Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 21:06 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 21:06
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
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

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
   1   2   3   
User avatar
mikemcgarry
User avatar
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Last visit: 06 Aug 2018
Posts: 4,479
Own Kudos:
30,537
 [1]
Given Kudos: 130
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,479
Kudos: 30,537
 [1]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 25 Aug 2016, 13:41
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
tagmag

hi mike
please help...
I posted an excerpt from the magoosh idiom ebook related to my doubt that structure such as the more, the merrier is used to show causal relation.
can i rely on this.. please clear my doubt
thanks
Show more
Dear tagmag,
Perhaps the wording in that ebook is open to misinterpretation a little on this point, at least from a certain perspective. This grammatical structure is often used to denote a causal connection--that is probably its most frequent use--but strictly logically speaking, it implies only correlation, not causality. You want to deduce something rigorously and absolutely logical from a grammatical structure that is, at best, only suggestive. Language is NOT mathematics, but you seem to want the same B/W certainty about a grammatical-logical point. This entire line of thinking will produce several misunderstandings of grammar & logic on the GMAT SC.

It is 100% impossible to arrive at GMAT SC mastery by learning some theoretical complete list of rules. That approach is ultimately doomed to failure. Yes, there are many grammar rules and a few logic or rhetorical rules to know, but to a great extent, it's about getting a sense of how the language is used in context, in formal writing used in the modern business world. There is no substitute for reading. See:
How to Improve Your GMAT Verbal Score

Does all this make sense?
Mike :-)
User avatar
bubblehead0922
User avatar
Joined: 05 Jan 2017
Last visit: 05 Mar 2018
Posts: 15
Own Kudos:
13
 [1]
Given Kudos: 81
Location: United States
Schools: Anderson '20 Kellogg '20
GMAT 1: 690 Q50 V32
GPA: 3.3
Schools: Anderson '20 Kellogg '20
GMAT 1: 690 Q50 V32
Posts: 15
Kudos: 13
 [1]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 17 May 2017, 15:02
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
mikemcgarry
windofchange
OA is (B) :(
I picked A because of the similar reasoning as Mike's. I have no clue why the correct answer is B
Dear windofchange,
Apparently, the GMAT tolerates more variation in this idiomatic structure than they did previously. Since this is the case, choice (B) is the best answer, as skyhawk eloquently explained. Let me know if you have any further questions.
Mike :-)
Show more

Dear mikemcgarry,

I was really confused with this question. The correct choice B looks very weird for me. Since I could find some fatal mistakes in all of the other four choices, I have to accept B. But I still have some concerns with B.

As in A, C,D, the correlation is described as " the closer one came to town (event A), the more the city air became acidic (event B)". Does this structure hint any logical direction between the event A and B? Does choice B, the city air became increasingly acidic (event B) the closer one came to town (event A), convey a different logical meaning?

Thx for your time in advance,
Victoria
User avatar
mikemcgarry
User avatar
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Last visit: 06 Aug 2018
Posts: 4,479
Own Kudos:
30,537
 [1]
Given Kudos: 130
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,479
Kudos: 30,537
 [1]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 18 May 2017, 11:21
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
bubblehead0922
Dear mikemcgarry,

I was really confused with this question. The correct choice B looks very weird for me. Since I could find some fatal mistakes in all of the other four choices, I have to accept B. But I still have some concerns with B.

As in A, C,D, the correlation is described as " the closer one came to town (event A), the more the city air became acidic (event B)". Does this structure hint any logical direction between the event A and B? Does choice B, the city air became increasingly acidic (event B) the closer one came to town (event A), convey a different logical meaning?

Thx for your time in advance,
Victoria
Show more
bubblehead0922
Dear Victoria

I'm happy to respond. :-)

The order in which we state things doesn't matter. It is true that, in the sequence of time, cause precedes effect, but that does not impose a grammatical requirement that cause be stated before effect. It is still obvious what is cause and what is effect.
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town.
This is a somewhat sophisticated version that departs from the most simplistic and obvious wording. One of the distinguishing marks of sophisticated writing is to say the ordinary in way that is a shade different from the ordinary way of saying it. There's a good deal of sophisticated writing in the text of official SC questions.

