Forum Home > GMAT > Quantitative > Problem Solving (PS)
Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Dec 1310:00 AM EST
-12:00 PM EST
Have you ever wondered how to score a PERFECT 805 on the GMAT? Meet Julia, a banking professional who used the Target Test Prep course to achieve this incredible feat. Julia's story is nothing short of an inspiration.
Dec 1410:00 AM EST
-12:00 PM EST
Think a 100% GMAT Verbal score is out of your reach? Target Test Prep will make you think again! Our course uses techniques such as topical study and spaced repetition to maximize knowledge retention and make studying simple and fun.
Dec 1411:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Attend this session to learn how to Deconstruct arguments, Pre-Think Author’s Assumptions, and apply Negation Test.- Dec 15
11:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Attend this free GMAT Algebra Webinar and learn how to master the most challenging Inequalities and Absolute Value problems with ease. 
Dec 1608:00 AM PST
-11:59 PM PST
GMAT Club 12 Days of Christmas is a 4th Annual GMAT Club Winter Competition based on solving questions. This is the Winter GMAT competition on GMAT Club with an amazing opportunity to win over $40,000 worth of prizes!- Dec 17
09:00 AM PST
-10:00 AM PST
Join Manhattan Prep instructor Whitney Garner for a fun—and thorough—review of logic-based (non-math) problems, with a particular emphasis on Data Sufficiency and Two-Parts. - Dec 18
10:00 AM PST
-11:00 AM PST
Here is the essential guide to securing scholarships as an MBA student! In this video, we explore the various types of scholarships available, including need-based and merit-based options.
25 Nov 2011, 13:50
Kudos
Bookmarks
I just went through 5 retired official GMAT tests and found all of these as being correct:
1) Machines cost banks less.
2) Energy costs are lower at night.
3) The costs of getting the inventory are greater
4) The number of students is much lower than...
5) There was a lower rate of bank failure
6) Had a greater rate rate of return
- Assuming #1 is correct and "cost" is uncountable, #2 is contradicted
- greater and less are birds of a feather so, if #3 is correct, two points for "costs" being uncountable, one point for not being.
- #4 contradicts the rule that "the number" is an exception to the "greater/less" uncountable rule (it is ok to "the number 10 is greater than the number 9).
- If #5 is correct and "rate" is countable, then #6 is contradicted
1) Machines cost banks less.
2) Energy costs are lower at night.
3) The costs of getting the inventory are greater
4) The number of students is much lower than...
5) There was a lower rate of bank failure
6) Had a greater rate rate of return
- Assuming #1 is correct and "cost" is uncountable, #2 is contradicted
- greater and less are birds of a feather so, if #3 is correct, two points for "costs" being uncountable, one point for not being.
- #4 contradicts the rule that "the number" is an exception to the "greater/less" uncountable rule (it is ok to "the number 10 is greater than the number 9).
- If #5 is correct and "rate" is countable, then #6 is contradicted
30 Dec 2011, 13:19
Kudos
Bookmarks
First, let's set up some rules for less vs. lower and more vs. greater:
"less" and "more" are used for comparisons of uncountable nouns: "I have much more work today", "I have much less work than you".
"lower" and "greater" are just the comparative versions of "low" and "great", so just like any other comparative word ("taller", "smarter", etc.), they can only be used for things that can be low or great to begin with: "Can you turn the volume lower?" (since "the volume is too low" is perfectly acceptable), "The number of students in the audience was much greater today" ("a great number of students" is also fine). It may seem a little strange to consider the noun "number" as "great", but because we use "greater than" to compare numbers in everyday speech much as we do in math, "great" can be used to refer to numbers.
As you've discovered, the countable/uncountable distinction can get a little fuzzy, so I recommend using this rule if it's more natural for you to test whether using "lower" or "greater" is acceptable in any given context:
Is "X is low/great" grammatical? If yes, then "X is lower/greater" is grammatical as well.
Here, "less" doesn't refer to "cost", since "cost" is used as a verb in this sentence. The best way to look at this sentence is to assume there's an implied object: Machines cost banks less [money]. Money is uncountable ("I need more money", not "I need 5 more moneys"), as opposed to something like dollars, which are countable.
Let me know if you have any other questions, and I'd be happy to help!
"less" and "more" are used for comparisons of uncountable nouns: "I have much more work today", "I have much less work than you".
"lower" and "greater" are just the comparative versions of "low" and "great", so just like any other comparative word ("taller", "smarter", etc.), they can only be used for things that can be low or great to begin with: "Can you turn the volume lower?" (since "the volume is too low" is perfectly acceptable), "The number of students in the audience was much greater today" ("a great number of students" is also fine). It may seem a little strange to consider the noun "number" as "great", but because we use "greater than" to compare numbers in everyday speech much as we do in math, "great" can be used to refer to numbers.
As you've discovered, the countable/uncountable distinction can get a little fuzzy, so I recommend using this rule if it's more natural for you to test whether using "lower" or "greater" is acceptable in any given context:
Is "X is low/great" grammatical? If yes, then "X is lower/greater" is grammatical as well.
stringworm
1) Machines cost banks less.
Here, "less" doesn't refer to "cost", since "cost" is used as a verb in this sentence. The best way to look at this sentence is to assume there's an implied object: Machines cost banks less [money]. Money is uncountable ("I need more money", not "I need 5 more moneys"), as opposed to something like dollars, which are countable.
stringworm
2) Energy costs are lower at night.
3) The costs of getting the inventory are greater
4) The number of students is much lower than...
5) There was a lower rate of bank failure
6) Had a greater rate rate of return
You'll notice that all of these confusing ones are referring to pretty math-y nouns ("cost", "number", and "rate") that can all be described as "low" or "great", which is why we can use "lower"/"greater" consistently.3) The costs of getting the inventory are greater
4) The number of students is much lower than...
5) There was a lower rate of bank failure
6) Had a greater rate rate of return
Let me know if you have any other questions, and I'd be happy to help!
06 Jan 2012, 17:14
Kudos
Bookmarks
That was very helpful. Thank you.
