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In California, a lack of genetic variation in the Argentine ant has allowed the species to spread widely; due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits the spread of this species in its native Argentina.
(A) due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(B) due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(C) because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers all its fellows to be close relatives and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(D) because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(E) because of being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(A) due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(B) due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(C) because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers all its fellows to be close relatives and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(D) because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(E) because of being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/30/science/observatory.html
Nothing quite that creepy is going on in California, but the state has been overrun by a species of ant that, researchers say, has essentially formed a single giant colony from San Diego to San Francisco and beyond. The researchers, from the University of California at San Diego, discovered a lack of genetic variation in the insect, the Argentine ant, which has allowed the species to spread to nooks and crannies up and down the state, particularly in coastal areas.
Individual ants are so close genetically, the researchers report in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that they consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony death matches that limit the ants in their native Argentina.
The Argentine Ant
First glance
The answer choices begin with either due to or because of. Generally-accepted grammar rules state that due to is used with nouns or noun phrases and because of is used with clauses, though the distinction can sometimes be a judgment call.
For this reason, perhaps, the GMAT does not appear to test this issue formally; the Official Guide explanations for all problems dealing with because of vs. due to do not address these differences. Therefore, ignore this issue.
Issues
(1) Subject-Verb: struggles that limits
The original sentence says the following: the kind of struggles that limits the spread of this species. The word that, when preceded by a noun, is a noun modifier. In this case, it is referring to the noun just before, struggles: the struggles limit the spread of the species. Answer (A) pairs a plural noun with a singular verb; eliminate it. Also eliminate answers (C) and (E), which repeat this error.
(2) Noun-Noun: fellows … a close relative
The original sentence contains the language the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative.
All their fellows cannot be a single relative; rather, they would be close relatives. Eliminate choices (A), (B), and (E) for this error.
(3) Comparison: similar
If one thing is similar to another, it is necessary to include the another portion of the comparison. Answers (B) and (C) do not actually indicate what the ant is similar to. (Note: it is possible to omit the separate mention of another if a plural construction is used. For example, this is correct: The twins are so similar! Since there are two twins, the comparison is to each other.)
The Correct Answer
Correct answer (D) properly pairs the plural noun struggles with the plural verb limit and the plural noun fellows with the plural description close relatives.
Note: this correct answer contains a tempting trap that might cause someone to cross it off. The plural pronoun they appears not to match the singular Argentine ant mentioned at the beginning of the sentence. It’s true that this pronoun does not go with this noun; rather, it goes with the plural word ants that appears after the pronoun they.
Nothing quite that creepy is going on in California, but the state has been overrun by a species of ant that, researchers say, has essentially formed a single giant colony from San Diego to San Francisco and beyond. The researchers, from the University of California at San Diego, discovered a lack of genetic variation in the insect, the Argentine ant, which has allowed the species to spread to nooks and crannies up and down the state, particularly in coastal areas.
Individual ants are so close genetically, the researchers report in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that they consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony death matches that limit the ants in their native Argentina.
The Argentine Ant
(A) Subject-Verb (struggles that limits); Noun-Noun (fellows … a close relative)
(B) Comparison (similar); Noun-Noun (fellows … a close relative)
(C) Comparison (similar); Subject-Verb (struggles that limits);
(D) CORRECT
(E) Subject-Verb (struggles that limits); Noun-Noun (fellows … a close relative)
(B) Comparison (similar); Noun-Noun (fellows … a close relative)
(C) Comparison (similar); Subject-Verb (struggles that limits);
(D) CORRECT
(E) Subject-Verb (struggles that limits); Noun-Noun (fellows … a close relative)
First glance
The answer choices begin with either due to or because of. Generally-accepted grammar rules state that due to is used with nouns or noun phrases and because of is used with clauses, though the distinction can sometimes be a judgment call.
For this reason, perhaps, the GMAT does not appear to test this issue formally; the Official Guide explanations for all problems dealing with because of vs. due to do not address these differences. Therefore, ignore this issue.
Issues
(1) Subject-Verb: struggles that limits
The original sentence says the following: the kind of struggles that limits the spread of this species. The word that, when preceded by a noun, is a noun modifier. In this case, it is referring to the noun just before, struggles: the struggles limit the spread of the species. Answer (A) pairs a plural noun with a singular verb; eliminate it. Also eliminate answers (C) and (E), which repeat this error.
(2) Noun-Noun: fellows … a close relative
The original sentence contains the language the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative.
All their fellows cannot be a single relative; rather, they would be close relatives. Eliminate choices (A), (B), and (E) for this error.
(3) Comparison: similar
If one thing is similar to another, it is necessary to include the another portion of the comparison. Answers (B) and (C) do not actually indicate what the ant is similar to. (Note: it is possible to omit the separate mention of another if a plural construction is used. For example, this is correct: The twins are so similar! Since there are two twins, the comparison is to each other.)
The Correct Answer
Correct answer (D) properly pairs the plural noun struggles with the plural verb limit and the plural noun fellows with the plural description close relatives.
Note: this correct answer contains a tempting trap that might cause someone to cross it off. The plural pronoun they appears not to match the singular Argentine ant mentioned at the beginning of the sentence. It’s true that this pronoun does not go with this noun; rather, it goes with the plural word ants that appears after the pronoun they.
Updated on: 02 Apr 2019, 10:25
Originally posted by EMPOWERgmatVerbal on 19 Dec 2018, 12:08.
Last edited by EMPOWERgmatVerbal on 02 Apr 2019, 10:25, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by EMPOWERgmatVerbal on 02 Apr 2019, 10:25, edited 1 time in total.
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Hello Everyone!
