Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung : Sentence Correction (EA only)

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

22 Sep 2019, 10:20

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hazelnut wrote:

Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung dynasty have withstood earthquakes well because the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating many joints and few nails, is flexible.

(A) used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating
(B) used in them has four times the tensile strength of steel has and the timber frame, incorporating
(C) that was used in them has four times the tensile strength steel has, and the timber frame, incorporating
(D) that was used has four times as much tensile strength as steel, and the timber frame incorporates
(E) that was used has four times the tensile strength steel does, and the timber frame incorporates

SC73561.01

Official Explanation

Logical predication; Grammatical construction

The sentence presents two reasons the Chinese buildings built under the code described have withstood earthquakes: the white cedar used in them has four times the tensile strength of steel, and the timber frame, which incorporates many joints and few nails, is flexible. The sentence is correct as worded because it clearly specifies these reasons.

A. Correct. As stated above, this version clearly conveys the intended meaning.

B. The construction has four times the tensile strength of steel has is idiomatically incorrect. The correct construction is has four times the tensile strength of steel.

C. The comma after has breaks up the sentence in such a way that only the great tensile strength of white cedar is offered as an explanation of the buildings' ability to withstand earthquakes, rather than both white cedar's tensile strength and the timber frame's flexibility. The statement regarding the timber frame's flexibility is mentioned simply as a separate fact not falling under the scope of because.

D. This choice presents a similar problem to the one in choice C: the comma after steel breaks up the sentence in such a way that only the great tensile strength of white cedar is offered as an explanation of the buildings' ability to withstand earthquakes, rather than both white cedar's tensile strength and the timber frame's flexibility. Furthermore, the timber frame incorporates many joints and few nails, is flexible is ungrammatical.

E. The construction has four times the tensile strength steel does is incorrect. The correct construction is has four times the tensile strength of steel. Furthermore, the comma after does creates the same problem that the initial commas in choices C and D cause, suggesting that the only factor allowing the buildings to withstand the earthquakes is the white cedar's tensile strength. Finally, the sentence ends with the same ungrammatical construction as in choice D: the timber frame incorporates many joints and few nails, is flexible.

The correct answer is A.

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

18 Jul 2020, 23:14

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Sentence Analysis

Certain Chinese buildings have withstood earthquakes well for two reasons:

The sentence is correct as is.

Option Analysis

A. used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating
Correct.

B. used in them has four times the tensile strength of steel has and the timber frame, incorporating
Incorrect. The second “has” has no subject. Neither “steel” not “tensile strength” can be a subject for this verb since “steel” is in a prepositional phrase (and thus cannot act as a subject) and “tensile strength” is an object for the first “has” and thus cannot act as a subject.

C. that was used in them has four times the tensile strength steel has, and the timber frame, incorporating
Incorrect. For the following reasons:
“that was used in them” adds no more meaning than “used” does. Thus, the option is overly wordy and lower in quality.

The clause “the timber frame is flexible” is presented as a separate independent clause joined by a comma+and rather than as a second ‘because’ clause. From the meaning standpoint, this clause is not a separate idea but provides a reason why buildings have withstood earthquakes well.

D. that was used has four times as much tensile strength as steel, and the timber frame incorporates
Incorrect. For the following reasons:

1. The two verbs – incorporates and is – for the subject “the timber frame” are not joined properly. There needs to be an “and” between the two verbs
2. The second issue of option C.

E. that was used has four times the tensile strength steel does, and the timber frame incorporates
Incorrect. For the following reasons:

1. The verb “does” is wrong. It needs to be “has” because steel “has” tensile strength and not “does” tensile strength.
2. The first error of option D
3. The second issue of option C.

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

16 Feb 2021, 00:26

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goaltop30mba wrote:

Hi,

Could any of the experts comment specifically on the this part of option D —

“The white cedar has 4 times as much tensile strength as steel”

I just want to know if the above sentence is correct in terms of logic/meaning comparison? What if I say — “The white cedar has 4 times as much tensile strength as steel has”, would this be incorrect due to the inclusion of *has* ?