Does all this make sense?
Mike :-)
User avatar
mihir0710
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 17 Jun 2016
Last visit: 23 Jan 2023
Posts: 472
Own Kudos:
994
Given Kudos: 206
Location: India
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V39
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V37
GPA: 3.65
WE:Engineering (Energy)
Products:
My Reviews
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V37
Posts: 472
Kudos: 994
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 10 Jun 2017, 04:39
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
mikemcgarry
anujkhatiwada
Mike doesn't choice B have the "the..the" idiom where i changed the font color, or am i misinterpreting your explanation?
Dear anujkhatiwada,
The way the idiom is constructed, in each branch, the comparative word must immediately follow the word "the" ---- "the closer", "the more", etc. The word "city" is not a comparative word.

The more I think about this, the more I think this is not a question up to GMAT standards. Above I chose (A), but now I think that "more ... increasingly acidic" is redundant, and thus, no answer choice correctly phrases this. I think the correct phrasing would be
that the closer one came to town, the more acidic the city air became
Notice the two comparative structures that immediately follow the word "the" in each branch. That's the ideal, and no choice really comes acceptably close to that.

Mike :-)
Show more


Hi mikemcgarry,

I rejected option B because I thought that a comma is must (as you also used a comma in your explanation)...
Can such structures be rendered correct without the use of comma ...

For e.g. :
the more I practice SC, the better I feel about it...

If you see, we by default use a comma all such structures ....

Can please throw some light on this ...
User avatar
mikemcgarry
User avatar
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Last visit: 06 Aug 2018
Posts: 4,479
Own Kudos:
30,537
Given Kudos: 130
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,479
Kudos: 30,537
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 12 Jun 2017, 14:46
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
mihir0710
Hi mikemcgarry[/url],

I rejected option B because I thought that a comma is must (as you also used a comma in your explanation)...
Can such structures be rendered correct without the use of comma ...

For e.g. :
the more I practice SC, the better I feel about it...

If you see, we by default use a comma all such structures ....

Can please throw some light on this ...
Show more
Dear mihir0710,

I'm happy to respond. :-)

If I may give you feedback on what you have written:
" . . . I thought that a comma is must . . . "
That''s very awkward and hard for a native speaker to understand. By contrast, consider this:
" . . . I thought that a comma is a must . . . "
That sounds natural and makes perfect sense. That one indefinite article makes all the difference.

In this structure, there is some natural variation. The most rigid form of the idiom is
the [comparative][clause #1], the [comparative][clause #2]
That strict version indeed requires a comma.

The OA in this question employed a looser form of the idiom
. . . the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town . . .
Here, the comparative in the first close is not isolated at the beginning; instead, it is integrated into the clause. This variant does not require a comma, and in fact, a comma would be awkward and wrong.

Does this make sense?
Mike :-)
User avatar
daagh
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Last visit: 16 Oct 2020
Posts: 5,264
Own Kudos:
42,419
 [8]
Given Kudos: 422
Status: enjoying
Location: India
WE:Education (Education)
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 5,264
Kudos: 42,419
 [8]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 13 Jun 2017, 06:30
5
Kudos
Add Kudos
3
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
The point to note is that 'more and increasingly acidic' are redundant. Hence, remove A and D. Remove C for saying that the city air came closer to town. Drop E for missing the connector 'that' in a reported speech. B remains.
avatar
daviddaviddavid
avatar
Joined: 26 Mar 2017
Last visit: 20 Jul 2017
Posts: 58
Own Kudos:
265
 [3]
Given Kudos: 1
Posts: 58
Kudos: 265
 [3]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 16 Jun 2017, 03:35
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic.

A) that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic
B) that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town
C) that coming closer to town, the city air became increasingly acidic
D) that the more the city air became increasingly acidic, the closer one was to town
E) the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town


straight B
User avatar
septwibowo
User avatar
Joined: 27 Dec 2016
Last visit: 05 Nov 2025
Posts: 189
Own Kudos:
193
Given Kudos: 285
Concentration: Marketing, Social Entrepreneurship
Schools: Yale '21 HBS '21 Darden '21 Wharton '21
GPA: 3.65
WE:Marketing (Education)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: Yale '21 HBS '21 Darden '21 Wharton '21
Posts: 189
Kudos: 193
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 18 Nov 2017, 04:24
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
guerrero25
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic.

