OFFICIAL EXPLANATION



THE PROMPT


• ISSUE - PARALLELISM

→ In the underlined portion of the sentence, there appears to be part of a list. Be on the lookout for parallelism errors.
→ In order to be parallel, items in a list must be the same part of speech and must play the same logical role in the sentence.

→ Careful. We are actually looking for a list of two verbs, though it may appear that we are looking for a list that includes parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and ______.
We are not doing so.
The appositive a thermodynamic system "redescribes" the noun phrase "nothing more than parts and energy." Those two phrases are not items in a list.
We are not looking for a three-item list but for two verbs that, connected by AND, are parallel.

• ISSUE - PRONOUN
→ The underlined portion of the sentence contains the pronoun it.
Check answers to make sure that there is noun-pronoun agreement.
Also be alert to the possibility of pronoun ambiguity: does the pronoun have only one logical antecedent?

• ISSUE - IDIOM - CONSIDER
→ SEE NOTES, BELOW

Correct and common: consider X, Y
Correct but rare: consider to be
Wrong: Consider as
Wrong: Consider ... should


THE OPTIONS in a slightly shortened sentence


• pronoun ambiguity
→ does it refer to the human mind or to a thermodynamic system?

→ GMAC allows more pronoun flexibility than most aspirants realize, but if more than one logical antecedent exists, the sentence contains fatal pronoun ambiguity.
That state of affairs exists here.

We cannot tell whether it refers to the human mind or a thermodynamic system—both are logical antecedents of the pronoun it.

True pronoun ambiguity is relatively rare on the GMAT, though all else being equal, choose the sentences that have zero ambiguity if you can.
The ambiguity in this instance is glaring and fatal.

• verbs in this option are okay
This option contains a list of verbs that are in parallel (to consider, to attempt).

• Consider X to be Y is not common but allowed. See Notes, below.
(In other words, do not eliminate this option based on an incorrect belief that Consider to Be is always wrong. Eliminate this option on the basis of pronoun ambiguity.)
The pronoun ambiguity is fatal.
ELIMINATE A


• not parallel
→ to consider and attempt are not parallel
→ Wrong: DARPA is one of the first groups to consider XYZ should be ABC. . . and attempt to recreate ABC.
In a sentence this long, if we want to say, "D. was one of the first to consider something a system and to attempt to recreate that system," we need to repeat the word to. Too many words intervene between to and attempt, including the slightly startling appositive a thermodynamic system.

→ If you believe that the "to" before consider "carries over" to the verb attempt, look at options A and E.
In both, the word to has been repeated before attempt.
When the word to is repeated, no parallel verb issues exist.

• idiom error
→ there is no such thing as to consider X . . . should
That construction is not even on the map.
In Notes, below, I explain two acceptable idioms and one highly tested incorrect idiom.
ELIMINATE B


• not parallel
→ to consider (infinitive) and attempting (gerund, i.e. verbING) are not parallel.
In fact, "attempting" is not even a verb.

• not idiomatic: Consider AS
→ Consider X as Y is not idiomatic. GMAC throws this particular construction into the mix when it tests consider, because consider and regard are similar, and regard X as Y is idiomatic.

(See Notes, below, for a list of idioms that involve consider and regard.)

ELIMINATE C


• not parallel
→ the verbs to consider and attempt are not parallel.

• idiom error: Consider AS
→ Consider X as Y is not correct.

• subjunctive error
→ AS IF implies a hypothetical, contrary-to-fact situation.
→ In that situation (AS IF), we use "As if it were, not "As if it was."
Similar: He threw the huge rock as if it were a tiny pebble. (But the rock isn't a tiny pebble.)
ELIMINATE D


• No errors
→ This option may sound a bit strange.
Whether you are a native or non-native speaker, do not trust your ear on this sentence.
It properly deploys the idiom Consider X, Y.

• Verbs are correct: to consider and to attempt are parallel

• The idiom is correct: Consider X, Y. (Not having a comma is fine.)

In this correctly written idiom Consider X Y:
X = the human mind
Y = nothing more than parts and energy
→ . . . groups to consider the human mind [X] nothing more than parts and energy [Y]. . .

KEEP

The answer is E.

NOTES

• IDIOMS: CONSIDER
(And REGARD, because consider and regard are related.
In fact, what is allowed for one is not allowed for the other and vice versa.)

GMAC tests this idiom a decent bit.

Correct and common: consider X, Y
Correct but rare: consider to be
Correct: regard as
Wrong: Consider as
Wrong: Regard to be
Wrong: Regard X, Y

On the GMAT, Consider X, Y is tested fairly often.
You will have been told that consider to be is not idiomatic.
That information conflicts with two recent official questions.