AjiteshArun VeritasKarishma GMATNinja

Posted from my mobile device

Use of 'has' is not a problem here. But even without 'has', I wouldn't worry. Tensile strength is the quality of white cedar and steel. So essentially we are comparing white cedar with steel.
"A has more X than B" or "A has more X than B has" - both would work.

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

08 Jun 2020, 04:53

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hero_with_1000_faces wrote:

Hi Andrew/ MentorTutoring

Your approach is very slick, I am going to make some notes on this question in my errorlog.

Quote:

I would say that, grammatically speaking, has and as much... as in the other choices draw attention to incorrect idioms. The idiom (for whatever reason history has handed down to us) for a comparison of tensile strength is the tensile strength of, and nothing else. Choices (C), (D), and (E) all fail immediately because they are lacking the correct idiom. Although (B) preserves the of, it includes a redundant has when of steel already marks the end of the comparison.

However, I have got some more question after reading your answer on the structure.

Quote:

Hello, hero_with_1000_faces. I am not sure whether some of the talking points you have highlighted above would fall under the label of parallelism, not that that fundamentally changes the weight of those points. For example, in choice (A), the timber frame is simply the subject of a second independent clause—the timber frame... is flexible, whereas the tensile strength of steel is the latter part of a comparison within a dependent clause that exists in the first independent clause—buildings... have withstood earthquakes.

I am not sure if I understand the underlined part above, but ill try to present my view on this answer choice.

Quote:

the timber frame is simply the subject of a second independent clause

If the above is true than according to me the following changes should exits in the correct answer choice.

There should be a comma before "and the timber frame"; I understand comma is a stylistic matter, however I think the comma should exist. correct me please.
Also, IMO, incorporating many joints and few nails, modifies the previous clause "the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel "
If "the timber frame is flexible" is second independent clause, that means the modifier above, will modify "The Timber", however there should not be a comma, before "incorporating many joints and few nails".

Ill try to construct the sentence to make it clear:

Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung dynasty have withstood earthquakes well because the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel,and the timber frame incorporating many joints and few nails, is flexible.

In this case, the used becomes a "-ed" modifier, and is flexible is a verb for "The white cedar".

also, when second part is made an independent clause, the meaning is not clear to me as it sounds like:

Quote:

Buildings erected have withstood earthquakes because The white cedar used has something and the timber frame is flexible

shouldn't it be "the timber frame used is flexible", in case we want to make it independent.

IMO, what sentence is trying to say is:

the white cedar has x times the strength of both steel and timber frame.

perhaps, "The tensile strength of steel and the timber frame" is parallel ?

Thank you for responding. Hope I am clear in expressing my thoughts.

Hello, hero_with_1000_faces. That marks the first time my approach has been called slick (which I take to mean smooth or streamlined). I like strange expressions that make me think. Thank you for the compliment. I think I see what you are getting at above, and I will say, first off, that I can now appreciate how the timber frame... may be acting as the second parallel item within the because clause. The shell of the sentence would then be the following:

buildings... have withstood earthquakes... because [clause 1] and [clause 2].

The dependent because clause acts as an adverb to explain why these buildings have withstood earthquakes well, and the lack of a comma before and is a tip-off that the above is likely the intended meaning. I would still say that incorporating many joints and few nails refers to the frame, rather than to white cedar. That is, a frame made of white cedar, by incorporating many joints and few nails, would be flexible, but a white cedar board is just a white cedar board, and a building is not constructed with a single piece of cedar.

In the end, I guess this goes to show that even if, as I had, you interpret the sentence in a different way from the meaning that may be intended, you can still walk away with the correct answer and feel certain of it. I appreciate your pursuit of a deeper knowledge with this one.

