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In the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historicall

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mSKR

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29 May 2021, 20:55

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DmitryFarber

mSKR
First, I'll suggest not to worry much about comma placement in the non-underlined portion. Although we don't *generally* put a comma between subject and predicate, there aren't many absolute rules about commas, and the GMAT will certainly add a comma if it might help with clarity and sentence flow. In any case, clearly the GMAT thinks it's okay, so even if we wouldn't put one there, we can leave it alone.

As for your analysis, notice that "revenues are low" has a subject and a verb, so the part beginning with "because" is a dependent clause, not a modifier. This means that in D, we have a main clause followed by TWO dependent clauses: "The quarter is weak because revenues are low, while expenses are higher." This structure doesn't make that last part as clearly parallel to "revenues are low." A makes it much clearer that both trends (low revenue, higher expenses) contribute to the weak quarter.

I don't know if this clears up your concern, since I can't see why A struck you as having a poor structure. Let me know if there's any trouble with A I can address.

Thanks for quick clarification DmitryFarber

That comma before because make me think that this thought is not yet completed and something else yet to come that I found with while clause.
MY doubt is cleared after reading your post:)

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29 May 2021, 22:05

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Ah, I see but then we'd be comparing a weak quarter with higher marketing prices, and it's not clear what that would mean. We want both the things that follow to explain the weak quarter. Glad my analysis helped!

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29 May 2021, 22:36

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mSKR

Hi AndrewN DmitryFarber mcelroytutoring chetan2u

In the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak, because revenues are low and marketing expenses are high as companies prepare for the coming school year.
(A) low and marketing expenses are high as companies prepare
(D) low, while marketing expenses are higher to prepare

meaning wise I choose A
but structure wise: I choose D

My doubt is on this comma

Modifier , SUBJECT VERB , non essential modifier, WHILE SUBJECT VERB
In the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak, because revenues are low , while marketing expenses are higher to prepare for the coming school year.

Please clarify. Thanks! AndrewN DmitryFarber mcelroytutoring chetan2u

Hi
I would agree with Dmitry on not worrying too much on the non-underline potion. I too would prefer the sentence without comma.

However, if it were in the correct option in the underlined portion, then it would suggest that GMAT is flexible on this issue.

Now as far as the structure is concerned, the word ‘while’ is generally used to show contrast.
Here, the two cases ‘low revenue’ and ‘high expenses’ can be two parallel things or two things in contrast.

Option A correctly uses the two cases in parallel and also adds on why marketing expenses are high: as the companies prepare....

However option E falters on this issue by removing ‘companies’ and changing the structure to ‘ are higher to prepare..’

A is well written, conveys the meaning without any ambiguity.

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03 Jun 2021, 10:02

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In the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak, because revenues are low and marketing expenses are high as companies prepare for the coming school year.

(A) low and marketing expenses are high as companies prepare
(B) low and their marketing expenses are high as they prepare
(C) low with higher marketing expenses in preparation
(D) low, while marketing expenses are higher to prepare
(E) low, while their marketing expenses are higher in preparation
My take is different over here more like a run-on error. look at the structure phrase+independent clause then dependent clause nice and simple now D and E while again dc wrong. so d and e are out. The use of 'with' is mostly possessive. something that you have such as with his team, the manager completed the task and with 5 days before the exam, the students start panicking.
with higher marketing expenses in preparation, I am not sure about c
and for b llsm structure is good in A

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24 Dec 2021, 05:39

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Hello experts @VeritasKarishma AndrewN sayantanc2k AjiteshArun

I have a query.
In option B why their and they can not refer back to business?

Thanks

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24 Dec 2021, 06:15

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kadamhari825

Hello experts @VeritasKarishma AndrewN sayantanc2k AjiteshArun

I have a query.
In option B why their and they can not refer back to business?

