It has been discovered that a grape-enriched diet can result in loweri

Question

It has been discovered that a grape-enriched diet  can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs  of heart muscle damage.

(A) can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs

(B) can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart functioning, and less signs

(C) can, as a result, lower blood pressure, improve heart function, and fewer signs

(D) can result in lower blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs

(E) can result in lower blood pressure, better heart function, and less signs

Day 10 Question of the Verbal Contest: GMAT Club RATT Race 
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zxcvbnmas · Answer

It has been discovered that a grape-enriched diet can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs of heart muscle damage.

(A)can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs

(B)can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart functioning, and less signs

(C)can, as a result, lower blood pressure, improve heart function, and fewer signs

(D)can result in lower blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs

(E)can result in lower blood pressure, better heart function, and less signs

Paralleism analysis:

List is lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs

Now, problem is with lowering. indicating present participle and it should be lower to make the items parallel in the list

So, the correct answer is D.

2-3 split between less & fewer Just a quick question: can we count signs of heart muscle damage??( I'm always confused :oops:

)

chetan2u · Answer

Hi,
not only there is a split in fewer and less.. By the way signs can be counted and will be fewer..
also there is parallelism issue - all should be in comparative form - lower , better , and fewer

Nevernevergiveup · Answer

special diet causes/results in few things(low BP & others) here.

verb  lowering  is not parallel to other comparative forms  better  and  fewer. 
modifier as a result in option C is unnecessary as it does not refer to any particular action.
Tie seems to between D and E where D wins the battle since  less signs  sounds awkward.

Jadu1 · Answer

Yes it's parallelism question and list should be parallel and should make sense

Posted from my mobile device

CV7585 · Answer

||ism tested.

Hope i got this one right.. Its always better to say fewer signs IMHO.

sun01 · Answer

It has been discovered that a grape-enriched diet can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs of heart muscle damage.

(A)can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs

(B)can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart functioning, and less signs

(C)can, as a result, lower blood pressure, improve heart function, and fewer signs

(D)can result in lower blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs

(E)can result in lower blood pressure, better heart function, and less signs

Paralleism analysis:

List is  lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs

Now, problem is with lowering. indicating present participle and it should be  lower  to make the items parallel in the list

So, the correct answer is D.

spetznaz · Answer

My analysis of this question :

Meaning - It has been discovered that grape enriched diet can result in three things - 1) lower BP 2) Better heart function 3) show fewer signs of heart muscle damage.

Error analysis - Original answer option does not maintain parallelism i.e. lowering BP not parallel to better heart conditions and fewer signs

POE :

(A)can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs ----> Wrong for the reasons mentioned

(B)can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart functioning, and less signs ----> Wrong for the reasons mentioned ; less is wrong here. Since signs can be counted, we must use few.

(C)can, as a result, lower blood pressure, improve heart function, and fewer signs ----> as a result is redundant

(D)can result in lower blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs ----> Correct !

(E)can result in lower blood pressure, better heart function, and less signs ----> less is wrong here.

Folks, please correct me if I am wrong !

TheDreamCatcher · Answer

It has been discovered that a grape-enriched diet can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs of heart muscle damage.

(A)can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs

Wrong-->Parallelism error - lowering blood pressure, better heart function...

(B)can result in lowering blood pressure, better heart functioning, and less signs

Wrong-->Parallelism error . Also less signs is not correct usage, since signs can be counted.

(C)can, as a result, lower blood pressure, improve heart function, and fewer signs

Wrong-->Change in meaning. 'As a result' is not used as intended in the original sentence
 
(D)can result in lower blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs

Correct --> lower blood pressure, better heart function and fewer signs are parallel

(E)can result in lower blood pressure, better heart function, and less signs

Wrong--> Less signs is not correct usage

souvik101990 · Answer

The sentence lists the effects of a diet rich in grapes,but fails to make this list parallel: the gerund lowering cannot belong to a series of nouns (function and signs)

A. Lists a gerund along with nouns, thus violating parallelism.

B. The list now contains two gerunds and a noun and so still remains not parallel. Additionally, less signs is wrong since less can only be used with uncountable nouns.

C. Tries to list two verbs and a noun (can lower, improve, and fewer signs). It is unclear what a phrase as a result refers to.

D. The series of three nouns is correct.

E. Less signs is incorrect: since signs is countable and plural, it must be fewer signs instead.

The correct answer is D

deabas · Answer

I got the correct answer "D"...

I love it RATT

saurabhsavant · Answer

Is "less" parallel with lower and better or "lesser"? although not in answer choices....

abhimahna · Answer

No, less is not parallel to lower and better.

VerbalBot · Answer

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It has been discovered that a grape-enriched diet can result in loweri

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It has been discovered that a grape-enriched diet can result in loweri

Prep Toolkit

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

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745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

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Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards