Despite the growing number of people who purchase plane

Question

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

(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

(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

(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

(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

sayantanc2k · Answer

For beliefs, "will" rather than "would" is used. You may find the following link helpful: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org ... l-or-would

leanhdung · Answer

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 machine, 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

(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

(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

(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 
--> wordy.

(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

VidyaIyengar · Answer

Why is the answer A and not E ? ( In particular asking since the ending should be "would" and not "will" given the expectation of an event in the future.. This will automatically eliminate option A ?

abhimahna · Answer

Hi VidyaIyengar , Welcome to GMATClub .

There is a solid reason for rejecting option E. The number MUST always be singular. But E says "the number are". Hence, INCORRECT. (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 P.S: Will vs would comparison should not be a reason for rejecting any option.(Provided you have a better option with would.)

Madhavi1990 · Answer

Another query : 1) what is more correct, in context of this question: "people who purchase" or "people purchasing"?. Latter indicates its a current phenomenon, correctly seen as present continuous, so why are options which contain them are wrong? 2) Also, how does that placement of 'THAT' after convinced a more serious error than tenses? (option C in particular)

sayantanc2k · Answer

1)
First, "purchasing" is a present participle modifier, not a verb ( in present continuous tense) as you mentioned. 
Second, using a present participle modifier is alright in this case. Option C and D are wrong not because of the use of present participle.

2)
Not clear about this query: Placing "that" after "convinced" is not an error, but the correct usage. In GMAT it is generally preferred to use "that" to introduce an object substantive clause (i.e., a clause used as an object noun).

NNURP · Answer

Few Point First - The use of "Despite" and "Despite the fact that" is both ok here.

- "despite" takes Gerund, Noun or Noun phrase. BUT never a clause
- "despite the fact that" takes clause.

(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

-Correct

(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

- Looks good BUT .....many travelers "would" . The tense is wrong.

(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

- the first error in convince+that, the second is prefer X to Y. Prefer takes infinitive.
 Furthermore, the word "prefer..to.." already has the meaning of compare so there's no need to add compare after "prefer"

(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

- Same tense "would" in B and Same "prefer X to Y" Prefer takes infinitive.

(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

- "prefer X to Y" and tense error on "would" 
 - The number of <--- is a singular

Just my opinion, so please correct me if I were wrong.

sayantanc2k · Answer

"That" is definitely misplaced. "That" should come immediately after "convinced" to denote what the executives are convinced of. "That" introduces a subordinate clause - the entire subordinate clause starting with "that" denotes what the executives are convinced of. Hence omitting "that" before "just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines" does not make sense.

egmat · Answer

Hello pikolo2510 , Thank you for your query.

Use of that in Choice B is certainly incorrect. Let me explain this to you with the help of simple example. Just as the sting of snakes are poisonous, the sting of some scorpions are venomous too . The above-mentioned sentence is correct as is. The clause starting with as is a dependent clause while the following clause is an independent clause. Together they form a complete sentence. Adding that before the independent clause will make it a dependent clause. In absence of any independent clause, there will not be a sentence. Now let's look at Choice B: ... just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would... In this structure too, we just need an independent clause after teller machines to present comparison in the correct grammatical structure. Use of that actually leads to structural error in Choice B. Hope this helps.

Thanks. Shraddha

egmat · Answer

Hello TSofat , Thank you for the query.

We use would for i. uncertain events or ii. a future event spoken in the past time-frame. The official sentence in question does not present any of the situations. The sentence clearly mentions that the airline executives are convinced or sure that many travelers will still use travel agents. So there is no question of any uncertainty. Also, the entire sentence is written in simple present tense. There is no mention of any past event. In fact, in the present, the airline executives are convinced about what it going to continue happening in the future. Hence, use of would is incorrect to present an event that is going to continue in the future. Hope this helps.

Thanks. Shraddha

GMATGuruNY · Answer

A comparison must compare APPLES TO APPLES: it must compare the right two things.

B, C and D:  airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer 
These options seems to compare how executives ARE CONVINCED to how customers STILL PREFER.
This comparison makes no sense.
The intention here is to compare the actions of two types of consumers ( bank customers  and  travelers ). 
To make the comparison clear, the word  that  is needed, as in the OA:
 Airline executives are convinced THAT...just as  bank customers STILL PREFER ... many travelers WILL STILL USE ... 
Here, the inclusion of  that  makes it crystal clear that the two clauses in blue are being compared.
Eliminate B, C and D.

In E,  the number  (singular) doesn't agree with  are growing  (plural).
Eliminate E.

