Both the caribou and the reindeer belong to the species Rangifer taran

Hello Dmitry, thanks for your help! I am looking for an expert post like this, and wow I get it! Thanks for confirming the way to eliminate an answer. In my previous gmat, i only got a 29 in verbal because I used this method when I was in a hurry. I don't expect to score that low as most of my mocks were 720+. I am a bit worried using this method for my retake. Now I understand probably I was lack of practice and was too used to read the whole sentences again. After reading your comments, I am now confident on practising this method. Thanks again!

Gordon

Both the caribou and the reindeer belong to the species Rangifer tarandus, but after 7,000 years of domestication in Eurasia, reindeer have developed a tendency to circle in tight groups, while caribou tend to spread far and wide.


(A) belong to the species Rangifer tarandus, but after 7,000 years of domestication in Eurasia, reindeer have developed a tendency to circle in tight groups, while caribou tend


(C) belong to the species Rangifer tarandus, but being domesticated in Eurasia for about 7,000 years has developed reindeer's tendency to circle in tight groups, and that is different from caribou tending
- can't use the pointing word 'that' (or 'this' or 'those' or 'these') by itself. you can only use these words as adjectives (that reason, these people) or as pronouns in constructions like 'that of...'

also wrong meaning

By ron

Quite strange. I always thought that "deer" is singular and "deers" is plural. So was surprised that A is correct. May be there is a typo and should be "deers"?

Correct, but this is what oxford says

https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/defin ... h/reindeer

It could be in any way.

In B and C, it seems that both animals have developed the reindeer's tendency. B fails to clearly distinguish caribou from reindeer behavior.

D states that '7000 years of domestication have developed reindeer's tendency'. A is more logical; the reindeer have devloped a tendency.


E states that 'being domesticated has developed the reindeer's tendency'. Again, it is more logical to state that the reindeer haver developed a tendency. The subject phrase 'being domesticated' is illogical.


D & E are a bit awkward in stating that caribou and reindeer are the same species (rather than that they belong to the same species). However I don't think this is grammatically incorrect.

The answer is A.

Both the caribou and the reindeer belong to the species Rangifer tarandus, but after 7,000 years of domestication in Eurasia, reindeer have developed a tendency to circle in tight groups, while caribou tend to spread far and wide.

(A) belong to the species Rangifer tarandus, but after 7,000 years of domestication in Eurasia, reindeer have developed a tendency to circle in tight groups, while caribou tend - Correct

(B) belong to the same species, Rangifer tarandus, but about 7,000 years of domestication in Eurasia have developed reindeer's tendency to circle in tight groups, which is different from caribou that tend - usage of which ; faulty comparison between tendency and caribou

(C) belong to the species Rangifer tarandus, but being domesticated in Eurasia for about 7,000 years has developed reindeer's tendency to circle in tight groups, and that is different from caribou tending - demonstrative pronouns without noun. you can only use these words as adjectives (that reason, these people) or as pronouns in constructions like 'that of...' ; faulty parallelism between tendency and caribou

(D) are the same species, Rangifer tarandus, but about 7,000 years of domestication in Eurasia have developed reindeer's tendency to circle in tight groups, while the tendency is for caribou -same issue with ARE vs. 'belong to' ; idiomatic usage problem with 'the tendency is for...': proper usage is 'X has a tendency to VERB'

(E) are the same species, Rangifer tarandus, but being domesticated in Eurasia for about 7,000 years has developed the reindeer's tendency to circle in tight groups, which differs from caribou tending - ARE the same species isn't acceptable ; usage of which to refer to tight groups ; bad parallelism between tendency and caribou

Answer A

"Are the same species" changes the meaning and awkward. Eliminate D & E.
But being domesticated is incorrect in C. Eliminate. Also it means domestication has developed tendency, again wrong.
But about in B as well as have as a wrong S-V helps in eliminating the choice.
A is correct due to perfect position of Nouns to describe & compare the two animals and at the same time uses correct idiom.



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