A) that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic
B) that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town
C) that coming closer to town, the city air became increasingly acidic
D) that the more the city air became increasingly acidic, the closer one was to town
E) the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town

OA to follow
Show more

Dear all, I have a different reason why we must eliminate [A] in the first place.
The meaning in [A] is illogical : how can the quality of city air is affected by the distance of someone?

That's why I chose between B and D here.
Now, choice B seems bad because the construction would be much better if we put a comma before "the closer one".
I chose D, while I admit that "more" and "increasingly" are redundant.

Dear GMATNinja, sayantanc2k, any idea about construction in B?

Thanks!
User avatar
GMATNinja
User avatar
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 7,443
Own Kudos:
69,787
 [4]
Given Kudos: 2,060
Status: GMAT/GRE/LSAT tutors
Location: United States (CO)
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V46
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Posts: 7,443
Kudos: 69,787
 [4]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 21 Nov 2017, 17:14
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
septwibowo


Dear all, I have a different reason why we must eliminate [A] in the first place.
The meaning in [A] is illogical : how can the quality of city air is affected by the distance of someone?

That's why I chose between B and D here.
Now, choice B seems bad because the construction would be much better if we put a comma before "the closer one".
I chose D, while I admit that "more" and "increasingly" are redundant.

Dear GMATNinja, sayantanc2k, any idea about construction in B?

Thanks!
Show more
Check out @mikemcgarry's excellent post above for an explanation of the idiom used in this question: https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-1852-robe ... l#p1868477. If that doesn't do the trick, feel free to follow up, and I'll try take a shot at it.

The bigger picture, though, is that the GMAT really doesn't test the nuances of comma usage, but it does test redundancy. In general, if you think than an answer choice is wrong solely because of a comma... well, it probably isn't wrong JUST because of that comma. Redundancy is a much more severe crime, especially when it's as blatant as in (D).
User avatar
nitesh50
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 04 Jun 2018
Last visit: 09 Aug 2021
Posts: 139
Own Kudos:
69
Given Kudos: 139
GMAT 1: 690 Q50 V32
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V36
GMAT 3: 610 Q48 V25
GMAT 3: 610 Q48 V25
Posts: 139
Kudos: 69
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 26 Oct 2018, 03:45
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
guerrero25
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic.

(A) that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic

(B) that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town

(C) that coming closer to town, the city air became increasingly acidic

(D) that the more the city air became increasingly acidic, the closer one was to town

(E) the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town

Show Spoiler
Environment 94/95 - Page 152

https://books.google.com.my/books?isbn=1561342742
John L. Allen - 1994 - ‎Snippet view

In the mid 1800s, many features of acid rain were discovered and detailed by Robert Angus Smith, who was a chemist and Britain’s first Alkali Inspector, or public official who monitored pollution. In 1852, Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in the city of Manchester and noted that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town. He also noted that sulfuric acid in the air caused textiles to fade and metals to corrode.
Show more








Can some expert throw some light on the usage of would in the option.
According to me, would is used either to show some uncertainity ot some action from the past to the present.
In this case since this is a record which was valid in the past, I feel the usage of would is incorrect.
Am I correct in my reasoning?

VeritasKarishma
chetan2u
GMATNinja
User avatar
KarishmaB
User avatar
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 16,267
Own Kudos:
77,001
 [1]
Given Kudos: 482
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,267
Kudos: 77,001
 [1]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 26 Oct 2018, 06:21
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
nitesh50
guerrero25
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic.

(A) that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic

(B) that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town

(C) that coming closer to town, the city air became increasingly acidic

(D) that the more the city air became increasingly acidic, the closer one was to town

(E) the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town

Show Spoiler
Environment 94/95 - Page 152

https://books.google.com.my/books?isbn=1561342742
John L. Allen - 1994 - ‎Snippet view

In the mid 1800s, many features of acid rain were discovered and detailed by Robert Angus Smith, who was a chemist and Britain’s first Alkali Inspector, or public official who monitored pollution. In 1852, Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in the city of Manchester and noted that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town. He also noted that sulfuric acid in the air caused textiles to fade and metals to corrode.