Consider to be is not common, but the construction is acceptable.

One official question uses only "consider to be" in all of its answer choices.
That official question is here.
A couple of other official questions use consider to be in the non-underlined portion of the prompt.
You can find one of those official questions by clicking here.]

I know that many sources, including one top-notch SC book, contend that consider to be is suspect or unidiomatic.
When a non-official source conflicts with an official source, the official source wins. Every time.

The phrase consider to be is used in both the underlined and non-underlined portions of official sentence correction questions.

When someone writes that "consider to be" and "consider as" are unidiomatic on the GMAT, ignore the "consider to be" part.
That fact may have been true at the time the person posted the comment or wrote the book.
If the comment is from late 2017 to the present, then its author is just repeating a belief that no longer holds.
I've linked you to two recent official questions that use consider to be.

COMMENTS

These answers range from very good to excellent, despite a misstep or two.
(Not to worry. You all reasoned yourselves to the correct answer.)

Nicely done. Stay safe, everyone.

IMO E -

Consider XY is the idiom

A) to be nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and to attempt to recreate it -- Consider To be is unidiomatic

B) should be nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and attempt to recreate that system -- Consider should be is Redundant.

C) as being nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and attempting to recreate that system-- consider As is unidiomatic

D) as if it was nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and attempt to recreate that system- Consider As if is unidiomatic.

E) nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and to attempt to recreate that system -- To consider and To attempt are parellel. Also notice nice Appositive phrase "A thermodynamic System". This is the right answer.

My POE:

A:
1) More than one antecedent for pronoun IT
2) “Consider to be” is a suspect idiom, even though it is used in one of the GMAT prep problems

B:
1) We are looking to create parallelism between “to consider” AND “to create,” so other options with repetition of infinitive TO are more clear
2) Modal SHOULD is also not a preferred usage here, when describing general facts

C:
1) We are looking to create parallelism between “to consider” AND “to create,” but this structure is creating FALSE parallelism between BEING and ATTEMPTING

D:
1) Unidiomatic: AS IF should be followed by a subjunctive, so a correct version would be “as if it were…”

E: Correct: correct idiomatic usage “consider X Y” AND unambiguous parallelism between “to consider” AND “to attempt”

My answer is (E). It took me 02:23.

(A) The idiomatic use of Consider is "Consider X Y". It is incorrect to say "Consider X to be Y".
Besides, "it" in "recreate it" is ambiguous: It can mean either "human mind" or "a thermodynamic system".

(B) The idiomatic use of Consider is "Consider X Y". It is incorrect to say "Consider that X (verb) Y".
Besides, "that" is not provided in this version.
Also, the meaning of "should" is pretty strong and thus less desirable.

(C) The idiomatic use of Consider is "Consider X Y". It is incorrect to say "Consider X as Y".
Besides, "and attempting" is not parallel with "to consider"

(D) In subjunctive mood, "as if it was" should be "as if it were".
Even with the change from "was" to "were", it may still be unidiomatic.

(E) Correct use of "Consider X Y", perfect parallelism between "to consider" and "to attempt", and clear reference by using "that system" rather than "it".

In option A, the antecedent of pronoun "it" is ambiguous as "it" can refer to either "system" or "mind", in which case the sentence becomes illogical since the intention is not to recreate the human mind but the system of human mind, so option A is wrong. Also, the correct idiomatic usage is "consider X Y" and not "consider X to be Y", so this option also has an idiom error.

Use of "should" changes the intended meaning of the sentence and the absence of "to" before the verb "attempt" breaks the parallel structure of the two entities in the list connected to the subject "DARPA", so option B is wrong. Furthermore, the independent clause "attempt to..." does not have a subject for the verb "attempt, so this option also has a Subject-Verb agreement error.

Option C also has parallelism error since "attempting" is not parallel to "to consider", so this option is also wrong. Also, this option incorrectly uses "being" as a noun modifier for "mind".

Option D is wrong in multiple ways. Usage of "as if" does not express the intended meaning. "was" is the wrong verb tense usage since the situation still holds true in the present time. Furthermore, the option repeats the parallelism error noted in option B.

IMO option E is correct as it fixes all the errors noted in previous options, especially the parallelism errors. Now the verbs "to consider" and "to attempt" maintain a parallel structure.

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is one of the first research groups to consider the human mind to be nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and to attempt to recreate it in order to design computers that think.

