Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Apr 2308:00 PM PDT
-09:00 PM PDT
Video explanations + diagnosis of 10 weakest areas + 150+ short videos + study plan!
Apr 2301:30 AM EDT
-02:30 AM EDT
Struggling with GMAT Verbal as a non-native speaker? Harsh improved his score from 595 to 695 in just 45 days—and scored a 99 %ile in Verbal (V88)! Learn how smart strategy, clarity, and guided prep helped him gain 100 points.
Apr 2512:30 AM EDT
-01:30 AM EDT
At one point, she believed GMAT wasn’t for her. After scoring 595, self-doubt crept in and she questioned her potential. But instead of quitting, she made the right strategic changes. The result? A remarkable comeback to 695. Check out how Saakshi did it.
Apr 2610:00 AM EDT
-11:00 AM EDT
The Target Test Prep course represents a quantum leap forward in GMAT preparation, a radical reinterpretation of the way that students should study. Try before you buy with a 5-day, full-access trial of the course for FREE!
Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors
Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
20 Sep 2019, 23:09
Kudos
Bookmarks
D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
75%
(hard)
Question Stats:
43% (01:34) correct
57%
(01:43)
wrong
based on 652
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Griffith‘s cameraman Bitzer was a mechanical wizard, and what skill was lacking in his visual composition was more than compensated by his ability to combine gadgets and props to produce the required cinematic effects.
(A) what skill was lacking in his visual composition was more than compensated by
(B) what skills he was lacking in visual composition, he more than compensated for in
(C) whatever his visual composition lacked, he more than compensated in
(D) whatever skills he lacked in visual composition, he more than compensated for by
(E) he more than compensated his lack of visual composition with
20 Sep 2019, 23:10
Kudos
Bookmarks
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Option A does not determine meaning. If a word changes or meaning changes and the sentence is grammatical and logical, the changes are fine.
Sentences can end in a preposition (except between), although this one doesn't end in a preposition.
What vs. whatever -
1) Use whatever to emphasize "of any kind at all" and to acknowledge that we are not too sure which skills he lacked, but whatever they were (of any kind at all), he compensated for them. (whatever skills = any or all of the skills, even though we can't name them)
2) Use what to indicate specific skills he lacked. Using what in a context like the one in this sentence is relatively rare. What is used in questions: What skills [which skills] does he lack?
compensate for is a phrasal verb (Longman dictionary online, here.)
To compensate for [an unstated or unrepeated lack of something = X] by doing Y is fairly standard usage. See here, in the Washington Post.
Or Google "compensate for by" (use quotation marks). You can add New York Times or The Economist if you'd like. You will get plenty of hits.
Verb parallelism - it's okay to shift verb tenses in a sentence if the shift is warranted.
In this sentence, though, no reason exists to change simple past tense.
GMAC and SWE prefer both simple present and simple past when they are possible.
Subject parallelism - if you can avoid switching between his ___ and he (as in option C), do so
Keep the subjects parallel
Focus either on HIS lack and HIS compensation
or on HE lacked and HE compensated.
• Split #1: Meaning
In Option E, it sounds as though he "paid" his "lack of visual composition."
To compensate [no preposition] someone or something is to repay:
Correct: The company often compensates employees with surprise bonuses.
Nonsensical noun-thing in option E: his lack of visual composition.
A person does not lack visual composition. A person lacks visual composition skills.
Eliminate E
• Split #2: stay consistent with verb tenses
The non-underlined portion commits us to simple past: Bitzer was a technical wizard
Option A switches: . . . Bitzer was . . .skill was lacking . . . was more than compensated for by
Option B switches: . . . Bitzer was . . . skills he was lacking . . . he compensated . . .
Both A and B incorrectly shift verb tenses from simple past to past progressive and back to past tense for no reason.
It is better to keep all the verbs in simple past tense.
Option A is entirely in passive voice. Do not eliminate on that basis alone; correct GMAT answers use passive voice quite often. (I saw an estimate of 40%; even if that figure is high, be careful with passive voice.)
Option B switches from passive he was lacking to active he compensated for.
GMAC does not like such switches.