- Andrew

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

07 Jun 2020, 13:37

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hero_with_1000_faces wrote:

GMATNinja MentorTutoring EducationAisle AjiteshArun

Can this question be done on the basis of parallelism solely ? is my understanding stated below is correct ?

Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung dynasty have withstood earthquakes well because the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating many joints and few nails, is flexible.

Quote:

(A) used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating

Both look parallel, seem okay. Hold.

Quote:

(B) used in them has four times the tensile strength of steel has and the timber frame, incorporating

Not parallel because of [Noun + verb] "the tensile strength of steel has and the timber frame [Noun]

Quote:

(C) that was used in them has four times the tensile strength steel has, and the timber frame, incorporating

the timber frame is not parallel with The tensile strength steel, also "tensile strength steel" seems wrong, because tensile strength is made an adjective.

Quote:

(D) that was used has four times as much tensile strength as steel, and the timber frame incorporates

"the timber frame incorporates" is not structurally parallel with "The White cedar", neither it seems meant to be parallel with "The white cedar"

Quote:

(E) that was used has four times the tensile strength steel does, and the timber frame incorporates

Tensile strength steel is wrong.
X has four times tensile strength does - does should have been has ?

Hello, hero_with_1000_faces. I am not sure whether some of the talking points you have highlighted above would fall under the label of parallelism, not that that fundamentally changes the weight of those points. For example, in choice (A), the timber frame is simply the subject of a second independent clause—the timber frame... is flexible, whereas the tensile strength of steel is the latter part of a comparison within a dependent clause that exists in the first independent clause—buildings... have withstood earthquakes. I would say that, grammatically speaking, has and as much... as in the other choices draw attention to incorrect idioms. The idiom (for whatever reason history has handed down to us) for a comparison of tensile strength is the tensile strength of, and nothing else. Choices (C), (D), and (E) all fail immediately because they are lacking the correct idiom. Although (B) preserves the of, it includes a redundant has when of steel already marks the end of the comparison.

I would like to point out that there are often several ways in which you can eliminate answers, even in tougher questions, as long as more than, say, a single word is underlined. Here, you can quickly eliminate (D) and (E) for creating a second independent clause that is grammatically flawed: the timber frame incorporates many joints and few nails, is flexible. Of the remaining options, both (B) and (C) include this element of overkill in in them that actually muddles the meaning. The white cedar used in earthquakes? It is less clear than just saying used. I bring up these points to caution that an overly simplified approach may lead to more errors than a holistic approach.

Thank you for bringing the question to my attention. (It took me 1.07 to solve, and I felt certain about (A).)

- Andrew

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

08 Jun 2020, 06:56

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hero_with_1000_faces wrote:

Thanks andrew/MentorTutoring for the response.
I am really enjoying our geeky (intellectual) discussion. I agree with you, the answer can be found using different approaches. I try to rely on the foundational elements such as parallelism etc as taught by my tutor.

Further, in light our discussion, do you think the parallelism approach used by me in my 1st post, is sound and reliable ? thanks a lot for your support and appreciation.

Hello again, hero_with_1000_faces. Although I see the question as one centered on an idiomatic construct rather than on parallel elements, I am quite flexible (like the frame) in allowing for different perspectives on how to approach SC questions in general. If you want to consider parallel elements, though, in choice (A), then I would say you should be marking the white cedar and the timber frame. Otherwise, you would be comparing the tensile strength of white cedar to that of steel and a timber frame (made of the cedar itself), and the latter comparison does not make sense.

If you find a compelling, logic-based reason to cast aside answer choices, those that you can disprove for one reason or another (and not just rely on the way they sound), then however you choose to think of the flaws is fine, in my book. A correct answer is a correct answer, plain and simple.

