In a recent poll, 86 percent of the public favored a Clean Air Act as

I would go with E

A. a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than
as strong or stronger is redundant..Short and simple wud be atleast as strong

B. a Clean Air Act that is stronger, or at least so strong as,
Redundant

C. at least as strong a Clean Air Act as is
[color=orange]People prefer a Clean Air Act would be right
Not People prefer atleast as strong a Clean Air act[/color]

D. a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than is
Redundant

E. a Clean Air Act at least as strong as
CORRECT

(A) Incorrecta Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than
(B) Incorrecta Clean Air Act that is stronger, or at least so strong as,
(C) Incorrectat least as strong a Clean Air Act as is
Wrong comparison
(D)Incorrect a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than is
(E)Correct a Clean Air Act at least as strong as

ellipsis by Ron declare that
if the second part contain a form of to be, the first part need to have a form of to be
if the second part contain do/did, the first part need to have action verb
if the secon part contain helping verb, the first part need to have the same helping verb, maybe in different tense.

Hi AjiteshArun

Could you explain option e in detail?

I hadn’t seen a structure like this until this question..

Best regards!

Posted from my mobile device

Hi INSEADIESE,

Option E is a reduced form of
a Clean Air Act that is at least as strong as the present act

The that and the is have been taken out to make the sentence slightly shorter.
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AjiteshArun understood.. thank you

Posted from my mobile device

The above statement gives clear clues about COMPARISON.
The usage as strong or stronger than is absolutely incorrect for using the idioms only partially.

The correct idioms are:
as...(strong)...as and comparative form of the verb (stronger) + than



Both the above options use the idioms only partially. Even a structure as strong as or stronger than would have been correct but that is missing here.



Another incorrect idiom: so .... as


When this is read with the whole sentence, the structure is weird.
86 percent of the public favored at least as strong a Clean Air Act as is the present act.


This option is pretty smooth, uses correct idiom, and a shorter version of "as strong as or stronger than"

I would choose E.

In a recent poll, 86 percent of the public favored a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than the present act.


(A) a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than - does not have the ''as...[adjective]...as" structure.

(B) a Clean Air Act that is stronger, or at least so strong as, - does not have the ''as...[adjective]...as" structure. (instead, B has ''so strong as.'')

(C) at least as strong a Clean Air Act as is - (C) implies that the public favored an event that is comparable to the strength of a clean air act. (C) does not make any sense.

(D) a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than is - has the same error as described in (A)

(E) a Clean Air Act at least as strong as - has no error. Hence, (E) is the right answer choice.

(A) a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than
(1) correct idioms are “as strong as…” or “stronger than…”

(B) a Clean Air Act that is stronger, or at least so strong as,
(1) “Or at least so strong as” is an nonessential modifier, so when you remove it you will get something nonsensical – “86 percent of the public favored a Clean Air Act that is stronger the present act.”

(C) at least as strong a Clean Air Act as is
(1) “at least as strong X [Clean Air Act] as is…” should be “X [Clean Air Act] at least as strong as Y [the present act]”

(D) a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than is
(1) less concise than “at least as strong as”

(E) a Clean Air Act at least as strong as
best option

Hi Experts,

I have a meaning doubt about OE E. We bring a law that is stronger or weaker than the existing law. I am not able to fully understand "at least as strong as". If it is equal to the current law they bring out the new law in the first place.

Regards,
Arvind

Hi Arvind, while I agree with your explanation, isn't that the issue with all options?
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Yes It is an issue with all options.
I think it better to look out for least wrong option.

More than this, I would like to put it this way:

GMAT test takers need to develop an eye to scan the answer choices and figure out what really matters, to solve this question. Since the issue you have highlighted, exists in all the options, frankly it's a non-issue as far as this question goes, and hence, not worth the effort and energy.
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Hey arvind910619 ,

We can always bring in a law as strong as or stronger than the present one, OR as weak as or weaker than the present one.

For example: A new anti-pollution law could be as strong as the present one (same testing requirements, same engine standards, etc), or stronger than the present one (even more strict emission norms, henceforth strict penalties on using low-grade fuel, etc).

Similarly, you could sway in the other direction and bring in a new law as weak as, or totally lax, and therefore weaker than, the present law.

Cheers!

AjiteshArun
what is the difference between A & D meaning wise
also in option C
meaning looks like people favored something at least as strong a cleaner act which is equivalent to present act

Hi saby1410,

I don't think the GMAT was trying to test meaning in those options. It's the unidiomatic as strong or stronger than structure that they want test takers to identify. The correct option is also a little shorter than the others, but again, I don't see a meaning issue here.
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Hellosaby1410,

We hope this finds you well.

Having gone through the question and your query, we believe that we can help resolve your doubt.

As AjiteshArun wrote, Options A and D do not alter the meaning of the sentence; the construction "at least as strong as" is simply more idiomatic and concise than "as strong or stronger than".

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
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(A) a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than
strong or stronger is redudant therefore out

(B) a Clean Air Act that is stronger, or at least so strong as,
Wordy and akward therefore out

(C) at least as strong a Clean Air Act as is
at least is enough as is isn't required therefore out

(D) a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than is
Redudant therefore out

(E) a Clean Air Act at least as strong as
The meaning is perfect and sentence consice therefore our answer

THerefoere IMO E

In a recent poll, 86 percent of the public favored a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than the present act.


-In a recent poll,
86 percent of the public favored a Clean Air Act
- as strong or stronger than the present act.
as x as y or x more/less than y - incorrect idiom


(B) a Clean Air Act that is stronger, or at least so strong as,
so x that y or as x as y - incorrect idiom

(C) at least as strong a Clean Air Act as is
as strong as steel - element with as x as y should make sense

(D) a Clean Air Act as strong or stronger than is
as x than y - incorrect

(E) a Clean Air Act at least as strong as

act as strong as y - correct