The passive voice and switch from passive to active are not quite not enough to doom these options, but those items coupled with the verb tense inconsistency doom (A) and (B).
And: compare to (D). No contest: (D) contains none of the problems that (A) and (B) do.
Eliminate A and B
• Split #3: compare C and D
Option C: whatever his visual composition lacked, he more than compensated in
(D) whatever skills he lacked in visual composition, he more than compensated for by
Option (D) uses the same subject: HE lacked and HE compensated for
Like option B, Option (C) uses a passive subject (HIS visual composition lacked) and then switches to active subject: HE compensated,
Furthermore, Option C has the same problem as that in E:
a person does not lack visual composition.
A person lacks visual composition skills.
In order to make up for something, we do not say "compensated in."
Option C uses compensated in and is not idiomatic. (Option A, already eliminated, has the same problem.)
Option D, compensated for, is standard usage
Eliminate option C.
The answer is D
COMMENTS
This question is a bit of a challenge. Stay with basics:
-- do not shift verb tenses mid-sentence without reason
-- do not shift from passive to active voice (as in Option C)
-- check for meaning (E is silly)
Attention to those four small details would get you to option D.
The construction of this sentence is a bit unusual—I'll be blunt: the sentence is highbrow.
You'd read a sentence like option D in the art pages of The NY Times.
The phrase "compensate for by" is often used in science and especially in AI. (Don't ask. I have an unnatural fear of what I call robotons.)
I have an idea.
Read 15 minutes a day of Harvard Magazine.
I discovered it when I attended law school. It has short passages and long passages on many subjects.
It's free. Most of its writers and editors are outstanding. (I can't guarantee that every passage will be well-written . . . but I almost can do so.)
Go HERE. On the ribbon you will see archives. The magazine is published every two months.
Today kudos go to those who got the correct answer and explained. People who got to the correct answer wrote good posts. Have a good weekend.
generis
• HIGHLIGHTS
Option A does not determine meaning. If a word changes or meaning changes and the sentence is grammatical and logical, the changes are fine.
Sentences can end in a preposition (except between), although this one doesn't end in a preposition.
What vs. whatever -
1) Use whatever to emphasize "of any kind at all" and to acknowledge that we are not too sure which skills he lacked, but whatever they were (of any kind at all), he compensated for them. (whatever skills = any or all of the skills, even though we can't name them)
2) Use what to indicate specific skills he lacked. Using what in a context like the one in this sentence is relatively rare. What is used in questions: What skills [which skills] does he lack?
compensate for is a phrasal verb (Longman dictionary online, here.)
To compensate for [an unstated or unrepeated lack of something = X] by doing Y is fairly standard usage. See here, in the Washington Post.
Or Google "compensate for by" (use quotation marks). You can add New York Times or The Economist if you'd like. You will get plenty of hits.
Verb parallelism - it's okay to shift verb tenses in a sentence if the shift is warranted.
In this sentence, though, no reason exists to change simple past tense.
GMAC and SWE prefer both simple present and simple past when they are possible.
Subject parallelism - if you can avoid switching between his ___ and he (as in option C), do so
Keep the subjects parallel
Focus either on HIS lack and HIS compensation
or on HE lacked and HE compensated.
• Split #1: Meaning
In Option E, it sounds as though he "paid" his "lack of visual composition."
To compensate [no preposition] someone or something is to repay:
Correct: The company often compensates employees with surprise bonuses.
Nonsensical noun-thing in option E: his lack of visual composition.
A person does not lack visual composition. A person lacks visual composition skills.
Eliminate E
• Split #2: stay consistent with verb tenses
The non-underlined portion commits us to simple past: Bitzer was a technical wizard
Option A switches: . . . Bitzer was . . .skill was lacking . . . was more than compensated for by
Option B switches: . . . Bitzer was . . . skills he was lacking . . . he compensated . . .
Both A and B incorrectly shift verb tenses from simple past to past progressive and back to past tense for no reason.
It is better to keep all the verbs in simple past tense.
Option A is entirely in passive voice. Do not eliminate on that basis alone; correct GMAT answers use passive voice quite often. (I saw an estimate of 40%; even if that figure is high, be careful with passive voice.)
Option B switches from passive he was lacking to active he compensated for.