- Andrew

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

16 Jul 2020, 19:06

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For those who are confused by a)

I disagree with those who say that a) is confusing because it makes it sound as though "White cedar has 4x the strength of steel and the timber frame". --> This would be ignoring the parallelism

Read it like this:
" [...]because the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame"

When read like this. You cleary see the parallelism after the subordinating conjunction "because"

Then the next parallelism needed is between he verb "is", which is at the end of the sentence and is NOT underlined, and the underlined verb, which should also appear in the present tense.

I am assuming said Chinese infrastructure is still standing, which is what the sentence seems to intend as a meaning

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

18 Apr 2022, 07:18

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Namangupta1997 wrote:

Hi AndrewN

Might be a silly question , but can we connect 2 ICs by just using "and" and no comma ? While I agree that separating the 2 ICs in this case may place them in a different framework, but I just wasn't comfortable with option A connecting 2 ICs with just an "and".

Good question, Namangupta1997. Notice, first, that in the sentence at hand, those apparent independent clauses operate with a branching because (or subordinating) framework:

Quote:

Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung dynasty have withstood earthquakes well because the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating many joints and few nails, is flexible.

In other words, to keep things basic, Chinese public buildings have withstood earthquakes well because X and Y. The length of the two arms could just as easily have steered the sentence into another iteration with a comma between the two independent clauses. We would expect the word because to make an additional appearance for clarity:

Chinese public buildings... have withstood earthquakes well because the white cedar used... , and because the timber frame... is flexible.

Even without a second because, the comma could still be used to separate the two arms. This question goes to show that you cannot be too prescriptive with commas.

Thank you for thinking to ask.

- Andrew

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

27 Mar 2023, 09:01

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ARSarkar wrote:

Can we say that them in the option C can refer to both earthquakes or buildings? As per my understanding, 'them' logically refers to buildings only. GMATNinja please explain

The biggest problem with (C) is that the pronoun “them” is ambiguous -- it could refer to “earthquakes” or “buildings.” That’s not an absolute crime, but (A) avoids that issue entirely.

Yes, logically speaking, "them" should refer to "buildings". But "them" could technically refer to "earthquakes" too, and the intended referent isn't immediately clear and obvious -- the reader might initially process the sentence as, "[the buildings] have withstood [X] well because the white cedar that was used in [X] has..."

That reader would soon realize that this doesn't make any sense and could then figure out the logical, intended meaning -- and that's why we can't call this a definite error or a great reason to eliminate (C) right away. But why include a slightly confusing pronoun when you can convey the logical meaning more clearly and simply without the pronoun (as in choice A)?

Is the pronoun in (C) absolutely WRONG? No. Is it unnecessary and a little confusing? Yes. That gives us a vote in favor of (A) over (C).

I hope that helps!

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

24 Sep 2019, 00:59

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gmatt1476 wrote:

C. The comma after has breaks up the sentence in such a way that only the great tensile strength of white cedar is offered as an explanation of the buildings' ability to withstand earthquakes, rather than both white cedar's tensile strength and the timber frame's flexibility. The statement regarding the timber frame's flexibility is mentioned simply as a separate fact not falling under the scope of because.

So, usage of comma is pretty much the only thing that wreaks meaning-related havoc in C.

To avoid this kind of a meaning related issue, I would have expected an additional because in the correct answer choice:

.....because the white cedar... and because the timber frame..

Interesting! Thanks for posting OE.

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

07 Jun 2020, 19:53

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Hi Andrew/ MentorTutoring

Your approach is very slick, I am going to make some notes on this question in my errorlog.

Quote:

I would say that, grammatically speaking, has and as much... as in the other choices draw attention to incorrect idioms. The idiom (for whatever reason history has handed down to us) for a comparison of tensile strength is the tensile strength of, and nothing else. Choices (C), (D), and (E) all fail immediately because they are lacking the correct idiom. Although (B) preserves the of, it includes a redundant has when of steel already marks the end of the comparison.

However, I have got some more question after reading your answer on the structure.

