Because total caloric intake is only one of many factors important to

OE:

(1) Take a First Glance (5 seconds)

The beginning of each answer choice changes in structure from recommending to that recommend or to recommend. Something may be going on with the overall Sentence Structure or with Modifiers, so keep an eye on the core of the sentence (the main subject and verb) in the next step.



(2) Read for Meaning

The portion after the comma (overreliance … level) is quite dense. The first-glance clue to pay attention to sentence structure is going to be useful; try to strip this complicated sentence down to its core.

Mentally put the modifiers in brackets:

“overreliance [on marketing websites] [recommending that people focus primarily on counting calories] diminish their ability to achieve a certain weight loss or maintain a desired weight level”

The subject is overreliance and the verb is diminish. The first is singular and the second is plural; this is a Subject-Verb Agreement mismatch. Since overreliance is not underlined, the verb must change to the singular form. Eliminate choice (A), then scan the answers to eliminate any others that make this same error.



(3) Find a Starting Point

Start with any difference that seems easiest to you, then move to the next easiest issue, and so on. Stop when you have one answer or you aren’t sure how to address the remaining differences. All errors for each choice are detailed in the next section.



(4) Eliminate (and Repeat)

(A) The singular subject overreliance is incorrectly paired with the plural verb diminish.

(B) CORRECT. This choice correctly pairs the singular subject overreliance with the singular verb is diminishing. The middle part (a focus primarily on counting calories is diminishing people’s ability to …) may sound awkward, but there is nothing grammatically wrong with this construction—and awkwardness is not enough of a reason to eliminate an answer.

(C) The singular subject overreliance is incorrectly paired with the plural verb diminish. The parallel marker either X or Y is used correctly.

(D) The singular subject overreliance is incorrectly paired with the plural verb are diminishing. The parallel marker either X or Y is used correctly. Split infinitives, such as to either achieve, are no longer considered incorrect on the GMAT.

(E) This choice correctly pairs the singular subject overreliance with the singular verb is diminishing. However, the opening structure to recommend introduces an illogical meaning. Think of this structure as implying a purposeful action: She created a website (in order) to promote her new book. She created it for this purpose. But this choice illogically implies that the overreliance occurs in order to recommend a certain course of action. In fact, it was the websites that were created to recommend a certain course of action.

+1 for B

option A, C & D have S-V agreement error overreliance should take singular verb.

In E use of wrong idiom to recommend .

So correct B.

1+ for B
A, C, D subject verb agreement issue.
E:- to recommend is wrong, there is no intention. It is just stating more information about marketing websites.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

What diminishes people's ability - overreliance

A. recommending that people focus primarily on counting calories diminish their ability to achieve a certain weight loss or - diminish SV agreement error, their ambiguous

B. recommending a focus primarily on counting calories is diminishing people’s ability to achieve a certain weight loss or
- is diminishing - correct SV agreement

C. that recommend that people primarily focus on counting calories diminish the ability either to achieve a certain weight loss or to - diminish SV agreement error, wordy

D. that recommend that people focus primarily on counting calories are diminishing the ability to either achieve a certain weight loss or - are diminishing, SV agreement error

E. to recommend that people primarily focus on counting calories is diminishing their ability to achieve a certain weight loss or - to recommend is awkward

I choose C as ing form of the verb is generally ignored.

Please help with a detailed explaination

Because total caloric intake is only one of many factors important to the maintenance of a particular weight level, overreliance on marketing websites recommending that people focus primarily on counting calories diminish their ability to achieve a certain weight loss or maintain a desired weight level.
A. recommending that people focus primarily on counting calories diminish their ability to achieve a certain weight loss or

B. recommending a focus primarily on counting calories is diminishing people’s ability to achieve a certain weight loss or

C. that recommend that people primarily focus on counting calories diminish the ability either to achieve a certain weight loss or to

D. that recommend that people focus primarily on counting calories are diminishing the ability to either achieve a certain weight loss or

E. to recommend that people primarily focus on counting calories is diminishing their ability to achieve a certain weight loss or

The first split that everybody should notice is between the verb diminish/ is diminishing/are diminishing
The meaning of the sentence is that the recommendation is diminishing the ability.
Therefore, 'is diminishing' should be used.
'to recommend' in (E) is wrong
Answer (B)

Can someone please explain to me how you spotted the SV-agreement error? How do you know that "diminish" is plural and "diminishing" is singular?

Thank you.

Experts,
WIll you pls suggest out here ?

I feel this is test of subjunctive form that is "recommendation" out here and plural verb looks good out here.

A, C, D - subject verb disagreement. Therefore eliminated.
B is incorrect too - it should be command subjunctive, recommend that. How is B grammatically correct?
E I understand that has a meaning error for "websites to recommend", but at the same time I feel that B is equally worng.

GMATNinjaTwo CrackVerbalGMAT
EducationAisle
I want to understand preference of "recommend that" vs "recommending.
Isn't "recommend that" is preferred over "Recommending?
I understand that it depends on the sentence structure but I eliminated A and B when I saw "recommend that" is available.

If we rephrase option D with correct SV - that recommend that people focus primarily on counting calories is diminishing the ability to either achieve a certain weight loss or
Can we prefer above option over B ("recommending a focus primarily on counting calories is diminishing people’s ability to achieve a certain weight loss or")

Hi sandman13,

You explanation makes sense a part from one part. How could "People's ability" achieve a weight loss or maintain a desirable weight level?
The "people" could "achieve" or "maintain" the weight loss or the desirable weight level, but not the "People's ability".
What am I missing ?
Thanks !

It's not clear to me why C is wrong.
C. that recommend that people primarily focus on counting calories diminish the ability either to achieve a certain weight loss or to

Marketing websites....diminish the ability --> this seems to make sense from an SVA perspective.
But looking back it's probably wrong because it's actually:
Overreliance...diminish the ability --> and THIS is wrong. It might be correct if it was instead "diminishes"

B can be simplified to:
Overreliance...is diminishing people’s ability to achieve a certain weight loss or

IMO it doesn't sound great, but between C and B - C has the clear error

For option A, wont the ???that??? relative clause require a verb and hence dimmish will be paired with people? So S-V will be right by saying that people (who focus on counting calories) dimmish their ability to achieve weight loss

is there a difference b/w people primarily focus on vs people focus primarily on?

Also is there a difference b/w diminishing the ability or diminishing their ability in choice A and C? avigutman

egmat
Can you please explain why C is wrong and B is correct ?

Hello Experts

For this questions, I am trying to understand how the shift from "x or y" to "either x or y" changes the meaning.

my understanding is that the change is inappropriate as "either x or y" is a bit more pushing in asking the reader to make a selection.

Please and thank you

A choice can change the meaning and be correct.

All the same, in this case, as you noticed, the use of "either ... or" doesn't make sense. The reason is that, in this case, the use "either ... or" results in a sentence that inappropriately communicates that there is mutual exclusivity between the two ways ability is diminished when the logical point to be made does not involve such mutual exclusivity.
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