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19 Jan 2022, 00:18
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D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
55%
(hard)
Question Stats:
59% (02:02) correct
41%
(01:54)
wrong
based on 254
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Found throughout southern Africa, these relatives of the common sparrow build perfectly rounded balls as nests from mud, flitting from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing fast enough that specialized film must be used to snap them in motion.
A) these relatives of the common sparrow build perfectly rounded balls as nests from mud, flitting from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing fast enough
B) a perfectly rounded mud nest is home to a relative of the common sparrow that flits from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing so fast
C) perfectly rounded mud nests are home to a relative of the common sparrow that flits from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing sufficiently fast
D) these relatives of the common sparrow build a perfectly rounded mud nest, flitting from tree to tree with their tiny turquoise wings flashing so fast
E) these relatives of the common sparrow build a perfectly rounded ball as a nest from mud, flits from tree to tree upon tiny turquoise wings, and it flies so fast
19 Jan 2022, 00:23
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
• Concepts tested: Pronoun mismatch, So X that Y, Modifiers
• The intended meaning of the sentence:
→ Birds that are related to the common sparrow are found throughout southern Africa; they build nests from mud that are perfectly rounded ball-like structures; their wings flash so rapidly that a special film is needed to capture the scene of the birds in motion.
• Split #1: pronoun mismatch
When GMAC includes species or types of animals in sentences, it often tests singular/plural consistency: if the nonunderlined portion of a sentence contains "THE hippo," (referring to the entire species), any reference to that animals must be in singular form.
→ Correct: The pygmy hippo is endangered; worse, even its approximate numbers are not known.
On the other hand, you will also see "hippos" as the word referring to the entire species, and in that case, every reference to the species must be plural.
→ Correct: Pygmy hippos are endangered; worse, even their approximate numbers are not known.
Those two correct sentences—either version of which you are likely to see on the GMAT—mean the same thing.
Takeaway: You can you either the singular or the plural construction to refer to a species, but not both in the same sentence.
You must remain consistent throughout the sentence. Do not shift from a singular reference to a plural one and vice versa.
In this question, the non-underlined part of the sentence uses the plural pronoun them to refer to the relative(s) of the common sparrow. (The correct match is "relatives" because "them" is plural.)
In other words, in option A, that singular noun a relative of the common sparrow does not match the plural pronoun them.
The plural noun relatives of the common sparrow does match the pronoun them.
Options B and C incorrectly use the singular noun, a relative of the common sparrow.
In addition, using the correct plural noun but using the incorrect singular pronoun its also causes a mismatch.
Options A and E contain this error.
Eliminate A, B, C, and E.
[And if you are short on time, mark D without checking and go!]
• Split #2: So X that Y
SO THAT vs. enough and sufficiently
To denote the intensity of something, we pair so with that.
We do not use enough that or sufficiently that to describe this kind of intensity. Neither is idiomatic.
Correct: The bus was so crowded that I could not get on.
Because the non-underlined part already contains that, we must use so to create the phrase so fast that and thus correctly show
the intensity that the sentence intends to convey.
Option A uses fast enough that, a phrase that is not idiomatic.
Option C uses sufficiently fast that, another phrase that is not idiomatic.
Eliminate A and C (again).
• Split #3: Parallel and stylistic construction
Option E makes three additional errors.
1) subject/verb agreement: plural relatives does not agree with singular flits
. . . these relatives of the common sparrow build a perfectly rounded ball as a nest from mud, flits from tree to tree upon tiny turquoise wings,
and
2) breaking parallelism and/or mucking up the construction of a sentence
→ We should see "these relatives. . . " build, flit, and fly.
Instead we see build, flits, and it flies.
Not parallel and not grammatical.
3) when a single subject does more than one thing and is thus attached to more than one verb, almost always, do not create a second clause.
Nor do add a comma and conjunction or insert a pronoun to repeat the subject.
That subject is attached to a "compound predicate" (more than one verb).
Allow that subject to do all of the verbs. Do not repeat the subject.
GMAC is kinda strict about this convention.
→ Incorrect , and it flies so fast[/quote]
Eliminate E again.
The correct answer is D.
NOTES
I mentioned that modifiers were tested.
What I did not mention is that the test is to determine whether you fall into the trap of thinking that the introductory phrase "Found throughout southern Africa" must modify either relatives of the common sparrow or a perfectly rounded mud nest, but could not modify either.
GMAC writers want you to spend, oh, say, 5 minutes driving yourself up a wall.
I vote no on that idea.
If you cannot figure out, within 10 seconds, whether there is only one logical target of that modifier (answer: no), then skip the issue and come back to it only if you need to do so.
In sum, either relatives of the common sparrow or a perfectly rounded mud nest could be the correct subject of the modifier found throughout southern Africa.”
We cannot eliminate any option on the basis of that issue. (The better of the two is probably relatives of the common sparrow, but that choice is not a slam dunk, and there are four slam dunk errors as I described in "Split #1")
COMMENTS
s1804singh , welcome to SC Butler.
I am always glad to see new participants.
This sentence is challenging.
For anyone who tried to answer it, give yourself a kudos for trying it, even if you guessed the wrong answer.
Now you all know that references to a species of animal must follow the singularity or plurality assigned to that species in the nonunderlined portion of the sentence and must do so throughout the sentence.
GMAC will give you the clue.
Takeaway?
If the sentence refers to species in a singular way, check to see whether the verbs and pronouns are also all singular.
If the sentence refers to species in a plural way, make sure that everything is plural.
Well done, posters.
Quote:
• Concepts tested: Pronoun mismatch, So X that Y, Modifiers
• The intended meaning of the sentence:
→ Birds that are related to the common sparrow are found throughout southern Africa; they build nests from mud that are perfectly rounded ball-like structures; their wings flash so rapidly that a special film is needed to capture the scene of the birds in motion.