Quote:

Hello, hero_with_1000_faces. I am not sure whether some of the talking points you have highlighted above would fall under the label of parallelism, not that that fundamentally changes the weight of those points. For example, in choice (A), the timber frame is simply the subject of a second independent clause—the timber frame... is flexible, whereas the tensile strength of steel is the latter part of a comparison within a dependent clause that exists in the first independent clause—buildings... have withstood earthquakes.

I am not sure if I understand the underlined part above, but ill try to present my view on this answer choice.

Quote:

the timber frame is simply the subject of a second independent clause

If the above is true than according to me the following changes should exits in the correct answer choice.

There should be a comma before "and the timber frame"; I understand comma is a stylistic matter, however I think the comma should exist. correct me please.
Also, IMO, incorporating many joints and few nails, modifies the previous clause "the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel "
If "the timber frame is flexible" is second independent clause, that means the modifier above, will modify "The Timber", however there should not be a comma, before "incorporating many joints and few nails".

Ill try to construct the sentence to make it clear:

Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung dynasty have withstood earthquakes well because the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel,and the timber frame incorporating many joints and few nails, is flexible.

In this case, the used becomes a "-ed" modifier, and is flexible is a verb for "The white cedar".

also, when second part is made an independent clause, the meaning is not clear to me as it sounds like:

Quote:

Buildings erected have withstood earthquakes because The white cedar used has something and the timber frame is flexible

shouldn't it be "the timber frame used is flexible", in case we want to make it independent.

IMO, what sentence is trying to say is:

the white cedar has x times the strength of both steel and timber frame.

perhaps, "The tensile strength of steel and the timber frame" is parallel ?

Thank you for responding. Hope I am clear in expressing my thoughts.

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

08 Jun 2020, 06:19

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Thanks andrew/MentorTutoring for the response.
I am really enjoying our geeky (intellectual) discussion. I agree with you, the answer can be found using different approaches. I try to rely on the foundational elements such as parallelism etc as taught by my tutor.

Further, in light our discussion, do you think the parallelism approach used by me in my 1st post, is sound and reliable ? thanks a lot for your support and appreciation.

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

17 Aug 2022, 11:32

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Rickooreo wrote:

EMPOWERgmatVerbal can you please share your analysis on this question, finding it difficult to approach

Hello Rickooreo,

Although your question is not for me, please allow me to help you with this one. 😊

The best way to approach this question, actually, every single SC question, is to start by understanding the meaning conveyed by the sentence. So, let’s just do so.

• Chinese public buildings
o erected under a construction code of the Sung dynasty
• have withstood earthquakes well…

The sentence begins by saying that those public buildings in China that were built under the construction guidance of the Sung dynasty have very well tolerated earthquakes. Pretty simple meaning here.
• because
o the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel and
o the timber frame, incorporating many joints and few nails, is flexible.

This part of the sentence presents two reasons for the fact stated in the first part of the sentence. Why have some Chinese public buildings withstood earthquakes well? TWO reasons:
1. They have been built with white cedar. The specialty of white cedar: It is four times stronger than steel.
2. They have been built with timber frame. The specialty of timber frame: The frame has many joints and few nails. So, it is pretty flexible.

So, the sentence contains all pieces of information we need to understand why some Chinese buildings have tolerated earthquakes well.

Now, that you understand the meaning of the sentence, it will be much easier for you to solve this question. I can certainly explain all the answer choices to you; however, I would love to solve this question by yourself and appreciate the excellence of this question. Moreover, the learning you will gain while solving this question will help you improve your SC ability. So, just go for it.

In case you need help with this one, view this e-GMAT video to understand which trap has been employed in this difficult question and how to avoid that trap: https://success.e-gmat.com/chinesebuildings

Additional resources: Liked out meaning-based approach to this question? Here is the link to our live session in which we teach how to apply this approach to difficult OG questions: https://www.loom.com/share/d33ea09150a64f7da65d3b419d3fb355

Try your hand on another question to cement this process. You will simply love solving this question with this approach: https://success.e-gmat.com/LeafySpurge

Hope this helps.