Let's take a closer look at this question to figure out the best course of action! First, here is the original question with the major differences between the options highlighted in orange:
In California, a lack of genetic variation in the Argentine ant has allowed the species to spread widely; due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits the spread of this species in its native Argentina.
(A) due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(B) due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(C) because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(D) because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(E) because of being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
After a quick glance over the options, a few key differences jump out:
1. due to their being / due to its being / because it is / because they are / because of being
2. a close relative / close relatives
3. that limit / that limits
Since all of the options for #1 are different, it will be hard to eliminate more than one at a time. With options 2 & 3, we can eliminate several at once, so let's start with one of these. We'll start with #3 on our list (limit/limits) because it's an issue of subject-verb agreement, which should be pretty easy to handle quickly.
To determine which verb we need, we must first figure out what this verb is referring to. What is causing the spread of the species to be limited? The intercolony struggles. Since "struggles" is a plural word, we now know that we need a plural verb to go with it. Let's see how each option breaks down:
(A) due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(B) due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(C) because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(D) because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(E) because of being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
We can eliminate options A, C, and E because they use the singular "limits" with a plural subject "struggles."
See - that was quick! Now we're only left with 2 options, so let's move on to #2 on our list: a close relative / close relatives. The key here is to look for the words "all of" or "each of" to figure out which one we need here:
consider all of X to be Y = plural noun for Y (I consider all of my friends to be brothers.)
consider each of X to be Y = singular noun for Y (I consider each of my sisters to be a friend.)
(B) due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
This is INCORRECT because the idiom structure doesn't agree in number. Whenever we refer to "all of" something, we need to use a plural to match. In this case, it uses the singular "a close relative," which is singular.
(D) because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
This is CORRECT! It uses the proper subject-verb agreement with "limit," and the use of the plural "relatives" agrees with the plural "all their fellows."
There you have it - option D is the correct choice! If you were to tackle #1 on our list first, it would have taken much longer to narrow down your options. Finding the "either this or that" problems will help you eliminate 2-3 options at once, which is much faster!
Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.
Let's take a closer look at this question to figure out the best course of action! First, here is the original question with the major differences between the options highlighted in orange:
In California, a lack of genetic variation in the Argentine ant has allowed the species to spread widely; due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits the spread of this species in its native Argentina.
(A) due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(B) due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(C) because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(D) because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(E) because of being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
After a quick glance over the options, a few key differences jump out:
1. due to their being / due to its being / because it is / because they are / because of being
2. a close relative / close relatives
3. that limit / that limits
Since all of the options for #1 are different, it will be hard to eliminate more than one at a time. With options 2 & 3, we can eliminate several at once, so let's start with one of these. We'll start with #3 on our list (limit/limits) because it's an issue of subject-verb agreement, which should be pretty easy to handle quickly.
To determine which verb we need, we must first figure out what this verb is referring to. What is causing the spread of the species to be limited? The intercolony struggles. Since "struggles" is a plural word, we now know that we need a plural verb to go with it. Let's see how each option breaks down:
(A) due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(B) due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(C) because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
(D) because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
(E) because of being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits
We can eliminate options A, C, and E because they use the singular "limits" with a plural subject "struggles."
See - that was quick! Now we're only left with 2 options, so let's move on to #2 on our list: a close relative / close relatives. The key here is to look for the words "all of" or "each of" to figure out which one we need here:
consider all of X to be Y = plural noun for Y (I consider all of my friends to be brothers.)
consider each of X to be Y = singular noun for Y (I consider each of my sisters to be a friend.)
(B) due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
This is INCORRECT because the idiom structure doesn't agree in number. Whenever we refer to "all of" something, we need to use a plural to match. In this case, it uses the singular "a close relative," which is singular.
(D) because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit
This is CORRECT! It uses the proper subject-verb agreement with "limit," and the use of the plural "relatives" agrees with the plural "all their fellows."
There you have it - option D is the correct choice! If you were to tackle #1 on our list first, it would have taken much longer to narrow down your options. Finding the "either this or that" problems will help you eliminate 2-3 options at once, which is much faster!
Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.
30 Jul 2010, 11:17
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I was hung up in this sentence because I thought the sentence has "this species" and "its" (which is singular ) in non-underlined part and hence we need singular subject in the underlined part as well. (big mistake on my part).
The "its" in the end of the sentence refers to "this species" and the subject of this phrase is 'struggles'......struggles that limits the spread of this species in its native Argentina
"considers to be" which is present in all options seems really awkward to me. "consider to be" or 'consider as" is a big no-no in GMAT.
In California, a lack of genetic variation in the Argentine ant has allowed the species to spread widely; due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits the spread of this species in its native Argentina.
A) due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits - we need 'limit' because 'struggles' is plural. Also we need 'Because' in the beginning of the sentence.
B) due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit - 'it' cannot be genetically similar to itself. 'being' is not accepted. we need 'Because' in the beginning of the sentence
C) because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits - 'it' cannot be genetically similar to itself. we need 'limit' because 'struggles' is plural
D) because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit - CORRECT
E) because of being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits - same as A
The "its" in the end of the sentence refers to "this species" and the subject of this phrase is 'struggles'......struggles that limits the spread of this species in its native Argentina
"considers to be" which is present in all options seems really awkward to me. "consider to be" or 'consider as" is a big no-no in GMAT.
In California, a lack of genetic variation in the Argentine ant has allowed the species to spread widely; due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits the spread of this species in its native Argentina.
A) due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits - we need 'limit' because 'struggles' is plural. Also we need 'Because' in the beginning of the sentence.
B) due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit - 'it' cannot be genetically similar to itself. 'being' is not accepted. we need 'Because' in the beginning of the sentence
C) because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits - 'it' cannot be genetically similar to itself. we need 'limit' because 'struggles' is plural
D) because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit - CORRECT
E) because of being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits - same as A
