Despite the growing number of people who purchase plane

The first thing that jumps out is the "just as." We need something that can be logically compared to the phrase "one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines" (a clause with a subject and a verb). And what we get is, "many travelers will still use travel agents" (another clause with a subject and a verb).

So the "just as" is properly used to compare two clauses. And does the comparison make sense? Sure! Using travel agents even though you can purchase tickets online is certainly comparable to using human bank tellers even though you can use an ATM.

(A) doesn't have any glaring issues, and the comparison looks great. Let's hang on to this one.


The biggest difference here is that the "just as" part comes BEFORE the "that." This tiny little change actually changes the meaning entirely. It now seems as though we are comparing "one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines" to "airline executives are convinced" -- the airline execs are CONVINCED just as the bank customers PREFER. That's not the comparison we want, so (A) is a much better option.

As others have noted earlier in the thread, the "would" isn't appropriate here since we don't have a conditional situation. But I wouldn't get into the weeds of the conditional stuff here -- the comparison makes no sense, so (B) has to go.


(C) omits the "that" entirely, but I'd still say we have the same issue that we encountered in (B). Without the word "that" after "are convinced," it sounds like we are illogically comparing "airline executives are convinced" to "one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines."

Sure, you could argue that the "that" is implied, so why not assume the implied "that" goes before the "just as"? But, again, omitting the "that" sure makes it look like we have the same illogical comparison that we saw in (B). Can you figure out the appropriate meaning? Sure. But the logical meaning is much clearer in (A).

Another vote in favor of (A) over (C) is that we want "prefer [X] to [Y]," not "prefer [X] as compared to [Y]."

(A) is still the best option so far, so let's get rid of (C).


(D) has the same comparison issue that we saw in (B) and the same idiom issue that we saw in (C) ("prefer [X] as compared to [Y]"). I wouldn't say that the reworded "despite..." clause is wrong, but it certainly doesn't seem any better than the wording in (A). And we have the problematic "would" that we saw in (B).

That gives us more than enough reason to eliminate (D).


The comparison looks good in (E). But we have a glaring subject-verb agreement error: "... the number of people... are growing." "Number" is singular, so it should be "is" instead of "are."

That's enough reason to get rid of (E), but here are a couple other small votes in favor of (A) over (E):

• The wording of the opening "despite..." clause seems unnecessarily wordy in (E). Again, I don't think that makes it wrong, but the wording in (A) is simpler and clearer.
• "just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers compared with automatic teller machines" - The "compared with" doesn't really work here. We want to say that bank customers prefer [X] to [Y]. At first glance, "compared with" seems to modify "human tellers" (What do bank customers prefer? Human tellers [that are] compared with automatic teller machines.). Obviously that doesn't make any sense. The reader also might think that we are comparing the bank customers themselves with automatic teller machines, and that doesn't make any sense either.
• As in (B), the "would" isn't appropriate here since we don't have a conditional situation.

(E) is gone, and we're left with (A).

A
Despite and In Spite of are used for phrases; those fragment sentences in which there is not a verb. Despite and "In spite of" show contrast.
"Although" is similar, but it is used in clauses (in this type of fragment, there is a verb. Example: Although I loved her, I had to leaver her).

I think I deserve kudos

PS. This link could be useful for you: https://gmat-grammar.blogspot.com/search ... n%20though

No, that's not what happens here.

Despite the growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, many travelers will still use travel agents.

Consider just A and B for now:

a) growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives e convinced that, just as one-third of bsik customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, many travelers will
b) growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives e convinced, Just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would

if you say: the executives are convinced , just as the consumers, that many travelers (...)
you are saying that the executives and the consumers have the same opinion about many travelers

If you say: the executives are convinced that , just as the consumers, many travelers(...)
you are saying that the executives are convinced that what happens with the consumers will happen also to the travelers

The position of that is crucial. In both B and D "that" does not refer back to the machines:
d) fact that the number of people purchasing plane tickets online is growing, airline executives are convinced, Just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would
in both B and D, that is part of the construct "are convinced that"<== the big difference is the placement of ", just as (...)" as explained above.

So: yes B and D distort the meaning, but not because "that" refers to machines.

I hope I've explained myself well

Use MGMAT's split and resplit method. convinced that is better than the ones without that. So eliminate B, C, D.
growing number of is better than the fact that the number of. So eliminate D, and E
Answer A is left to be correct choice.
By the way, C, D, and E can also be eliminate with the use of compare to and compare with.