Please feel free to ask any follow-up questions you may have on anything SC.
Happy Learning!!
SHraddha

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

26 Dec 2022, 23:39

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tinbq wrote:

Hi experts,

I omitted the crucial comma in choice C. This reckless was due to
1. I believed I got the intended meaning after reading the orginal sentence and choice C, if read quickly, really expresses that meaning;
2. the awkward phrase 'has four times the tensile strength OF steel' in A => making C the only viable choice left. In my thinking process, the woods (white cedar) have 4 times strength ... compared to what??? Hence, to have a comparison, we need an object. For example, Woods have 4 strength (THAT) steal HAS; or Woods have 4 times strength AS steal HAS/DOES.

So my question is whether it is correct to say: "cedar has 4 times strength of steal" or we would need a comparison after. Thanks

Hey tinbq

Happy to help you with this.

Let's compare choices A and C:

A: the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel
C: the white cedar that was used in them has four times the tensile strength steel has

Choice C is a classic example of how Verbosity and Redundancy are tested in GMAT SC. See if you can count the number of wordier phrases in choice C:

I hope you see from the above how choice A is a more succinct version of choice C.

Coming to your question on "comparison":

It appears you're putting grammar before meaning. We need to stop over-emphasizing grammatical structures and start appreciating the meaning of various kinds of phrases in English. For instance:

What is the meaning of "tensile strength of steel"? It simply means the "tensile strength that steel has or possesses".
Now, say the "tensile strength of steel" = X units.
The author wishes to say that white cedar has/possesses 4X.

That's it!

So, I hope you see that choice C doesn't have any technical grammatical error. It's merely an example of inefficient communication.

I hope this helps improve your understanding.

Happy Learning!

Abhishek

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Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

14 Apr 2023, 09:52

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Elite097 wrote:

EducationAisle but why does that wreck the emaning? It could very well be used to show 2 independent clauses linked with comma whats wrong

Yes, C does mention "the timber frame is flexible" as an independent clause and this is what the explanation also says:

the timber frame's flexibility is mentioned simply as a separate fact not falling under the scope of "because".

To ensure that timber frame's flexibility does not come across as a separate fact, the sentence could have been:

...because the white cedar has four times the tensile strength...and because the timber frame is flexible.

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

07 Jun 2020, 10:47

GMATNinja MentorTutoring EducationAisle AjiteshArun

Can this question be done on the basis of parallelism solely ? is my understanding stated below is correct ?

Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung dynasty have withstood earthquakes well because the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating many joints and few nails, is flexible.

Quote:

(A) used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating

Both look parallel, seem okay. Hold.

Quote:

(B) used in them has four times the tensile strength of steel has and the timber frame, incorporating

Not parallel because of [Noun + verb] "the tensile strength of steel has and the timber frame [Noun]

Quote:

(C) that was used in them has four times the tensile strength steel has, and the timber frame, incorporating

the timber frame is not parallel with The tensile strength steel, also "tensile strength steel" seems wrong, because tensile strength is made an adjective.

Quote:

(D) that was used has four times as much tensile strength as steel, and the timber frame incorporates

"the timber frame incorporates" is not structurally parallel with "The White cedar", neither it seems meant to be parallel with "The white cedar"

Quote:

(E) that was used has four times the tensile strength steel does, and the timber frame incorporates

Tensile strength steel is wrong.
X has four times tensile strength does - does should have been has ?

G

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Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

13 Sep 2020, 22:01

generis daagh GMATNinja
AndrewN

Based on the OE, can we say that comma + IC in (C) gives a wrong meaning as the two thoughts become independent are not parallel anymore ?

gmatclubot

Re: Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung [#permalink]

13 Sep 2020, 22:01

GMAT Sentence Correction (EA only) Questions

Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung