Despite smartphones and easy accessibility for social networks

Question

Despite smartphones and easy accessibility for social networks , almost half of the millennials – people reaching young adulthood in the 21st century – are feeling isolated and lonely.

(A) Despite smartphones and easy accessibility for social networks,

(B) Although having smartphones and accessing social networks easily,

(C) Despite them using smartphones and easily accessing social networks,

(D) Despite their smartphones making access to social networks easy,

(E) Although there is an increasing use of smartphones and easy accessibility for social networks,

source: wizako.com

generis · Accepted Answer

The meaning is pretty clear. Nearly half of millenials feel isolated and lonely even though they have cellphones and access to social networks (and thus might be expected not to feel lonely). Split #1: Idiom is access TO not access FOR : -- when it is easy for us to connect to something that requires access, the correct idiom is access to , not access for Options A and E incorrectly use accessibility for.

Eliminate A and E Split #2: Although requires a clause Despite is a preposition that must be followed by a noun or pronoun. Although is a subordinating conjunction and must be followed by a clause. In option B there is no subject and no verb. Instead we see Although having . . . and accessing Where is the subject? WHO is "having" (owning) these phones? Who accesses social networks? -- ___ING words are not working verbs Option B's "Although" should be followed by a clause with a subject and verb. Eliminate B Split #3: Possessive gerunds Option C incorrectly uses THEM in the introduction. The correct construction is: Despite their using smartphone and . . . . No kidding. "Them" is 100% wrong. Very few people know this rule, but a gerund (verbING) is a noun (an action noun, usually). The pronoun THEM cannot do an action. These __ING nouns have many verb characteristics. If we want to show what or who is doing the action in the gerund (verbING), we use the possessive pronoun before the __ING word. Correct : His shouting at me was a really dumb idea. Wrong: He shouting at me was a really dumb idea. Wrong : Him shouting at me was a really dumb idea. Despite them using cellphones ? Them is an OBJECT pronoun. Gah. I don't like lingo. THEM is the word that we use when we say, "Would you like to to meet them?" THEM is not a subject. Them can't do anything. Them cannot use or be using cellphones. As an object pronoun, them receives action. It does not take action. Them run errands.

They run errands.

Them hug each other. They hug each other. -- what follows "despite" is not a noun phrase because "them" is not connected to using cell phones. -- the correct construction is "Despite their using cell phones. . . ." HERE is a site that explains how and why gerunds take the possessive case Eliminate C. The answer is D Despite their smartphones making access to social networks easier -- despite is followed by a (very long) noun phrase -- (D)'s logic is good. Although millenials have things that might seem to ease loneliness, millenials still feel lonely.

sagnikjana · Answer

Why is (D) the answer, there's no antecedent for their.

harikrishnanmc · Answer

Doesn't (D) change the meaning? I assumed that the intended meaning was that 'Despite increasing use of smart phones and easy availability of social media (need not be only through smart phones)....'.

Also, is the error with (C) in respect to the usage of 'them' in that 'Despite them easily accessing social media' is incorrect?

Thanks in advance!

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suman08 · Answer

Accessibility to is correct, hence option D

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jrk23 · Answer

Why "them" in the c choice is wrong and how "D"is correct. can anyone please explain?

generis · Answer

sagnikjana  , read my post  HERE

In
 Despite using their cellphones,  their refers to millennials.
Whose cellphones? Millennials' smartphones.

We can put a pronoun before a noun.

Hope that helps.

generis · Answer

Hi harikrishnanmc Option A does not determine intended meaning. I realize that this statement is contrary to what some people are taught. The three experts below collectively possess more than forty years' of experience teaching the GMAT. They, too, say that there is nothing special about option A. GMATNinja , HERE, Dmitry Farber, here, and Ron Purewal, HERE. Very frequently we can figure out meaning from the non-underlined portion of the prompt, a fact that may make it seem as though option A determines meaning. To state the obvious: Option A is the underlined portion of the prompt from which we often figure out meaning. Option A may happen to fit grammatically and rhetorically 20% of the time, but that fact does not mean that option A is the originally intended meaning. We can use all five options to determine meaning, if need be. ***** ANd yes, (C) is wrong because of the word "them." Please read my post HERE. Hope that helps.

generis · Answer

jrk23 , please see my post HERE , Them does not take any action, ever. Me does not take any action, ever. Her and him do not take any action, ever. -- Me does not go to the store. -- Them are not stuck in the rain. Those words are object pronouns. -- I give the present to them . -- She gave the present to me . -- He and she gave the present to me . The first pronouns are subjects = subject pronouns. They can take action. They can do things. The second pronouns are objects = object pronouns. They receive action or are acted upon. If you see a weird pronoun that comes before a verbING (a gerund), it is almost certainly a possessive pronoun, so do not automatically eliminate the answer. Ask whether we are being told who or what is doing the action in the __ING word. I would not worry too much. This issue is tested very rarely. (I think I recall two questions in all the OG books published in the last 6 years.) I linked to an article in my post above. I think it will help. HOpe that helps.

supremekkk · Answer

Hi,

I understand that the answer is D

However i have question about answer C that start with although

I know that although should have clause after it.

But if following sentence’s subject and Although clause ‘ subject are same can’t we eliminate the although’s subject and changes the verb into

V-ing form?

Thank you.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Despite smartphones and easy accessibility for social networks

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