• Split #1: pronoun mismatch
When GMAC includes species or types of animals in sentences, it often tests singular/plural consistency: if the nonunderlined portion of a sentence contains "THE hippo," (referring to the entire species), any reference to that animals must be in singular form.
→ Correct: The pygmy hippo is endangered; worse, even its approximate numbers are not known.
On the other hand, you will also see "hippos" as the word referring to the entire species, and in that case, every reference to the species must be plural.
→ Correct: Pygmy hippos are endangered; worse, even their approximate numbers are not known.
Those two correct sentences—either version of which you are likely to see on the GMAT—mean the same thing.
Takeaway: You can you either the singular or the plural construction to refer to a species, but not both in the same sentence.
You must remain consistent throughout the sentence. Do not shift from a singular reference to a plural one and vice versa.
In this question, the non-underlined part of the sentence uses the plural pronoun them to refer to the relative(s) of the common sparrow. (The correct match is "relatives" because "them" is plural.)
In other words, in option A, that singular noun a relative of the common sparrow does not match the plural pronoun them.
The plural noun relatives of the common sparrow does match the pronoun them.
Options B and C incorrectly use the singular noun, a relative of the common sparrow.
In addition, using the correct plural noun but using the incorrect singular pronoun its also causes a mismatch.
Options A and E contain this error.
Eliminate A, B, C, and E.
[And if you are short on time, mark D without checking and go!]
• Split #2: So X that Y
SO THAT vs. enough and sufficiently
To denote the intensity of something, we pair so with that.
We do not use enough that or sufficiently that to describe this kind of intensity. Neither is idiomatic.
Correct: The bus was so crowded that I could not get on.
Because the non-underlined part already contains that, we must use so to create the phrase so fast that and thus correctly show
the intensity that the sentence intends to convey.
Option A uses fast enough that, a phrase that is not idiomatic.
Option C uses sufficiently fast that, another phrase that is not idiomatic.
Eliminate A and C (again).
• Split #3: Parallel and stylistic construction
Option E makes three additional errors.
1) subject/verb agreement: plural relatives does not agree with singular flits
. . . these relatives of the common sparrow build a perfectly rounded ball as a nest from mud, flits from tree to tree upon tiny turquoise wings,
and
2) breaking parallelism and/or mucking up the construction of a sentence
→ We should see "these relatives. . . " build, flit, and fly.
Instead we see build, flits, and it flies.
Not parallel and not grammatical.
3) when a single subject does more than one thing and is thus attached to more than one verb, almost always, do not create a second clause.
Nor do add a comma and conjunction or insert a pronoun to repeat the subject.
That subject is attached to a "compound predicate" (more than one verb).
Allow that subject to do all of the verbs. Do not repeat the subject.
GMAC is kinda strict about this convention.
→ Incorrect , and it flies so fast[/quote]
Eliminate E again.
The correct answer is D.
NOTES
I mentioned that modifiers were tested.
What I did not mention is that the test is to determine whether you fall into the trap of thinking that the introductory phrase "Found throughout southern Africa" must modify either relatives of the common sparrow or a perfectly rounded mud nest, but could not modify either.
GMAC writers want you to spend, oh, say, 5 minutes driving yourself up a wall.
I vote no on that idea.
If you cannot figure out, within 10 seconds, whether there is only one logical target of that modifier (answer: no), then skip the issue and come back to it only if you need to do so.
In sum, either relatives of the common sparrow or a perfectly rounded mud nest could be the correct subject of the modifier found throughout southern Africa.”
We cannot eliminate any option on the basis of that issue. (The better of the two is probably relatives of the common sparrow, but that choice is not a slam dunk, and there are four slam dunk errors as I described in "Split #1")
COMMENTS
s1804singh , welcome to SC Butler.
I am always glad to see new participants.
This sentence is challenging.
For anyone who tried to answer it, give yourself a kudos for trying it, even if you guessed the wrong answer.
Now you all know that references to a species of animal must follow the singularity or plurality assigned to that species in the nonunderlined portion of the sentence and must do so throughout the sentence.
GMAC will give you the clue.
Takeaway?
If the sentence refers to species in a singular way, check to see whether the verbs and pronouns are also all singular.
If the sentence refers to species in a plural way, make sure that everything is plural.
Well done, posters.
General Discussion
19 Jan 2022, 02:21
Kudos
Bookmarks
Found throughout southern Africa, these relations of the common sparrow build perfectly rounded balls as nests from mud, flitting from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing fast enough that specialized film must be used to snap them in motion.
A) these relations of the common sparrow build perfectly rounded balls as nests from mud, flitting from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing fast enough
B) a perfectly rounded mud nest is home to a relation of the common sparrow that flits from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing so fast
C) perfectly rounded mud nests are home to a relative of the common sparrow that flits from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing sufficiently fast
D) these relations of the common sparrow build a perfectly rounded mud nest, flitting from tree to tree with their tiny turquoise wings flashing so fast
E) these relations of the common sparrow build a perfectly rounded ball as a nest from mud, flits from tree to tree upon tiny turquoise wings, and it flies so fast
A) these relations of the common sparrow build perfectly rounded balls as nests from mud, flitting from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing fast enough
B) a perfectly rounded mud nest is home to a relation of the common sparrow that flits from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing so fast
C) perfectly rounded mud nests are home to a relative of the common sparrow that flits from tree to tree with its tiny turquoise wings flashing sufficiently fast
D) these relations of the common sparrow build a perfectly rounded mud nest, flitting from tree to tree with their tiny turquoise wings flashing so fast
E) these relations of the common sparrow build a perfectly rounded ball as a nest from mud, flits from tree to tree upon tiny turquoise wings, and it flies so fast