Can some expert throw some light on the usage of would in the option.
According to me, would is used either to show some uncertainity ot some action from the past to the present.
In this case since this is a record which was valid in the past, I feel the usage of would is incorrect.
Am I correct in my reasoning?

VeritasKarishma
chetan2u
GMATNinja
Show more

Yes, I don't like the use of "would" here. "would" is used to preserve the future aspect in the past.
The way the sentence is structured, it is all in the past.
... published... noting that the closer one came to town, the more acidic the city air became...
We don't need the future aspect here.
User avatar
teaserbae
User avatar
Joined: 24 Mar 2018
Last visit: 07 Mar 2022
Posts: 191
Own Kudos:
45
Given Kudos: 288
Location: India
Schools: Carlson Foster '24 Haas '24 Kelley '24 Kellogg '24
GMAT 1: 680 Q50 V31
Schools: Carlson Foster '24 Haas '24 Kelley '24 Kellogg '24
GMAT 1: 680 Q50 V31
Posts: 191
Kudos: 45
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 20 Jan 2019, 06:36
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
daagh don't we need a conjunction or atleast a comma between 2 SV pair in option B
the city air became Vs one came
User avatar
ravigupta2912
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 26 May 2019
Last visit: 16 Feb 2025
Posts: 726
Own Kudos:
291
Given Kudos: 84
Location: India
Schools: Said '23 IESE '24 LBS '24 (D) ISB '23 (WA) INSEAD Aug 22 intake (D) Judge '23 (D)
GMAT 1: 650 Q46 V34
GMAT 2: 720 Q49 V40
GPA: 2.58
WE:Consulting (Consulting)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: Said '23 IESE '24 LBS '24 (D) ISB '23 (WA) INSEAD Aug 22 intake (D) Judge '23 (D)
GMAT 2: 720 Q49 V40
Posts: 726
Kudos: 291
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 05 Feb 2020, 20:43
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
(A) that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic -- more and increasingly. Redundant.

(B) that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town -- Looks ok.

(C) that coming closer to town, the city air became increasingly acidic -- Gerund. GMAT doesn't prefer those when you have better choices.

(D) that the more the city air became increasingly acidic, the closer one was to town. -- again increasingly and more. Redundant.

(E) the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town -- becoming should have been parallel with come. Error.

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
egmat
User avatar
e-GMAT Representative
Joined: 02 Nov 2011
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 5,108
Own Kudos:
32,887
 [2]
Given Kudos: 700
GMAT Date: 08-19-2020
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 5,108
Kudos: 32,887
 [2]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 06 Feb 2020, 12:04
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
teaserbae
daagh don't we need a conjunction or atleast a comma between 2 SV pair in option B
the city air became Vs one came
Show more


Hello teaserbae,

Even though your question is not addressed to us, here is the answer.

This official sentence employs a specific expression - the more (or any adjective in comparative degree) A, the more (or any adjective in comparative degree) B.

Generally, the expression has a comma between the two parts of the expression. But the usage of the comma is not mandatory. Its absence does not lead to an error. So, Choice B is just fine.

So, the takeway here is that never select/reject an answer choice solely on the basis of the presence/absence of a punctuation mark.


Hope this helps. :-)
Thanks.
Shraddha
User avatar
egmat
User avatar
e-GMAT Representative
Joined: 02 Nov 2011
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 5,108
Own Kudos:
32,887
 [3]
Given Kudos: 700
GMAT Date: 08-19-2020
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 5,108
Kudos: 32,887
 [3]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 06 Feb 2020, 12:15
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ravigupta2912
(A) that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic -- more and increasingly. Redundant.

(B) that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town -- Looks ok.

(C) that coming closer to town, the city air became increasingly acidic -- Gerund. GMAT doesn't prefer those when you have better choices.

(D) that the more the city air became increasingly acidic, the closer one was to town. -- again increasingly and more. Redundant.

(E) the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town -- becoming should have been parallel with come. Error.

Posted from my mobile device
Show more


Hello ravigupta2912,

A good analysis of this official question here. However, your reason to reject Choice C is not correct.