A

soumya170293 · Answer

To get the answer quickly : Tips 
Compared to and Compared with both are correct and so its not the thing that GMAT generally tests .
Despite always seeks ing-form because it is more crisp and meaning wise sentence is trying to convey future sense so Will must be used instead of Would for expressing it lucidly. 
Convinced followed by That .
So OA is A

mba757 · Answer

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
 best option

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
 (1) illogical comparison: unnecessary “that” leads to a comparison between “airline executives are convinced” and “one third of bank customers still prefer…” –   JUST AS   – illogical. We need “that” right after convinced to make the proper comparison between “customers” and ”travelers”; (2) “would” is incorrect – we need past + conditional (there’s no past tense) OR present (still prefer) + future (will, like the other option);

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
 (1) verb tense: “…people PURCHASING plane tickets…” – there aren’t a growing number of people (actively/presently) purchasing tickets; there are a growing number of people WHO purchase tickets. There’s a growing number of a specific type of people.

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
 (1) redundancy: “as compared to” – “as” is a comparison marker and so is “compared to”; (2) “would” is incorrect – we need past + conditional (there’s no past tense) OR present (still prefer) + future (will, like the other option); (3) illogical comparison: unnecessary “that” leads to a comparison between “airline executives are convinced” and “one third of bank customers still prefer…” –   JUST AS   – illogical. We need “that” right after convinced to make the proper comparison between “customers” and ”travelers”;

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
 (1) SV error: “the number…are…” – “the number” = singular but “a number” = plural; (2) “would” is incorrect – we need past + conditional (there’s no past tense) OR present (still prefer) + future (will, like the other option);

santosh93 · Answer

Could you please explain elaborately option by option like you answer for other SC questions?

GMATNinja

Dvaishnav · Answer

The first split I noticed in the answer choices is 'will' vs. 'would'. Choices A and C have 'will' and the remaining choices have 'would'. Hence, we can not use conditional mood (would). The typical pairing is either 'simple present + future' when we are talking about the future in present or 'simple past + conditional' when we talked about the future in past. Here, the phrase 'airline executives are convinced' is in the simple present tense. Hence, we need 'will'. This eliminated B, D, and E.

Now, between choices A and C, 'that' is missing in C after the phrase 'airline executives are convinced'. Hence, I selected A.

Now, between choices A and C, 'that' is missing in C after the phrase 'airline executives are convinced'. Hence, I selected A.

Hoozan · Answer

EducationAisle  please could you help me understand the usage if "just as" Isn't the right idiom "Just as X... So Y" However only "just as" is used in (A)

EducationAisle · Answer

Hi  Hoozan , there is no requirement that  just as   always  has to be followed by  so Y .

For example:

Peter went to Harvard, just has his father did.
 
So,  just as , in this sentence, is basically depicting  in the same way .

As an aside, even if you thought that  just as  should have been followed by  so Y , it is worthwhile to note that none of the options has  so Y  structure present at all, and hence, it's bit of a moot point to even ponder, for this question. This skill (of skimming through the given answer choices and quickly figuring out  splits that  matter   for the given sentence) is a key skill that test-takers must acquire.

Anshul1223333 · Answer

is there a rule on 'despite' v/s 'despite the fact that' where the later is used as a dependent clause marker and the former is not.

Please clarify a bit here: is it a dependent+ independent clause construction

RonTargetTestPrep · Answer

"despite" needs to be followed by a NOUN. "despite the fact that", as you said here, needs to be followed by a whole sentence (clause with a subject and verb). The decision between these two just depends on which one you actually MEAN in context: Is something true DESPITE some other consideration (that's represented as a noun)—or is something true DESPITE the fact THAT the whole idea of a sentence/clause is true? By the way... There's another type of decision, tested much more often by GMAC, that works just like this one. That's the decision between PREPOSITION + NOUN + VERBing and NOUN + VERB (= a COMPLETE SENTENCE). The key realization to make is that the former construction ( NOUN , just followed by a modifier (which doesn't, and can't, change the fundamental nature of the construction to which it's attached). If what you actually mean is the whole idea of NOUN + VERB, rather than just the noun, then this version is incorrect and you need the one with a whole clause that says NOUN + VERB instead. Here's one official problem that contains this type of split: https://gmatclub.com/forum/discussion-o ... 04263.html In that problem, there's a split between "the possibility of Earth getting warmer " and "whether Earth will get warmer ". The problem with the former construction is that it's just "the possibility of Earth " + modifier. Earth is not a possibility—the possibility under discussion is that Earth may get warmer —so "the possibility of Earth " is nonsense. In this sentence, on the other hand, it actually makes sense to say that airline execs believe something DESPITE A CERTAIN STATISTIC that seems to suggest that their belief is outdated. So, "despite the growing number ..." works here.

Jainamsavla · Answer

Bunuel  
Can you help me understand why the usage of 'will' is correct here and not the usage of 'would'?

Despite the growing number of people who purchase plane

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Despite the growing number of people who purchase plane

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