Despite the growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are conviced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, many travelers will still use travel agents

(A) growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are conviced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, many travelers will - we need 'will' because airline executives are convinced about something in future. 'people who purchase' is correct

(B) growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are conviced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, many travelers would - we need 'will' because airline executives are convinced about something in future. 'would' is not correct in this context

(C) growing number of people purchasing plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, many travelers will - we need 'will' because airline executives are convinced about something in future. 'people purchasing' does not sound correct

(D) fact that the number of people purchasing plane tickets online is growing, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would - we need 'will' because airline executives are convinced about something in future. 'people purchasing' does not sound correct

(E) fact that the number of people who purchase plane tickets online are growing, airline executives are convinced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers compared with automatic teller machines, many travelers would - we need 'will' because airline executives are convinced about something in future.

B. growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would (misplaced)
C. growing number of people purchasing plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, many travelers will (AKWARD and meaning is changed)
D. fact that the number of people purchasing plane tickets online is growing, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would 9misplaced)
E. fact that the number of people who purchase plane tickets online are growing, airline executives convinced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers compared with automatic teller machines, many travelers that

is "prefer human tellers compared with automatic teller machines" correct?
I picked 'A' based on idiom "prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines"
Please let me know if my approacy is incorrect.

I think option A, just because "airline executives are convinced that, just as one-third..." should be the right approach. Option E also has "THAT" but its usage of "compared with" is wrong.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

Regarding the ambiguity with the usage of 'fact' in the options D and E:

Try to think logically. Did the number of people who buy air tickets online grow or the fact grow??
A fact is a fact. It cannot grow.
I hope that helps.

In the incorrect answer choices B and D " that" is referring to machines and this distorts the meaning of sentence?

Tense is a better split in this sentence will vs would Option A is best!

Despite the growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, many travelers will still use travel agents.

A. growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, many travelers will
works just fine
B. growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would
get rid of the middleman comparison introduced by a comma. Realize that you desperately need a reporting "that" and that in this case "that" after the second comma would act as a modifier of machines. out
C. growing number of people purchasing plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, many travelers will
lack of that before the subordinate clause
D. fact that the number of people purchasing plane tickets online is growing, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would
the expression as compared to is a red flag; the expression despite the fact is quite wordy whether you stumble upon a better choice; issue with "that" modifying machines.
E. fact that the number of people who purchase plane tickets online are growing, airline executives are convinced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers compared with automatic teller machines, many travelers would
wordy construction + imho you don't prefer something compared with/to something else, but rather you prefer x to y. We don't really need to compare anything here we are expressing a preference between two things.


A.

The credited response should be A ....

When we talk about future event and not sure if the future event happens definitely - then we use "would "

When we are certain that the event definitely takes place in future - we use "will " ......

Airlines executives are certain that in future travelers continue to use travel agents .

So " will " needed in the answer choice ...

This in a single stroke kills option (b), (d), (e)

between C and A

C states - Just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines,

Using prefer and compared in a single sentence - makes one of them redundant .

so A Wins ......

Yes the usage of to is correct. The idiomatic structure is prefer X to Y, not prefer X than Y.

Correct: I prefer tea to coffee.
Wrong: I prefer tea than coffee.

In this sentence: Customers prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines...... correct

as per e-gmat, AS+COMPARED+TO is never correct.
C, D
another idiom Prefer X to Y
prefer X compared with - incorrect. E is out. E has a SV error as well.

between A and B
A executive are convinced that as X, Y will use. we have "are convinced" so it is certain..no need for would.
B - since we are "certain" would is not needed. + meaning slightly changed: executives are convinced Just as ...

A holds while B is out.

We do not need to use "the fact", Eliminate D and E
We need a "that" after convinced. Eliminate B and C

Correct Option: A

A) growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, many travelers will. 'That' is required to make comparison between 'preference of bank customers' with 'airlines travelers'

B) growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would 'that' is missing before 'just as one- third....'

C) growing number of people purchasing plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, many travelers will 'that' is missing

D) fact that the number of people purchasing plane tickets online is growing, airline execituves are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would 'that' is missing before 'just as one- third....'

E) fact that the number of people who purchase plane tickets online are growing, airline executives are convinced that, just as obe-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers compared with automatic teller machines, many travelers would 'is' is required with 'the number'

Hi Daagh,
The airline executives are convinced that....many customers will still use travel agents.
Isn't this a prediction which involves uncertainty? Hence use of WOULD is preferred?
Can you please help me understand where I am going wrong?