GMAC does not like such switches.
The passive voice and switch from passive to active are not quite not enough to doom these options, but those items coupled with the verb tense inconsistency doom (A) and (B).
And: compare to (D). No contest: (D) contains none of the problems that (A) and (B) do.
Eliminate A and B
• Split #3: compare C and D
Option C: whatever his visual composition lacked, he more than compensated in
(D) whatever skills he lacked in visual composition, he more than compensated for by
Option (D) uses the same subject: HE lacked and HE compensated for
Like option B, Option (C) uses a passive subject (HIS visual composition lacked) and then switches to active subject: HE compensated,
Furthermore, Option C has the same problem as that in E:
a person does not lack visual composition.
A person lacks visual composition skills.
In order to make up for something, we do not say "compensated in."
Option C uses compensated in and is not idiomatic. (Option A, already eliminated, has the same problem.)
Option D, compensated for, is standard usage
Eliminate option C.
The answer is D
COMMENTS
This question is a bit of a challenge. Stay with basics:
-- do not shift verb tenses mid-sentence without reason
-- do not shift from passive to active voice (as in Option C)
-- check for meaning (E is silly)
Attention to those four small details would get you to option D.
The construction of this sentence is a bit unusual—I'll be blunt: the sentence is highbrow.
You'd read a sentence like option D in the art pages of The NY Times.
The phrase "compensate for by" is often used in science and especially in AI. (Don't ask. I have an unnatural fear of what I call robotons.)
I have an idea.
Read 15 minutes a day of Harvard Magazine.I discovered it when I attended law school. It has short passages and long passages on many subjects.
It's free. Most of its writers and editors are outstanding. (I can't guarantee that every passage will be well-written . . . but I almost can do so.)
Go HERE. On the ribbon you will see archives. The magazine is published every two months.
Today kudos go to those who got the correct answer and explained. People who got to the correct answer wrote good posts. Have a good weekend.
General Discussion
ArtVandaley
Joined: 10 Sep 2013
Last visit: 05 Feb 2022
Posts: 285
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 120
Location: India
Schools: Darden '23 Sloan '22
GMAT 1: 720 Q50 V38
GPA: 4
21 Sep 2019, 02:14
Kudos
Bookmarks
Slightly diffiult question. Here is my take.
Griffith‘s cameraman Bitzer was a mechanical wizard, and what skill was lacking in his visual composition was more than compensated by his ability to combine gadgets and props to produce the required cinematic effects.
(A) what skill was lacking[ in his visual composition was more than compensated by :- Skill was lacking something. Incorrect. THe sentence should say he was lacking skills.
(B) what skills he was lacking in visual composition, he more than compensated for in :_ Incomplete what phrase.What skills(He was lacking is a modifier modifying skills)
(C) whatever his visual composition lacked, he more than compensated in :- Interesting. His visual composition lacked something. Not the person himself. Dump it.
(D) whatever skills he lacked in visual composition, he more than compensated for by : The main stem says that he only lacked one skill(visual composition). This one says that he lacked multiple skills in visual composition. Besides I am not happy with "he more than compensated for" the sentence should never end by a preposition.
(E) he more than compensated his lack of visual composition with:- My take and the answer I would choose.
Griffith‘s cameraman Bitzer was a mechanical wizard, and what skill was lacking in his visual composition was more than compensated by his ability to combine gadgets and props to produce the required cinematic effects.
(A) what skill was lacking[ in his visual composition was more than compensated by :- Skill was lacking something. Incorrect. THe sentence should say he was lacking skills.
(B) what skills he was lacking in visual composition, he more than compensated for in :_ Incomplete what phrase.What skills(He was lacking is a modifier modifying skills)
(C) whatever his visual composition lacked, he more than compensated in :- Interesting. His visual composition lacked something. Not the person himself. Dump it.
(D) whatever skills he lacked in visual composition, he more than compensated for by : The main stem says that he only lacked one skill(visual composition). This one says that he lacked multiple skills in visual composition. Besides I am not happy with "he more than compensated for" the sentence should never end by a preposition.
(E) he more than compensated his lack of visual composition with:- My take and the answer I would choose.
