence, you miss other issues, particularly in a question like this where the errors are unusually subtle. Take another look:


First, the phrase "for Britain" is odd. Why would we compare a census in France to a census for Britain? Was a census taken somewhere other than Britain, but then delivered to the Brits for analysis?

I also don't like "difficulty in estimating." If there's trouble in Denmark, Denmark is the location of the trouble. But "estimating" clearly isn't a location. I'd much rather see the clearer "difficult to estimate." Still, I know what the writer means, and this isn't a grammar error, so I'm not 100% comfortable eliminating this choice yet.

For now I'll hang on to (A), but everything else is going to have be a complete mess for me to really consider this.


"Like" must compare nouns. Here, it seems to compare the prepositional phrase, "in France" to the noun "Britain." That's a problem. (B) is out.


Another comparison problem. Either we're comparing "Britain" to "there" or we're again comparing "Britain" to "in France." Either way, (C) is no good.


This is like (A), but worse. Again, we have the illogical phrase, "for Britain."

And then the phrase "a fact making for difficulty in the estimation" is a dumpster fire. At first I read "fact making" the way I might have read "fact-finding," an interpretation that makes no sense. And I see no reason to write "difficulty in the estimation" when I could just say "difficult to estimate."

Again, no real grammar issue, but the meaning issues here are even more problematic than they are in (A), so I'm happy to give (D) the boot.


I don't love this, but it's less terrible than the others. Now we're comparing the census in France to the one in Britain. And we have the cleaner, more logical, "difficult to estimate." Both of these constructions are improvement over what we saw in (A).

The only element that gives me pause is the "it," but, as the always-wise AndrewN notes in a previous post, this seems to be a rare instance of a pronoun that doesn't really refer to anything. The sentiment is clear enough. What is difficult? To estimate is difficult. Makes sense.

I may not love (E), but it's the best of the bunch.

I hope that helps!
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Official Explanation

Logical predication; Rhetorical construction; Parallelism

The sentence suggests that because France, unlike Britain, has no linguistic census, it is difficult to estimate how many people in France speak Breton.

A. This choice is incorrect because in France is not parallel with for Britain. Furthermore, this choice uses the wordy construction not a linguistic census as opposed to the clearer no linguistic census as in choice E.

B. This choice is incorrect because in France is not parallel with unlike Britain.

C. This choice is incorrect because in France is not parallel with unlike Britain.

D. This choice is incorrect because in France is not parallel with for Britain. Furthermore, this choice uses the wordy construction not a linguistic census as opposed to the clearer no linguistic census as in choice E. Furthermore, the construction making for difficulty in the estimation of unnecessarily turns the adjective difficult and the verb estimate into nouns.

E. Correct. This choice uses the parallel in France and in Britain and correctly uses the comparison structure there is no X as there is Y.

The correct answer is E.

Hey,

IMO,

Improper comparison employed in 'B', in 'B' Britain as a whole is being compared to a fact in France. If the sentence were to be worded as 'Unlike in Britain', i guess 'B' would have been correct.

we are left with 'E'.

If the original poster has posted the ans choices correctly, THEN.....

B is utterly wrong because : It is DIFFICULTY to estimate ( the word in caps pushes it into the abyss )

If we consider it to be a typo, THEN........ Bxn B n E

The intent : there is no census in France but the same is not true for Britain.

B : there is no census in France, unlike Britain..........

No census is compared to the whole country : GROSS ---- Eliminated

E : No census in France, as there is in Britain...... ( correctly conveys the intent of the sent : In France - No Census , In Britain - Census Yes )

Thus E outweighs B.

Because there is not a linguistic census in France, as there is for Britain, there is difficulty in estimating the number of speakers of Brento, a Celtic language.

(A) Because there is not a linguistic census in France, as there is for Britain, there is difficulty in estimating (census in France should be compared with census in Britain not for Britain. Eliminate).

(B) Because there is no linguistic census in France, unlike Britain, it is difficulty to estimate (linguistic census in France is compared with Britain, illogical. Eliminate).

(C) Unlike Britain, there is no linguistic census in France, and that fact makes for difficulty in estimating (Again Britain is compared with linguistic census in France, illogical. Eliminate).

(D) There is not a linguistic census in France, as there is for Britain, a fact making for difficulty in the estimation of (Awkward construction, in France compared with for Britain, incorrect. Eliminate)

(E) There is no linguistic census in France, as there is in Britain, a fact that makes it difficult to estimate (Correct comparison, correct tense. Best choice.)

GMATCoachBen GMATNinja VeritasKarishma ChiranjeevSingh

As per my learning while using Like/Unlike for comparison, entities should be logically compared & must be adjacent to each other.Therefore i marked option B , which is an incorrect answer choice.
kindly share why B is wrong, even though it compares no linguistic census in France with in Britain. Also France & Britain are adjacent to each other.

THANKS

Like and unlike are followed by a noun/pronoun.
Here, the comparison is between 'linguistic census in France' and 'linguistic census in Britain' - that there is none in France but there is in Britain. The comparison is not between Britain in France but between the way things are in Britain and the way they are in France.
Hence, the use of 'like Britain' is wrong.

The correct comparison is 'there is no so and so in France, as there is in Britain.'

VeritasKarishma

I believe intended meaning remains the same:B says- Unlike Britain, France has so and so..
then why B is incorrect.( Only thing is France is mentioned at the end of sentence followed by Unlike Britain) which seems grammatically and logically correct:

1.Unlike Britain, France has so & so .
2. ...As in France, Unlike Britain

Are above two examples different.I feel since entities compared are adjacent ,both examples are correct. Pls share the gap in my understanding.Thanks

The comparisons are different in the two cases.

Unlike Britain, France has ...
comparing Britain and France.

