+HOT Competition 4 Sep/8AM: Because the soil there is less porous and

Question

Because the soil there is less porous and thus less able to absorb rainfall, a flood  of a given magnitude typically devastates an area many times greater in northern India than it does in central India .

(A) of a given magnitude typically devastates an area many times greater in northern India than it does in central India

(B) of a given magnitude will typically devastate many times the area if it occurs in northern India instead of central India

(C) will typically devastate many times the area in northern India than one of comparable magnitude occurring in central India

(D) in northern India will typically devastate an area many times greater than will a flood of comparable magnitude occurring in central India

(E) that occurs in northern India will typically devastate many times more area than if it occurred with comparable magnitude in central India

mSKR · Answer

(A) of a given magnitude typically devastates an area many times greater in northern India than it does in central India
It is wrong- flood of a given magnitude –same flood? wrong

(B) of a given magnitude will typically devastate many times the area if it occurs in northern India instead of central India
area if occurs in north india- wrong modifier

(C) will typically devastate many times the area in northern India than one of comparable magnitude occurring in central India
Wrong comparison : area with magnitude

(D) in northern India will typically devastate an area many times greater than will a flood of comparable magnitude occurring in central India
Make sense- flood vs flood-correct

(E) that occurs in northern India will typically devastate many times more area than if it occurred with comparable magnitude in central India
Than xx- sentence fragment – what after than (if only a condition)-reject

JonShukhrat · Answer

Because the soil there is less porous and thus less able to absorb rainfall, a flood of a given magnitude typically devastates an area many times greater in northern India than it does in central India.

(A) of a given magnitude typically devastates an area many times greater in northern India than it does in central India

Since we have “soil THERE”, we had better start with place after the “a flood”
Incorrect comparison.

(B) of a given magnitude will typically devastate many times the area if it occurs in northern India instead of central India

Since we have “soil THERE”, we had better start with place after the “a flood”
 “many times… instead” is unidiomatic and thus creates incorrect comparison

(C) will typically devastate many times the area in northern India than one of comparable magnitude occurring in central India

Since we have “soil THERE”, we had better start with place after the “a flood”
 “many times … than” is unidiomatic

(D) in northern India will typically devastate an area many times greater than will a flood of comparable magnitude occurring in central India

Correct choice: starts with the name of the place and makes clear about what “there talks”.
Draws a correct comparison: a flood in India and a flood in other part is compared

(E) that occurs in northern India will typically devastate many times more area than if it occurred with comparable magnitude in central India

“more area” is incorrect, we need “greater”

Hence D

Hovkial · Answer

Matching a place where an event happens with that place.

(A) of a given magnitude typically devastates an area many times greater in northern India than it does in central India

Correctly matches the place where the flood happens (in Northern India) with the preceding clause that specifies an action (less able to absorb rainfall). Directly connects the place with the preceding clause.

(B) of a given magnitude will typically devastate many times the area if it occurs in northern India instead of central India

The place is improperly separated from the action.

(C) will typically devastate many times the area in northern India than one of comparable magnitude occurring in central India

Improperly suggests that a place (Northern India) is of comparable magnitude to a flood.

(D) in northern India will typically devastate an area many times greater than will a flood of comparable magnitude occurring in central India

Correctly matches the place with the event. Directly connects place of action with preceding clause.
 
(E) that occurs in northern India will typically devastate many times more area than if it occurred with comparable magnitude in central India

Improperly uses the conjunctive "with" to connect magnitude of the event with place. Correct usage is "of comparable magnitude". The phrase "many times more area" is grammatically incorrect. Correct usage is "many times the area (of)".

AliciaSierra · Answer

Error Analysis:
This sentence has meaning issue. This sentence tells about general scenario in which flood at one place is devastating more than flood at different place.
Only option D conveys correct meaning.

IMO option D is correct

Option A- Same flood devastates more area in northern india than in central india. Can same flood devastates at two very different places ?
Option B- invalid comparison.

Because the soil there is less porous and thus less able to absorb rainfall, a flood  of a given magnitude typically devastates an area many times greater in northern India than it does in central India.

(A) of a given magnitude typically devastates an area many times greater  in northern India than it does in central India

(B) of a given magnitude will typically devastate many times  the area if it occurs in northern India instead of central India

(C) will typically devastate many times the area in northern India  than one of comparable magnitude  occurring in central India

(D) in northern India will typically devastate an area many times greater than will a flood of comparable magnitude occurring in central India

(E)  that occurs in northern India  will typically devastate many times more area than  if it occurred  with comparable magnitude in central India

Posted from my mobile device

Bunuel · Answer

Experts Global Explanation:

Pronoun + Meaning

A. This answer choice suffers from a pronoun error that leads to an error of meaning; the only logical antecedent for the pronoun “it” is “flood”; however, assigning that antecedent to “it” illogically implies that the same flood occurs in both “northern India” and “central India”.

B. This answer choice repeats the error seen in Option A, incorrectly using the pronoun “it” to refer to the noun “flood”, Illogically implying that the same flood occurs in both “northern India” and “central India”.

C. This answer choice incorrectly compares the noun phrase “a flood in northern India” with the pronoun phrase “one of comparable magnitude occurring in central India” rather than the pronoun “one”, referring to the area devastated by the second flood.

D. This answer choice avoids the issue of pronoun ambiguity by correctly utilizing the noun phrase “a flood of comparable magnitude”, maintains proper idiom use, and correctly compares the areas devastated by the two floods.

E. This answer choice repeats the error seen in Options A and B, incorrectly using the pronoun “it” to refer to the noun “flood”, Illogically implying that the same flood occurs in both “northern India” and “central India”.

D is the best answer choice.

sayantanc2k · Answer

Blair15
To reply to your query in another thread "For stating facts isn't simple present tense preferable? Just because of this reasoning i selected A and got the question wrong." (https://gmatclub.com/forum/because-the- ... l#p2963166):

It is true that for stating facts simple present is preferebale, but here a prediction is implied. For predictions, often simple future is used. For example, "It will rain tonight". Similary, "Flood will devestate an area" - a prediction.

The reason that A is wrong has already been explained in the post above. To add to that explanation, please note that the word "there" is used as a pronoun here referring to the noun phrase "northern India". Therefore it is better to keep the noun phrase as close as possible to the pronoun to easiliy understand the reference.

randarth · Answer

Would using "larger"/"more" be better than using "greater" since the area of land is a measurable quantity?

sayantanc2k   Bunuel

sayantanc2k · Answer

The question here is NOT whether the noun is  measurable  or not, but whether the noun is  countable  or not. Measurable quantities may be countable or uncountable. e.g.: quantity of  water  in a bowl: measurable, but uncountable (not one water, two waters... but 1 ltr. water, 3.45 ltr. water etc.)

The adjective "greater" is used for uncountable nouns - thus a noun which is uncountable, although measurable, must use the adjective "greater".

Here the noun in question is "area" - area is measurable, but not countable (Not one area, two areas, but 1 sq.m. area, 3.45 sq.m. area etc.) Therefore "greater" is the correct adjective for the uncountable noun "area".

Of course, the adjectives "more" and "larger" can also be used, because they are as well applicable for uncountable nouns.

VerbalBot · Answer

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+HOT Competition 4 Sep/8AM: Because the soil there is less porous and

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+HOT Competition 4 Sep/8AM: Because the soil there is less porous and

Prep Toolkit

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