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Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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Updated on: 01 Oct 2018, 01:12
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Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce and the rest are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle intruders.
(A) are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle
(B) are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle
(C) serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or by battling
(D) serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, by building the nest, or by battling
(E) serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling
Re: Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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12 Dec 2006, 04:42
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Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce and the rest are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle intruders.
A. are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle
B. are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle
C. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or by battling
D. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, by building the nest, or by battling
E. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling
Re: Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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Updated on: 12 May 2013, 06:44
Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce and the rest are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle intruders.
A. are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle B. are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle C. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or by battling D. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, by building the nest, or by battling E. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling
I understand the answer options and the logic behind correct answer. Below is my question:
In option B, is use of that correct? are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle or use of which correct i.e. are serving the colony in which they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle
Experts, please reply
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Originally posted by swati007 on 12 May 2013, 06:41.
Last edited by Zarrolou on 12 May 2013, 06:44, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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12 May 2013, 09:01
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Swati, in that is a conjunction that means inasmuch as; in that has largely gone out of use, and is considered stilted and overly formal.
So, it is safe to assume that any usage of in that would be largely incorrect on GMAT.
p.s. I somehow recollect there used to be an old GMATPrep question where the option that used in that was the right choice. But GMAT keeps evolving and hopefully it will not be in future.
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Re: Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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20 Jan 2014, 11:36
Hi,
If this sentence is written as below then would it be correct?
Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce and the rest are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle intruders.
A. are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle B. are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle C. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or by battling D. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, by building the nest, or by battling E. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling F. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling
OPtion F is similar to option E just that instead of 'by' verbi-ing phrases .These phrases describe how termites serve teh colony.
My doubt is whether the usage of 'by' in this sentence is mandatory. Can we avoid using 'by' and insted use verb-ing phrases to describe the 'how' aspect of the preceding clause.
Re: Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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27 Jan 2014, 10:52
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rahulvv wrote:
Hi,
If this sentence is written as below then would it be correct?
Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce and the rest are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle intruders.
A. are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle B. are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle C. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or by battling D. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, by building the nest, or by battling E. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling F. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling
OPtion F is similar to option E just that instead of 'by' verbi-ing phrases .These phrases describe how termites serve teh colony.
My doubt is whether the usage of 'by' in this sentence is mandatory. Can we avoid using 'by' and insted use verb-ing phrases to describe the 'how' aspect of the preceding clause.
Hi rahulvv,
Yes, option F is correct. We can use Comma + Verb-ing modifier here instead of prepositional phrases (starting with by) to express the "How" aspect of the preceding action. This absolutely correct usage.
However, GMAT will NEVER present both these options together in a question as only One answer can be correct in an official sentence.
Hope this helps. Thanks. Shraddha
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Re: Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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10 May 2016, 11:13
ttanvir wrote:
Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce and the rest are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle intruders.
construction should be - FEW DOES X and REST DOES Y - hence "few individuals reproduce and the rest serve" would be correct. we do not need "by" more than once.
A. are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle B. are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle C. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or by battling D. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, by building the nest, or by battling E. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling
yes arirux92. by can be omitted. it will be a great example of ing modifier.
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Re: Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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12 Feb 2017, 13:52
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Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce and the rest are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle intruders.
Analysis: This sentence is testing parallelism in two places, - Responsibilities of individuals in social structure i.e. reproduce and serve - How the individuals server i.e. tending, gathering, building or battling
Breaking the sentence:
Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals - reproduce AND - serve the colony -- BY --- tending juveniles --- gathering food --- building the nest --- battling intruders
A. are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle B. are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle C. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or by battling D. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, by building the nest, or by battling E. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling
Re: Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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12 Aug 2017, 11:24
A. are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle There are two issues in this one. First are serving is not parallel to reproduce. Also, there an issue in the last element of the list. If we remove all of the elements but the last we get the following, which does not work. are serving the colony ... by they battle
B. are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle In this one, the use of in that distorts the meaning, causing the sentence to convey not that certain individuals serve the colony by doing certain things but instead that they can be said to serve the colony because they do certain things. Also, once again, are serving is not parallel to reproduce.
C. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or by battling In the version created using this one, the rest serve the colony, tending, ... incorrectly conveys that the individuals who reproduce do not serve the colony. Also, prepositional modifier by battling is not parallel to participle or verb-ing modifiers tending, gathering and building.
D. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, by building the nest, or by battling gathering is not parallel to by tending, by building and by battling. Alternatively one could say that the use of by before building and battling makes the sentence needlessly wordy.
E. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling In the version created using this one, the meaning is clearly and correctly conveyed via the use of logically constructed parallel lists. The correct answer is E.
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Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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01 Nov 2018, 07:00
Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce and the rest are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle intruders.
(A) are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle
(B) are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle
(C) serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or by battling
(D) serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, by building the nest, or by battling
(E) serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling
Option E Parallel marker or A, C, D eliminated in B the meaning is changed. B implies they are serving the colony and in the colony they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle - the continuity is lost.
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Re: Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few
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13 Nov 2018, 05:45
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egmat wrote:
rahulvv wrote:
Hi,
If this sentence is written as below then would it be correct?
Like ants, termites have an elaborate social structure in which a few individuals reproduce and the rest are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle intruders.
A. are serving the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or they battle B. are serving the colony in that they tend juveniles, gather food, build the nest, or battle C. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or by battling D. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, by building the nest, or by battling E. serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling F. serve the colony, tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling
OPtion F is similar to option E just that instead of 'by' verbi-ing phrases .These phrases describe how termites serve teh colony.
My doubt is whether the usage of 'by' in this sentence is mandatory. Can we avoid using 'by' and insted use verb-ing phrases to describe the 'how' aspect of the preceding clause.
Hi rahulvv,
Yes, option F is correct. We can use Comma + Verb-ing modifier here instead of prepositional phrases (starting with by) to express the "How" aspect of the preceding action. This absolutely correct usage.
However, GMAT will NEVER present both these options together in a question as only One answer can be correct in an official sentence.
Hope this helps. Thanks. Shraddha
Hi Sharddha I just failed to figure out why option D is incorrect. Would you please help me?
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93% (00:38) correct 
