Compared to those who do not, running three days a week saves

Question

102.  Compared to those who do not, running three days a week saves  an average of 14.1 percent on health-care costs each year in the United States.

A. Compared to those who do not, running three days a week saves
B. Compared with nonrunners, people who run three days a week save 
C. Compared to not running, those running for three days a week save
D. When compared with those who do not, people running three days a week save
E. When compared to nonrunners, running three days a week saves

leswm · Accepted Answer

Ans B. Use 'compare with' when comparing similar things and 'compare to' for dissimilar things. e.g. Compare my signature with your signature (signatures are two similar things). I compared her smile to the sun (person and sun and dissimilar)

Even if I didn't know the difference btn compare to and compare with, the other answers have issues as shown below

Compared to those who do not, running three days a week saves  an average of 14.1 percent on health-care costs each year in the United States.
A. Compared to  those  who do not,  running  three days a week saves
those should be compared to people not the verb running.
B. Compared with  nonrunners ,  people  who run three days a week save
Correctly compares nonrunners to people
C. Compared to not  running ,  those  running for three days a week save
Same as A, comparing verb running to 'those'
D. When compared with those who do not  ?? , people running three days a week save
When is unnecessary here. Secondly, when compared with those who do not  do what ? Sentence shouldn't leave you hanging
E. When compared to  nonrunners ,  running  three days a week saves
Same as A, cannot compare nonrunners to a verb.

tharunv · Answer

The answer would be D - and compared is right.

tharunv · Answer

I see your point - B seems more appropriate.

sandipchowdhury · Answer

Compared to those who do not, running three days a week saves  an average of 14.1 percent on health-care costs each year in the United States. 
A. Compared to those who do not, running three days a week saves
B. Compared with nonrunners, people who run three days a week save 
C. Compared to not running, those running for three days a week save
D. When compared with those who do not, people running three days a week save
E. When compared to nonrunners, running three days a week saves

bigfernhead · Answer

Interested in why C would be wrong...

reply2spg · Answer

In C IMO you are comparing running vs those....i.e. verb vs noun...which is wrong

parthapop · Answer

I too think its B.Only B has the correct comparison comparing those who do not run with people who run.

sandipchowdhury · Answer

Good explanation leswm. :-D

I kudo to you.

ritula · Answer

compare with is used for similar things while compare to is used for dissimilar things. So, A,C and E are out. now b/w B and D, D is unnecessarily wordy. B uses correct comparison, correct idiom and is most precise. so ans B.

River10 · Answer

Compared with -- emphasizes differences
Compared to-- emphasizes similarities.

OA is B

dheeraj24 · Answer

I think everybody has given correct answer , but not a good explanation.

This question is dealing with two issues

a) Comparisons b) Subject Verb Agreement (People --->save)

Now let's analyze the choices

a) Comparing People with running ---------------- wrong choice.
c) Compares not running with People.---------------- wrong choice.
d) Comparison is correct , but the use of when is ambiguous. ---------------- wrong choice.
e) Comparing Non-runners to running.---------------- wrong choice.

The only obvious choice is B.

ray3232 · Answer

Compared to OR
Compared with.

Logic: We use 'Compared to' when we compare 'Similarities' and we use 'Compared with' when we compare the 'Differences'.

Here we are comparing nonrunners with people who do not run.
A,C and E are out.

B. 'Nonrunners' parallel to 'People' (Noun // Noun)- Correct answer
D. 'Those who do not run' not parallel to 'people running' (Pronoun // Gerund or ING Verb)

Hope it helps!

Ray

swanidhi · Answer

The issue at hand is not with the usage of compared to and compared with . Their usage is a debatable topic and has been inconclusive. Refer to this link, where Ron admits that the usage is uncertain. https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... t2071.html If you see this on your exam, be assured that the GMAC guys are not testing you for this. Coming back to the original question - you cannot compare apples to oranges. You want to compare non runners to runners! A. You are comparing non runners to running. OUT B. Comparing non runners to runners. CORRECT C. Comparing not running to runners. OUT D. Awkward sentence. B is clearer. OUT E. Comparing non runners to running. OUT B is the only answer choice free of logical and grammatical problems. +Kudos, if this helped! :lol:

GMATPill · Answer

This question is not testing the difference between "compared to" vs "compared with" -- either approach could potentially be fine.

But what this question is testing you on is apples vs oranges -- what we refer to as framework #2.

The left side needs to match the right side.

For (A) -- you'd have to say "Compared to those who do not run, those who DO run blah blah blah" -- that's how you maintain consistency. The "running three days a week" is not consistent with "those who do not"..

Same thing with (C) ----and really all the choices except (B). With (B) - you are comparing "nonrunners" with "people who run 3 days a week" -- so you are comparing people with people -- so that matches.

Make sure you know what is being tested -- because if you think you are being tested on something else, you can waste a lot of time -- and on a test like this, every second counts.

Youraisemeup · Answer

Mirror mirror on the wall.. who's the fairest of them all.. :idea:

A--Well ofcourse you cant compare humans to an activity---ELIMINATE B--A PROMISING OPTION C-- Reason of elimination is same as that of A. D--In my opinion, the sentence is wrong as the words 'those who do not' just dangle in between creating confusion. E--Reason of elimination is same as that of A.

StoicBread · Answer

Compared to those who do not, running three days a week saves  an average of 14.1 percent on health-care costs each year in the United States.

A. Compared to those who do not, running three days a week saves

B. Compared with nonrunners, people who run three days a week save

C. Compared to not running, those running for three days a week save

D. When compared with those who do not, people running three days a week save

E. When compared to nonrunners, running three days a week saves
 
================================================================================================

Good luck!   +1 kudos if you like the post!

prasadyanz · Answer

to me its B.
correct comparison , rest it either lengthy or doesn't make sense

Abhishek009 · Answer

Compare with = Differences between Similar Objects 
 Compare to = Similarities between Disimilar Objects  
  
Correct answer must be (B) for the correct comparison usage , errors in other options highlighted in RED...

sallysea · Answer

Merged topics. Please, search before posting questions!

Compared to those who do not, running three days a week saves

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Compared to those who do not, running three days a week saves

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