In Choice C, the word coming is not a gerund. It is a verb-ing modifier. The choice seems to convey that the city air became increasingly acidic as the city air came closer to town. This meaning is illogical.



Hope this helps. :-)
Thanks.
Shraddha
User avatar
SairamRamo
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 02 Sep 2019
Last visit: 05 May 2021
Posts: 77
Own Kudos:
70
 [1]
Given Kudos: 82
Location: India
Concentration: Technology, General Management
Schools: Simon '23 (WL) Sauder '23 (D) ISB'22 (D) Merage (A$) BU Questrom '23 (WL) Schulich Sept '23 (I)
GMAT 1: 680 Q50 V31
WE:Information Technology (Commercial Banking)
Schools: Simon '23 (WL) Sauder '23 (D) ISB'22 (D) Merage (A$) BU Questrom '23 (WL) Schulich Sept '23 (I)
GMAT 1: 680 Q50 V31
Posts: 77
Kudos: 70
 [1]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 23 Jul 2020, 11:49
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
n 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic.


(A) that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic
More & increasingly usage is redundant here.

(B) that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town
No error

(C) that coming closer to town, the city air became increasingly acidic
the structure of the statement doesn't portray the cause and effect relationship

(D) that the more the city air became increasingly acidic, the closer one was to town
Disrupts the actual meaning intent. Cause and effect are flipped

(E) the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town
Disrupts the actual meaning intent. Cause and effect are flipped
User avatar
Crytiocanalyst
User avatar
Joined: 16 Jun 2021
Last visit: 27 May 2023
Posts: 950
Own Kudos:
208
Given Kudos: 309
Posts: 950
Kudos: 208
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 22 Oct 2021, 07:40
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
guerrero25
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic.
Show more

(A) that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic
The meaning isn't perfectly conveyed therefore out

(B) that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town
The meaning is perfect therefore let us hang on to it

(C) that coming closer to town, the city air became increasingly acidic
coming isn't the right usage therefore out

(D) that the more the city air became increasingly acidic, the closer one was to town
THis makes a backward reasoning which is not the intended one therefore out

(E) the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town
becoming and come isn't the right usage therefore out

Therefore IMO B
User avatar
GraceSCKao
User avatar
Joined: 02 Jul 2021
Last visit: 18 Dec 2022
Posts: 124
Own Kudos:
54
Given Kudos: 1,247
Location: Taiwan
Schools: Columbia CBS '24 Darden '24 LBS '24 Wharton '24
GMAT 1: 730 Q50 V39
Schools: Columbia CBS '24 Darden '24 LBS '24 Wharton '24
GMAT 1: 730 Q50 V39
Posts: 124
Kudos: 54
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 01 Jun 2022, 04:10
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
guerrero25
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic.

(A) that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic

(B) that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town

(C) that coming closer to town, the city air became increasingly acidic

(D) that the more the city air became increasingly acidic, the closer one was to town

(E) the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town
Show more

Hi experts AndrewN AjiteshArun GMATNinja

After checking all previous posts in this thread, I understood the reasons why the option (A) is incorrect and why the option (B) is better than (A), (C) or (D). But, I hope to talk about (E). This option was less discussed before. I did not pick (E) in my practice exam since I felt that there was something weird about the option, but I cannot spell it out. Because knowing why an incorrect option is incorrect is also important, could I check the problem of (E)? It would be great if you could share some thought when you have time. :)

With (E), the sentence would read:
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town.

1. "note that" ?

Some members have said that they rejected (E) because there is no "that" following "note." I am curious whether this claim is correct. Although I understand that it is usual and common to write "say that" or "note that" to introduce a concept/message, but such use is not an absolute rule, is it? Cambridge Dictionary has an example: In the article, she notes several cases of medical incompetence.

Is the lack of "that" in (E) inappropriate because the author (Robert Smith) mentions not just some nouns, but an idea that should be expressed in a noun clause?

2. "as"?

The use of "as" was my main concern for (E), because "as" is ambiguous--it can indicate a cause-effect relationship or act as a time indicator. I remember another OG question (https://reurl.cc/d2pp2k) also utilizes this issue. For this sentence, we are looking for a time indicator such as "when" or "while," so the use of "as" is not ideal.