Linguistic census in France, unlike Britain ... is comparing 'linguistic census' with 'Britain' (in France is a prepositional phrase)

You need to compare 'linguistic census in France' with 'linguistic census in Britain'

So 'no A in France as there is in Britain'

Hello Experts.
GMATNinja
Can you please explain in detail what is all wrong with option B?
Also Does ",unlike britain" apply to consensus or France according to its placement in the said option?
Thanks in advance

(B) Because there is no linguistic census in France, unlike Britain, it is difficult to estimate

In this version, the contrast expressed is illogical. As a result of the use of "unlike Britain," "in France" seems to be contrasted with "Britain" itself.

In order for the comparison to make sense, "in France" would have to be contrasted with "in Britain" as in:

(B) Because there is no linguistic census in France, unlike in Britain, it is difficult to estimate

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I chose E by eliminating other answer options, however I didn't understand the role of 'it' in the option E.
"There is no linguistic census in France, as there is in Britain, a fact that makes it difficult to estimate"
Can anyone explain it to me?GMATNinja

Hello, zoezhuyan. I believe that several others, including Experts, have written detailed analyses of (B), so you may want to check out those responses above by EMPOWERgmatVerbal, VeritasKarishma, and MartyTargetTestPrep. To touch on your last question, whether unlike can be followed by a preposition, the answer is yes—in the real world, when the word is used as a conjunction. See Can unlike be used as a conjunction?: Usage Guide through the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which notes that the conjunctive unlike almost always introduces a prepositional phrase, and goes on to provide a sample sentence with unlike + in. The Official Explanation also dodges discussing such usage. The real question is whether a correct answer to an official SC question incorporates unlike + [preposition]. I am unaware of one, but in any case, we do not need to worry about that for the purpose of answering this question. In any comparison on the GMAT™, you want to make sure you are comparing like with like, and those two entities should mimic the language of the other as closely as possible. In choice (B), a case could be made for a construct that follows in X, unlike Y, either without or with an understood in (in X, unlike [in] Y), but that would be a real-world argument, not one that we need to consider for the purposes of the GMAT™. Choice (E) opts for a safer as in to compare one prepositional phrase with another (in France and in Britain).

I hope that helps. Thank you for thinking to ask my opinion on this one. Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew
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Hi VeritasKarishma daagh

In option E, can a fact make it difficult to estimate something ???
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Yes, no problem with that. A fact could make estimations difficult.

The universe is ever expanding, a fact that makes it difficult to estimate the number of stars at any given moment.

Because there is not a linguistic census in France, as there is for Britain, there is difficulty in estimating the number of speakers of Brento, a Celtic language.

Meaning Analysis: There is no linguistic census in France and hence it is difficult to estimate the number of speakers who speak Brento, a Celtic language. (note - in Britain there is a linguistic census)

Sentence structure:
Because there is not a linguistic census in France [The contextual word "because" indicates that there is some effect to this cause (of not having a linguistic census)]
, as there is for Britain, (comparison stating that Britain has a linguistic census) (notice this information is in a comma pair thus making it act as an additional information)
there is difficulty in estimating the number of speakers of Brento, a Celtic language. (effect of the previously stated cause)

I believe the usage of the article "a" before "census" is incorrect as it makes the word "census" appear as singular. "Census" is a non-countable noun and hence cannot be stated as a singular word.

I believe the comparison out here is correct. By using "as there is for Britain" the author is comparing the fact that there is no census in France as there is a census in Britain.

This could "sound" correct thus making this choice a trap answer (especially for native speakers) But I believe there is a big comparison error. The comparison marker "unlike" seems to compare a noun "Britain" to a fact that "there is no linguistic census in France. How can we compare a country to a fact of another country?!

Note - By placing the preposition "in" before "Britain" we get a clear comparison between "in France" and "in Britain"

The same comparison error of (B) is repeated. Moreover, "makes for difficulty" makes this sentence structure inferior.

Note - We need to select an answer choice that conveys the intended meaning by using correct grammar as well as a sentence structure that doesn't make use of unnecessary words

Like (A) I believe the comparison out here is correct. However, the latter part of this sentence makes this answer choice inferior. Check note of (C)

There is a clear comparison between the fact that there is no linguistic census in France and the fact that there is a linguistic census in Britain .

I believe the pronoun "it" is acting as a placeholder pronoun. A placeholder pronoun is a pronoun that does not refer to any noun. It is the ONLY placeholder pronoun.

Correct Choice: (E)

The "it" here is one of those "dummy" pronouns that don't have a referent in the sentence. They crop up occasionally, but they're rare enough that I wouldn't worry too much about them.

To see how the "it" works in a case like this, consider an example:

• It is very difficult for Tim to juggle blowtorches while brushing his child's teeth.

Here, the "it" doesn't refer to any particular noun in the sentence. Rather, it functions as a kind of placeholder for the real subject, "to juggle blowtorches." In other words, the two sentences, "To juggle blowtorches is difficult" and "It is difficult to juggle blowtorches," are communicating more or less the same thing.

Same deal in this example. You could write, "To estimate the number of speakers is difficult," or "It is difficult to estimate the number of speakers." The GMAT problem happens to use the second construction in (E). All that matters is that the "it" doesn't refer to a single noun here and that the sentence still makes sense.

The takeaway: you do sometimes see an "it" without a referent, but this construction is rare enough that you don't really need to obsess over it. If you see an "it" and you suspect it might not have a referent, hold off on using the issue as a decision point. If the other four answer choices all have definitive errors, and the one remaining answer choices has a funky "it," you may well be looking at one of those rare cases. Otherwise, there's no need to worry about the issue.

I hope that helps!
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Hi,

Answer E says " A fact that makes it difficult"
I do not understand how a fact can make it difficult??

VeritasKarishma GMATNinja