testtaker479 wrote:
GMATNinjaI was wondering if you could provide some thoughts on why D and E are wrong? I've read the discussion, and it's clear that due to "being" and the use of "like" in B there are grounds for eliminating. But other than "wordiness" I'm not sure why D in particular is out.
Yeah, this is a tough one. First, while wordiness isn't grounds for eliminating an answer, if you had two options remaining, and one of them was clearer and more concise, it's perfectly reasonable to use that as a tie-breaker. For example, compare the following options:
1) Tim has two children, one gentle and kind, the other in prison for murdering a plate of pancakes.
2) Tim has two children, the first of the children gentle and kind, the other child in prison for murdering a plate of pancakes.
While the second sentence isn't necessarily wrong, it's clearly not as good as the first. Why write, "the first of the children" when "one" conveys the exact same information? After all, we already know from the first clause that Tim has two kids, so it's clear what "one" means, without elaborating.
You get a similar choice in this question. (C) uses "one" to refer to a layer, while (D) contains "the first of the layers." Clearly, (C) is a more efficient way of expressing the same idea.
So I don't think it's unreasonable to use this as a decision point. But if you're skeptical, there's a subtle meaning issue as well. In (C) we have the phrase, "one [a layer]
of a semiconducting material such as silicon." The preposition "of" suggests that the layer is made
of a semiconducting material. This is perfectly logical: you acquire some semiconducting material, such as silicon, and then you assemble it into a layer.
Contrast this with (D): "the first of the layers a semiconducting material such as silicon." Now it sounds like the layer is
itself a semiconducting material, as opposed to being comprised
of one.
Note that (E) has the same logical problem as (D), in addition to another issue. What is "both metals" referring to? Silver and aluminum? What about Silicon? Why would we use "both" if there are three metals mentioned? If "both" is in reference to layer 1 and layer 2, then we're back to the logical problem that the layers are not themselves metals.
In any event, (C) is more logical, and therefore better.
It's important to note: if I saw (D) or (E) first, I wouldn't be comfortable eliminating either immediately. Instead, I'd note the issues as potential problems and keep them in mind in case I need to do a side-by-side comparison. Because I see no problems with (C), and I have solid reasons to prefer this option to (D) or (E), I'd be comfortable pulling the trigger, even if I wasn't 100% certain that the other options were definitively wrong.
Your goal when evaluating an SC question isn't certainty. It's to make good, logical decisions under pressure.
I hope that helps!
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