In the 1980's the rate of increase of the minority population of the

Question

In the 1980's the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States was nearly twice as fast as the 1970's.

Option Elimination -
In standard usage - 1970's and the 1970s mean the same - the decade from 1970 to 1979.

(A) twice as fast as - "the rate" is compared with a decade. Moreover, "the rate" can not be faster, slower, or greater. It can be just twice something.
(B) twice as fast as it was in - "the rate" can not be faster, slower, or greater. It can be just twice something.
(C) twice what it was in - "What" can also introduce a noun clause, known as an indirect question, in which the clause functions as a noun or the object. Eg. The researcher wanted to know what the results would be. She asked me what my plans were. I was curious about what caused the problem. In the noun clauses introduced by "what" acts as an object of the verb "know," "asked," and "curious about."

The comparison is complete - In the 1980's, the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States was nearly twice what the rate of increase was in the 1970's. We could also convey the same meaning: "In the 1980's, the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States was nearly twice the rate of increase in the 1970's." But we don't have any option like this.
(D) two times faster than that of - "the rate" can not be faster, slower, or greater. It can be just twice something.
(E) two times greater than - "the rate" compared with a decade of 1970s/1970's - wrong.

Mo2men · Answer

Dear  GMATGuruNY

Can you shed light on the question at hand? Why choices are wrong? is 'two times' and twice as...as' wrong?

The OA is unclear.

Thanks in advance

GMATGuruNY · Answer

A  rate  is a MEASUREMENT.
A and B imply the following:
 In the 1980's, the measurement...was...fast. 
D implies the following:
 In the 1980's, the measurement...was...faster. 
The implied meanings are nonsensical: a MEASUREMENT cannot be FAST.
Eliminate A, B and D.

E:  the rate...was...two times greater than the 1970's 
Here, THE RATE Is illogically compared to THE 1970's.
Eliminate E.

C .

Mo2men · Answer

Dear  GMATGuruNY

How can I expressed that increase in one year was faster in other year?

GMATGuruNY · Answer

An INCREASE -- like a  rate  -- is a measurement.
Since a measurement cannot be fast, it seems nonsensical to say that  the increase was fast .
The following wording conveys a more logical meaning:
 The population grew more quickly in 1980 than in 1970.

cycaroline47 · Answer

1970s NOT 1970's -> the 1970's is equivalent to "the rate in 1970s". This is very misleading and totally changes what the correct answer should be.

Balkrishna · Answer

Hi  sayantanc2k ,

Your explanation is great.

I have one query. Don't we need  of  before  what  in option C?

In the 1980's the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States was nearly twice  of  what it was in 1970's.

Thank you in advance.

Businessconquerer · Answer

EMPOWERgmatRichC 
Hi! I think this particular question would benefit from your approach

I really find it hard to make a comment here because the answer is so varied

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi All,

This prompt involves a comparison (the rate in one year vs. the rate in another year), so we need to the two 'pieces' of the prompt to be in 'parallel format.'

The sentence begins with the first half of the comparison:

"In the 1980's the rate of increase...."

Since the first half of the comparison uses the phrase "in the 1980s", the second half of the comparison must also follow that pattern: ".... in the 1970s." Eliminate Answers A, D and E.

With the remaining 2 answers, there's ultimately a 'usage' issue. A "rate of increase" in this context is not referring to something that is physically moving, so the usage of the word "fast" doesn't make sense. A rate can certainly be "twice" another rate though. Eliminate Answer B.

Final Answer:  C 
 
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

D4kshGargas · Answer

"What" can occasionally be used as a pronoun in a non-question, as a relative pronoun, but when used as a pronoun, iit is used as a singular phrase:

#takeaway "what" = "the things that"

(C) twice what it was in = "twice  the thing  that  it was in 1970's

Ankit137 · Answer

Hi  ChrisLele

I get your point regarding the answer choice. Just had one query, shouldn't it be 'twice  of  what it was in' ?

Thanks

GMAT0212 · Answer

Please advise what is the difference between 1970s and 1970’s as far as I understand an apostrophe indicates ownership (John’s book).
So why we cannot have the rate elided in the E option

behlmanmeet · Answer

Hi  GMATGuruNY ,

I have the same query, is 1970's same as 1970s?

GMATGuruNY · Answer

Yes.
When referring to a decade, the GMAT will sometimes use an apostrophe, as in the SC here:
 In the 1980's, the rate was twice what it was in the 1970's. 
At other times, the GMAT will omit the apostrophe, as in SC121 in the OG12:
 Sales of wines increased in the late 1980s. 
Consider the two constructions interchangeable.

Ccccc1111111 · Answer

twice n 
twice n as the rate...in
two times faster than n
two times n

In the 1980's the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States was nearly twice as fast as the 1970's.

(A) twice as fast as
(B) twice as fast as it was in
as it was in(ok)
(C) twice what it was in
(D) two times faster than that of
than that of(ok)
(E) two times greater than
two times greater than(ok)+in 1970

milanrajb · Answer

I think the question wanted to highlight 1970s rather than 1970's

If yes then the answer C makes senses, else it should be A.

Anyone else have the same thought?

ExpertsGlobal5 · Answer

Hello  milanrajb ,

We hope this finds you well.

To provide a bit of clarity, Option A is incorrect because it incorrectly compares "the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States" to "the 1970s"; remember, a comparison can only be made between similar things.

Option C correctly compares "the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States" with "what it was", wherein "it" refers to "the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States".

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team

himanshu0123 · Answer

in C]

many a times we say 'what' is ambiguous. How to identify such right answers

RonTargetTestPrep · Answer

You should just keep in mind that such a phrasing  may  be acceptable (a lesson learned from examples such as this one)—but FIRST go through all of the differences/splits in the answers that could constitute solid grounds for elimination.

In this problem, you can make all the required eliminations by using...
• redundancy ("rate" + "fast")
• incorrect pronoun use (" that  of the 1970s" —> "the rate of increase of the 1970s" is nonsense)
• illogical comparison ("two times greater than the 1970s" —> the 1970s is not a rate)
...so there isn't even a need to actively analyze the "what..." part.

akt715 · Answer

Isn't twice an adverb , so how it can be used with rate of increase which is noun

Raman109 · Answer

In the 1980's the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States was nearly  twice as fast as  the 1970's.

Option Elimination -
In standard usage - 1970's and the 1970s mean the same - the decade from 1970 to 1979.

(A) twice as fast as - "the rate" is compared with a decade. Moreover, "the rate" can not be faster, slower, or greater. It can be just twice something.
(B) twice as fast as it was in - "the rate" can not be faster, slower, or greater. It can be just twice something.
(C) twice what it was in - "What" can also introduce a noun clause, known as an indirect question, in which the clause functions as a noun or the object. Eg. The researcher wanted to know what the results would be. She asked me what my plans were. I was curious about what caused the problem. In the noun clauses introduced by "what" acts as an object of the verb "know," "asked," and "curious about."

The comparison is complete - In the 1980's, the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States was nearly twice what the rate of increase was in the 1970's. We could also convey the same meaning: "In the 1980's, the rate of increase of the minority population of the United States was nearly twice the rate of increase in the 1970's." But we don't have any option like this.
(D) two times faster than that of - "the rate" can not be faster, slower, or greater. It can be just twice something.
(E) two times greater than - "the rate" compared with a decade of 1970s/1970's - wrong.

In the 1980's the rate of increase of the minority population of the

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

In the 1980's the rate of increase of the minority population of the

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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My Rewards