The usage of ', and' signifies there is a list and needs the items to be parallel. I prefer 'and' usage without a comma when there are only 2 items, as per GMAC explanation. But given the option I'll pick one of the below choice best without much issue. If you note, the actions "to consider" and "to attempt" are parallel.

A) to be nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and to attempt to recreate it
'it' causes ambiguity what it is referring to (is it DARPA?). Eliminate

B) should be nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and attempt to recreate that system
"attempt" is not parallel to "to consider" action. Eliminate

C) as being nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and attempting to recreate that system
"To consider" and "attempting" are not parallel actions. Eliminate

D) as if it was nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and attempt to recreate that system
"attempt" is not parallel to "to consider" action. Eliminate


E) nothing more than parts and energy, a thermodynamic system, and to attempt to recreate that system
No pronoun error, and correct parallelism makes this as the correct choice. So, the answer is E.

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that DARPA is one of the first research groups to consider the human mind nothing more than parts and energy and to attempt to recreate that system.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Idioms + Pronouns + Parallelsim + Subjunctive Mood + Awkwardness/Redundancy

• The word "considered" does not require a conjunction or a helping word/phrase; “consider/considered” is always followed directly by the noun, and the similar word "regarded" must be followed by the conjunction "as"; correct usages: Jack is “considered a math genius” or Jack is “regarded as a math genius”.
• Any elements linked by a conjunction (“and” in this sentence) must be parallel.
• “being” is only to be used when it is part of a noun phrase or represents the passive continuous verb tense; the use of passive continuous must be justified in the context.
• “wishful trigger (if) + plural form of verb” is a correct, subjunctive usage; example: "If I were an athlete, I would be super fit.". In an imaginative context, subjunctive mood is a preferred usage for conveying the intended meaning effectively.
• “should” is used to convey a sense of obligation/desirability.

A: This answer choice incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "considered + to be"; please remember, the word "considered" does not require a conjunction or a helping word/phrase; “consider/considered” is always followed directly by the noun. Further, Option A suffers from pronoun ambiguity, as the pronoun "it" does not have a clear referent; it could refer to either "human mind" or "system".

B: This answer choice incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "considered + should be"; please remember, the word "considered" does not require a conjunction or a helping word/phrase; “consider/considered” is always followed directly by the noun. Further, Option B alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "should be"; the use of "should" incorrectly implies that DARPA is one of the first research groups to consider it favorable or desirable that the human mind be nothing more than parts and energy; the intended meaning is that DARPA is one of the first research groups to practically consider the human mind nothing more than parts and energy; please remember, “should” is used to convey a sense of obligation/desirability.

C: This answer choice incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "considered + as"; please remember, the word "considered" does not require a conjunction or a helping word/phrase; “consider/considered” is always followed directly by the noun. Further, Option C fails to maintain parallelism between "to consider...parts and energy" and "attempting...system"; please remember, any elements linked by a conjunction ("and" in this sentence) must be parallel. Additionally, Option C incorrectly uses the term "being", leading to awkwardness and redundancy; please remember, “being” is only to be used when it is part of a noun phrase or represents the passive continuous verb tense; the use of passive continuous must be justified in the context.

D: This answer choice incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "considered + as"; please remember, the word "considered" does not require a conjunction or a helping word/phrase; “consider/considered” is always followed directly by the noun. Further, Option D alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "consider...as if it was"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that DARPA is one of the first research groups to consider the human mind under the hypothetical assumption that it is nothing more than parts and energy; the intended meaning is that DARPA is one of the first research groups to practically consider the human mind nothing more than parts and energy. Additionally, Option D fails to maintain the correct subjunctive mood construction “wishful trigger (if) + plural form of verb”, as it utilizes the singular verb form "was"; please remember, “wishful trigger (if) + plural form of verb” is a correct, subjunctive usage, and in an imaginative context, subjunctive mood is a preferred usage for conveying the intended meaning effectively.

E: Correct. This answer choice correctly uses the idiomatic construction "considered + noun" without any conjunction or helping words/phrases. Further, Option E uses the phrase "consider the human mind nothing more than parts and energy", conveying the intended meaning; that DARPA is one of the first research groups to practically consider the human mind nothing more than parts and energy. Additionally, Option E maintains parallelism between "to consider" and "to attempt". Further, Option E avoids the pronoun error seen in Option A, as it employs no pronouns. Moreover, Option E avoids the subjunctive mood error seen in Option D, as it does not employ the subjunctive mood. Besides, Option E is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.

Hence, E is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Considered" and "Regarded as" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



To understand the concept of the "3 Key Subjunctive Mood Structures" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~3 minutes):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team
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The official explanation is here.
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