OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
THE PROMPTQuote:
Investor appetite for private equity in emerging nations, when compared with more developed nations, is higher, but the rapidly changing political landscape in these nations is forcing a change in the rulebook for firms that have relied on a stable government for strong investment returns.
• Issue: compare like things (compare apples to apples)
Investor appetite for something in one nation can only be compared with
investor appetite for something in some other nation.
• Issue: Almost always, the use of any comparative form, such as
higher, requires the use of
than later in the sentence.
• Issue: Avoid using a comparative word (
higher, lower, more, less, greater, smaller) in the same sentence as the phrases with
compare to or
compare with. → The comparative word
itself (in this case, "higher") automatically signals a comparison.
The simultaneous use of phrases such as
when compared with is considered redundant.
THE OPTIONSQuote:
A) Investor appetite for private equity in emerging nations, when compared with more developed nations, is higher,
• Option A erroneously compares
investor appetite for something with
developed nations• Avoid using comparative words (
higher) and the actual words "when compared with" in the same sentence.
GMAC frowns on such usage as redundant.
• When we use any comparative term (
higher, lower, faster, slower, more, less), we must nearly always use the word
than. There are exceptions, but the construction in this option does not look like one of the exceptions to that rule.
For example, this sentence is correct:
Of the two boys, Rahul is the taller.The use of
higher without the use of
than is rare.
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
B) Investor appetite for private equity in emerging nations, when compared with that in more developed nations, is higher,
•
compared with and
higher should not be used in the same sentence.
• to make sense in this sentence,
higher requires
than. The word
than is not included in the sentence.
• the antecedent of
that is dicey.
→ does the word
that refer to
investor appetite? or to
private equity?
Logically,
investor appetite is the better candidate.
I would not eliminate this option on this basis alone. Fortunately, I do not have to do so because other errors exist.
ELIMINATE B
Quote:
C) Investor appetite for private equity is higher in emerging nations than in more developed nations,
• I do not see any errors
• This sentence avoids the potentially problematic
that.
• It correctly uses
higher with
than • it correctly describes
something in emerging nations and
[something] in developed nations.KEEP C
Quote:
D) Investor appetite for private equity is higher in emerging nations, when compared with more
developed nations,
• erroneously compares
investor appetite for something with
more developed nations.
• The use of
higher is incorrect because
than does not appear in the sentence.
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
E) Investor appetite for private equity in emerging nations is higher, compared with what it is in more developed nations,
• The use of
higher is incorrect because
than does not appear in the sentence.
• the pronoun
it may be slightly ambiguous.
Does "it" refer to
investor appetite or to
private equity?
Again,
investor appetite is the more logical antecedent.
Use this possible pronoun ambiguity only to break a tie between options but not to eliminate the option on the first pass.
ELIMINATE E
The best answer is C.COMMENTSKarthik740 , welcome to SC Butler.
I am glad to see you all.
These answers are clear, explanatory, and helpful.
Very nicely done.