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It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk

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jitbec
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It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   Updated on: 14 Jul 2019, 01:26
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It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk it.

A. to try repairing an old car than to junk it.
B. to repair an old car than to have it junked.
C. to try repairing an old car than to junking it.
D. to try and repair an old car than to junk it.
E. to try to repair an old car than to junk it.

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E

Originally posted by jitbec on 06 Sep 2011, 03:31.
Last edited by Sajjad1994 on 14 Jul 2019, 01:26, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   06 Sep 2011, 14:36
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It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk it.
Answer Choices:

My choice is E. The process of elimination I used is below.

A. to try repairing an old car than to junk it. (Awkward parallelism between "repairing" and "junk")
B. to repair an old car than to have it junked. (The word "try" is gone. IMO, it changes the meaning of the sentence)
C. to try repairing an old car than to junking it. ("than to junking it" - No need for the "to")
D. to try and repair an old car than to junk it. ("to try and repair" - Too much change due to the "and")
E. to try to repair an old car than to junk it. (Best option IMO)
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   16 Sep 2011, 12:42
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gurpreetsingh, "try repairing" as for every form " Try + gerund" means experimenting with something. However try + infinitive conveys intent and purpose.

For example:
-"I will try learning this concept" = I will get my hands dirty to learn this concept (not sure will succeed, though)
- "I will try to learn this concept" = I will purposefully strive to learn this concept

In the sentence, I doubt the sentence is "experimenting". Rather, the author's intent is to repair and really do that, rather than junk the car.

The other issues in the sentence are parallelism-related. Only Infinitives are parallel to each other. We should not mix simple gerunds with working verbs, nor with infinitives.

In "try repairing..have it junked" - besides any concision issue, we are paralleling here gerund (repairing) with a noun modified by a past participle (noun modifier). Again this is not structurally parallel.
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   06 Sep 2011, 09:31
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jitbec wrote:
It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk it.
Answer Choices






A. to try repairing an old car than to junk it.
B. to repair an old car than to have it junked.
C. to try repairing an old car than to junking it.
D. to try and repair an old car than to junk it.
E. to try to repair an old car than to junk it.


to try to repair an old car || to junk it --> better choice
to try repairing an old car || to junk it --> I feel this choice is inferior than the above one.
Hence +1 E
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   07 Sep 2011, 06:58
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A --> Missing Parellelism
B --> try is missing and its looking passive
c --> to junking it is a wrong way of usage (to goes with simple present verb form)
D --> to try and TO repair could be correct but it will make it wordy
E --> correct parellelism
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   14 Sep 2011, 23:19
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E sounds good.

But what is wrong with A.

Parallelism ???? to try.... than...... to junk. Parallel rite.
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   16 Sep 2011, 12:42
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ksp wrote:
Hey i have read some where that infinitive + infinitive + noun is error.

please clarify


https://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm
Scroll down to point 6
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   06 Jun 2019, 01:19
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Rajeet123 wrote:
Why not D?
Try to is slightly better (more precise) than try and.

"He will try and study" could mean "he will try and he will study".
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   06 Sep 2011, 06:27
The question is as it is. Nothing more to explain
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   06 Sep 2011, 10:15
Thats the OA. Is there any standard rule for this?
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   06 Sep 2011, 12:36
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jitbec wrote:
Thats the OA. Is there any standard rule for this?


I think Fluke or Gurpreet Singh can help us.
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   06 Sep 2011, 14:41
yup.. E...

this sentence tests paralellism... to repair or to junk.. detailed explanation is already provided by jassi
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   07 Sep 2011, 10:25
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Quote:
It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk it.

A. to try repairing an old car than to junk it.
B. to repair an old car than to have it junked.
C. to try repairing an old car than to junking it.
D. to try and repair an old car than to junk it.
E. to try to repair an old car than to junk it.


Answer: E

Quote:

jassiinpublic wrote:



A. to try repairing an old car than to junk it. (Awkward parallelism between "repairing" and "junk")
B. to repair an old car than to have it junked. (The word "try" is gone. IMO, it changes the meaning of the sentence)
C. to try repairing an old car than to junking it. ("than to junking it" - No need for the "to")
D. to try and repair an old car than to junk it. ("to try and repair" - Too much change due to the "and")
E. to try to repair an old car than to junk it. (Best option IMO)
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   14 Sep 2011, 10:00
what is wrong with A?

It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk it.

It is better to X than to Y.

Don't you think the bolded part are parallel? and to try than to junk are parallel too?
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   14 Sep 2011, 12:42
Will Go with E

"to junk" should be parallel to "to repair"
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   14 Sep 2011, 13:34
I picked E...I was tempted by A too.
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   16 Sep 2011, 12:12
ksp wrote:
E sounds good.

But what is wrong with A.

Parallelism ???? to try.... than...... to junk. Parallel rite.


ksp

"try to" is the correct idiom...see page 170 on the SC Mgmat
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   16 Sep 2011, 12:15
Hey i have read some where that infinitive + infinitive + noun is error.

please clarify
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   16 Sep 2011, 12:53
arzad wrote:
ksp wrote:
Hey i have read some where that infinitive + infinitive + noun is error.

please clarify


https://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm
Scroll down to point 6




Hey u picked E rite.

According to the link try must be followed by a gerund and it must be A rite.
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink] New post   16 Sep 2011, 13:19
ksp wrote:
arzad wrote:
ksp wrote:
Hey i have read some where that infinitive + infinitive + noun is error.

please clarify


https://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm
Scroll down to point 6




Hey u picked E rite.

According to the link try must be followed by a gerund and it must be A rite.




I picked E.

From my link read below:

"Verbs that take other verb forms as objects are called catenatives (from a word that means to link, as in a chain). Catenatives can be found at the head of a series of linked constructions, as in "We agreed to try to decide to stop eating between meals." Catenatives are also characterized by their tendency to describe mental processes and resolutions. "
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Re: It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk [#permalink]
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