wunstepcloser wrote:
Unlike many other gemstone varieties, natural and synthetic corundums are incredibly easy to discriminate between.
A Unlike many other gemstone varieties, natural and synthetic corundums are incredibly easy to discriminate between.
B Unlike many other gemstone varieties, the origin of corundums is incredibly easy to identify.
C Unlike those in many other gemstone varieties, natural and synthetic corundums are incredibly easy to identify.
D It is incredibly easy, unlike ____?? in many other gemstone varieties, to discriminate between natural and synthetic corundums.
E Corundums are unlike many other gemstone varieties in that it is incredibly easy to discriminate between natural and synthetic ones.
Source: PrepScholar
Idiom: Unlike X, YMeaning: Gemstones can be both natural and synthetic. In many gemstone varieties, it is hard to tell the difference between
natural and synthetic stones. By contrast, it is easy to tell the difference between natural and synthetic corundums (a kind of gemstone).
Split #1: Items being compared must be parallelOption B compares [gemstone]
varieties to [a gemstone's]
originB compares a noun to a noun, but they do not have the same kind of content.
One means "different kinds" and the other refers to whether the gemstones are "manufactured or mined."
Option C compares
those [
what? something present
IN other gemstones] to
corundums C compares a pronoun (without an antecedent) to a noun
Option D, if it can be described as a comparison, compares a mysterious and unstated something
IN to the verb "
to discriminate"
D compares a preposition to an infinitive (and the infinitive should be a participle)
Eliminate B, C, and D
Split #2: Certain prepositions should almost never be placed at the end of sentences. High on the list is "between."The GMAT does not forbid sentences that end in prepositions. Even so, "between" is jarring.
Option A says: ...natural and synthetic corundums are incredibly easy to discriminate
between.
Option A SHOULD say: natural and synthetic corundums are incredibly easy
to tell apart.
Compared to (E), option A is inferior. Except in extraordinary cases, sentences should not end with the word "between."
Eliminate A.
Possible split #3: parallelism Arguably option A also violates parallelism.
We could argue that A compares
varieties as a noun to
natural and synthetic, which are adjectives.
That is, (A) incorrectly compares a noun to adjectives.
Tough call. Every once in a while the GMAT allows the comparison to stand if Y is a noun preceded by adjectives.
Deciding between A and E, though, is not hard.
Option E is clear and captures the meaning described at the beginning of the post.
ANSWER E
Takeaway: in that it is may seem "wordy," but
(1) the phrase is idiomatic (2) it is often used in sophisticated writing, and
(3) it is part of the only answer that makes sense.P.S. a bit delayed because I haven't seen your posts before, but
wunstepcloser , welcome to GMAT Club!
_________________
—The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance. ~Einstein—I stand with Ukraine.
Donate to Help Ukraine!