OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Day 179: Sentence Correction (SC1)
This sentence intends to highlight that out of
all the many residents of NYC, African Americans constitute nearly 30 percent of all of those residents. One-third of any population is a considerable presence, so it is surprising that NYC did not elect its first African-American mayor until 1989.
The word "the" is key. It is used to "capture" or point to all of the NYC residents.
If we use "the," we mean that there are [only] more than 9 million residents.
If we do not use "the," we might mean that there are more than 9 million residents.
-- Although nearly 30 percent of more than 9 million residents of New York City are African American . . . . →→
There might be 12 million NYC residents.
So which 9 million (of possibly 12 million) are we talking about?
A doctor vaccinated the more than 2,000 children in the refugee camp.
(There are more than 2,000 children in the refugee camp, and she vaccinated all of them.)
A doctor vaccinated more than the 2,000 children in the refugee camp.
(There are 2,000 children in the refugee camp, and the doctor vaccinated all of them as well as more children from somewhere else.)
Core idea:
-- the word THE before a class, category, or set of people does one of two things:
(1) it refers to the abstract category, or
(2) it refers to 100% of the members of that class.
• POEAlthough nearly 30 percent of the more than 9 million residents of New York City are African-American, the nation's most populous city did not elect its first African-American mayor until 1989.
Quote:
A) Although nearly 30 percent of the more than 9 million residents of New York City are African-American, the nation's most populous city did not elect its first African-American mayor until 1989.
• There are more than 9 million residents in NYC. Out of that more than 9 million, nearly 30 percent are African-American.
• Although is a concise way to indicate that the result is surprising.
• The sentence makes sense: of the more than 9 million NYC residents, nearly 30 percent are African-American.
The word "the" both captures all the NYC residents and confines the number to between 9,000,001 and 9,999,999 residents.
(There are not 10 million.
KEEP
Quote:
B) Although nearly 30 percent of over 9 million of the residents of New York City are African-American, the nation's most populous city did not elect its first African-American mayor until 1989.
• 9 million of "the" residents? The placement changes the meaning.
-- NYC may have 12 million residents. This sentence points to nearly 30 percent of 9 million of those residents.
• Maybe those 9 million live in Manhattan and the other 3 million live in the boroughs. We don't know. There may be 20 million residents.
All we know is that 30 percent of
some group of 9 million residents are African American.
Wrong meaning.
Eliminate B.
Quote:
C) Although the nearly 30 percent of more than 9 million
• This sentence is like B. It is focused on "the" 30 percent of more than 9 million residents.
-- But there could be 12, 14, or 20 million residents.
• This sentence does not capture all of the residents of NYC.
Eliminate C
Quote:
D) Despite the fact that nearly 30 percent of more than 9 million
• If an option with "although" is available, choose it over
despite the fact that. Concision.
• Again we face a group without an upper limit while simultaneously we are saddled with a lower limit of 9 million.
And again we lose the "nearly 1/3" guarantee.
This sentence allows for this scenario: There are 18 million NYC residents, 9 million of whom live in Manhattan. African Americans constitute nearly 1/3 of the Manhattan 9 million. There are at least 2,700,000 African Americans. But if there are 18 million residents, then African Americans constitute only 15 percent of the population, not 30 percent, and the absence of a black mayor until 1989 does not seem so strange.
Eliminate D
Quote:
E) Despite the fact that, of over 9 million, nearly 30 percent of the
• hot mess.
• still missing a
the (and a more). We face the same problems as those in the other options
Eliminate E
The answer is A• NOTESThis question is probably based on
this official question, here.
The construction is
very common in U.S. written English.
I ran a quick search and pulled up dozens of hits.
Four articles in the
NY Times that contain the phrase are listed in the footnote.
COMMENTSIf you posted, you were brave.
I admire courage. Kudos to all.
** "the more than" - The
New York Times online, Jully 2019 - October 2019
Among the more than 16,200 condo units across 682 new buildings completed in New York City since 2013, one in four remain unsold, or roughly 4,100 apartments — most of them in luxury buildings, according to a new analysis by the listing website StreetEasy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/13/real ... -york.html
Like all New Yorkers, the more than half a million people who live in public housing deserve safe and clean homes, and basic respect
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/opin ... nycha.html
That was code for one specific smoke detector among the more than 160 detectors and manual alarms in the complex.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... -dame.html
Many of the more than 4,000 cabdrivers who bought medallions in that period were low-income immigrants who did not speak English fluently and signed interest-only loans or other lopsided agreements.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/10/nyre ... ation.html
close
17 Oct 2019, 22:38
49%
(01:34)
wrong 