Overall, I could confidently eliminate (E) because of the use of "as," but I am not sure whether its structure is definitely wrong.
Could you share some of your thoughts?

Thanks!
avatar
AndrewN
avatar
Volunteer Expert
Joined: 16 May 2019
Last visit: 29 Mar 2025
Posts: 3,502
Own Kudos:
7,511
 [1]
Given Kudos: 500
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 3,502
Kudos: 7,511
 [1]
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 01 Jun 2022, 07:10
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
GraceSCKao
guerrero25
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic.

(A) that the closer one came to town, the more the city air would become increasingly acidic

(B) that the city air became increasingly acidic the closer one came to town

(C) that coming closer to town, the city air became increasingly acidic

(D) that the more the city air became increasingly acidic, the closer one was to town

(E) the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town

Hi experts AndrewN AjiteshArun GMATNinja

After checking all previous posts in this thread, I understood the reasons why the option (A) is incorrect and why the option (B) is better than (A), (C) or (D). But, I hope to talk about (E). This option was less discussed before. I did not pick (E) in my practice exam since I felt that there was something weird about the option, but I cannot spell it out. Because knowing why an incorrect option is incorrect is also important, could I check the problem of (E)? It would be great if you could share some thought when you have time. :)

With (E), the sentence would read:
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistry of rain in a large area around the city of Manchester, England, noting the city air becoming increasingly acidic as one would come closer to town.

1. "note that" ?

Some members have said that they rejected (E) because there is no "that" following "note." I am curious whether this claim is correct. Although I understand that it is usual and common to write "say that" or "note that" to introduce a concept/message, but such use is not an absolute rule, is it? Cambridge Dictionary has an example: In the article, she notes several cases of medical incompetence.

Is the lack of "that" in (E) inappropriate because the author (Robert Smith) mentions not just some nouns, but an idea that should be expressed in a noun clause?

2. "as"?

The use of "as" was my main concern for (E), because "as" is ambiguous--it can indicate a cause-effect relationship or act as a time indicator. I remember another OG question (https://reurl.cc/d2pp2k) also utilizes this issue. For this sentence, we are looking for a time indicator such as "when" or "while," so the use of "as" is not ideal.


Overall, I could confidently eliminate (E) because of the use of "as," but I am not sure whether its structure is definitely wrong.
Could you share some of your thoughts?

Thanks!
Show more
Hello, GraceSCKao. To address your points, I would not reject a sentence on the basis of a missing that. It is true that many SC sentences use that ahead of a complete clause, but there are counterexamples. See, for instance, this question, in which we see the seven-store retailer said it would start a three-month liquidation sale in all of its stores. I keep track of such anomalies as I encounter them to not only avoid prescriptive thinking myself, but to be able to provide a more informed view when I urge others not to abandon solid reasoning.

Regarding your second concern, I agree that the use of "as" is not ideal. However, my main issue with (E) is the pairing of becoming with the verb would come. That is, noting the city air becoming allows the reader to anticipate a commentary on present circumstances. But then the sentence takes a turn with as one would come closer to town. We should be able to transpose the two larger pieces here and be left with a sensible sentence. But look at the mess that comes out of (E):

as one would come closer to town, the city air becoming increasingly acidic X

Compare to (B):

the closer one came to town, the city air became increasingly acidic √

No case can be made for (E). Something has to be changed in the way of a verb form to get anything reasonable. We can and should abandon it in favor of (B).

Thank you for thinking to bring me into the dialogue.

- Andrew
User avatar
Tanchat
User avatar
Joined: 31 Jan 2020
Last visit: 20 Jun 2023
Posts: 222
Own Kudos:
20
Given Kudos: 139
Posts: 222
Kudos: 20
In 1852 Robert Angus Smith published a detailed report of the chemistr 14 Jun 2022, 10:22
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Dear Expert,

I have 2 questions

1) What does "one" refer or "mean"? a person or what?
2) Why is (C) wrong? Is it because of change of meaning?
   1   2   3   
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7443 posts
GMATNinjaTwo
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
231 posts
miag
189 posts