Thanks

Hello kadamhari825,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, "they" and "their" cannot refer to "the textbook publishing business", as they are plural pronouns and "the textbook publishing business" is a singular noun; "the textbook publishing business" refers to the industry of textbook publishing as a singular whole.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
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24 Dec 2021, 07:32

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kadamhari825

Hello experts @VeritasKarishma AndrewN sayantanc2k AjiteshArun

I have a query.
In option B why their and they can not refer back to business?

Thanks

Yes, kadamhari825, as the Experts' Global representative has replied above, business is a singular noun: businesses is the plural counterpart. Although a native English speaker often hears they or their used in the same manner as it is in answer choices (B) or (E), when it comes to the GMAT™, you want to be thinking, What is the most logical plural referent that "they" or "their" could refer to? Take a look again at the sentence and keep track of singular nouns and plural nouns in the non-underlined portion.

Quote:

In the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak, because revenues are low and marketing expenses are high as companies prepare for the coming school year.

Since there is only one plural noun in the sentence for they or their to refer to—revenues—you would have to interpret (B) in the following way:

(B) In the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak, because revenues are low and revenues' expenses are high as revenues prepare for the coming school year.

Of course, such an interpretation is nonsensical, but the grammar, the pronoun usage, suggests it. Matching pronouns, singular or plural, with their logical referents is an important skill for SC questions. I have combed through every official non-GMAT Prep SC question, and I can tell you that I have seen zero exceptions to the rule that it must refer to a singular noun while they must refer to a plural noun.

Thank you for thinking to ask me, and good luck with your studies.

- Andrew

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20 Nov 2022, 03:55

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Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

ArashKhurana

The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 10th Edition, 2003

Practice Question
Question No.: SC 207
Page: 686

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of the sentence is that in the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak because revenues are low and marketing expenses are high during the time when companies prepare for the coming school year.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Pronouns

A: Correct.
1/ This answer choice avoids the pronoun error seen in Options B and E, as it uses no pronouns.
2/ Option A uses the clause "marketing expenses are high as companies prepare", conveying the intended meaning - that in the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak because revenues are low, and marketing expenses of the companies are high in general during the time when companies prepare for the coming school year.

B:
1/ This answer choice suffers from a pronoun error, as the pronouns "their" and "they" lack a clear and logical referent.

C:
1/ This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "with higher marketing expenses in preparation"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that in the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak, because revenues are low, and the revenues have relatively higher marketing expenses in order to prepare for the coming school year; the intended meaning is that in the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak because revenues are low, and marketing expenses of the companies are high in general during the time when companies prepare for the coming school year.

D:
1/ This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "are higher to prepare"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the second quarter is historically weak because marketing expenses are relatively higher in order to prepare for the coming school year; the intended meaning is that he second quarter is historically weak because marketing expenses are high in general during the time when companies prepare for the coming school year.

E:
1/ This answer choice suffers from a pronoun error, as the pronoun "their" lacks a clear and logical referent.
2/ Option E alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "are higher in preparation; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the second quarter is historically weak because marketing expenses are relatively higher in order to prepare for the coming school year; the intended meaning is that he second quarter is historically weak because marketing expenses are high in general during the time when companies prepare for the coming school year.

Hence, A is the best answer choice.

All the best!
Experts' Global Team

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26 Apr 2023, 05:11

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ExpertsGlobal5

(C) low with higher marketing expenses in preparation

C:
1/ This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "with higher marketing expenses in preparation"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that in the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak, because revenues are low, and the revenues have relatively higher marketing expenses in order to prepare for the coming school year; the intended meaning is that in the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak because revenues are low, and marketing expenses of the companies are high in general during the time when companies prepare for the coming school year.

dear ExpertsGlobal5,and other experts,
avigutman, AndrewN,MartyTargetTestPrep , RonTargetTestPrep

I narrowed down to A and C,
as ExpertsGlobal5says, the revenues have relatively higher marketing expenses, but does not the use of with have mean two things/people are together?

John went to the store with Jane.
in this case, John , with Jane, went to store, they were together.
why cannot low revenue and high expansion happened together ?

appreciate for your help

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26 Sep 2024, 07:21

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