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Parallelism - analyzing the sentence structure of a WSJ sentence 01 Nov 2021, 22:46
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Hi there

While analyzing the sentence structure of sentences in a WSJ article, I came across the following sentence:

The high valuation is all the more noteworthy given the big losses Rivian has posted and its lack of revenue until recently.


Based on my understanding of the sentence and the context of the article, the sentence consists of a parallel list and the elements of that list are as follows:
    the big losses Rivian has posted (a clause in passive voice)
    its lack of revenue until recently (a phrase - given 'lack' is acting as a noun here)

Now, based on my understanding of the parallelism concept (via e-GMAT SC module), a clause and a phrase cannot be parallel given the elements that are parallel need to be of a the same type, i.e. all are words, all are clauses or all are phrases.

If my understanding is correct, is the above mentioned WSJ sentence incorrect? If not, am I missing something here?

Source of the above sentence [WSJ]: Rivian Automotive targets IPO valuation just above $60 Billion

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Drishtant

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Parallelism - analyzing the sentence structure of a WSJ sentence 02 Nov 2021, 19:22
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GMAT has its own standard of english and does not accept other form. There is lots of English language variations and grammar just between United States and England, ignoring other English speaking countries.
For example GMAT won't accept/test rhetorical sentences like, “Why don't you leave me alone?”( which means don't bother me and not really you are asking for a reason).

I would suggest NOT to focus on learning grammar from other sources.
Follow only official guide and learn from the training provided by prep companies you may be following.
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Parallelism - analyzing the sentence structure of a WSJ sentence 03 Nov 2021, 04:20
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thenorthernmonk

    the big losses Rivian has posted (a clause in passive voice)
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Hi Drishtant, this is (surprisingly) not a clause!

The structure of this construct is:

the big losses (that) Rivian has posted

In other words, this construct is: Phrase (the big losses) + a Relative clause (that Rivian has posted)

You might just want to remember that this kind of a construct (Phrase + relative clause) grammatically acts as a phrase.
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Parallelism - analyzing the sentence structure of a WSJ sentence 04 Nov 2021, 09:36
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Hello, thenorthernmonk. I agree with both of the responses above. Everyday English, even journalistic or scholarly English, can operate in a way that would not be considered sound on the GMAT™, so it is best to study for SC using dedicated material. I also like that Ashish pointed that what you had identified as a clause was not, in fact, a clause. This is a fun little sentence. I will tease apart the major clusters for comment.

Quote:
The high valuation is all the more noteworthy given the big losses Rivian has posted and its lack of revenue until recently.
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The valuation—Subject

is—verb

noteworthy—object

This marks the end of the main clause, which, at its heart, just says that the valuation is noteworthy.

given—past participle (note that a comma could precede this word, so apparently the WSJ editors have approved a more casual writing style by omitting it)

the losses—object

[that] Rivian has posted—relative clause (for losses)

and—conjunction

its lack of revenue—object

These are the key components of the sentence. Sometimes I find it helpful to strip a sentence down and work on a barebones level to understand it. Although such an approach is not required for success on SC, it certainly does not hurt, and sometimes I can spot things I might not otherwise catch.

Good luck with your studies. (Reading the WSJ might help with RC passages.)

- Andrew
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Parallelism - analyzing the sentence structure of a WSJ sentence 04 Nov 2021, 10:14
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AndrewN
These are the key components of the sentence. Sometimes I find it helpful to strip a sentence down and work on a barebones level to understand it. Although such an approach is not required for success on SC, it certainly does not hurt, and sometimes I can spot things I might not otherwise catch.
- Andrew
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Great response indeed.
AndrewN, I second your opinion that stripping down a sentence to unhide the main subject-verb skeletal helps, but for GMAT I believe, if you pay more attention to the intended meaning, this detailed analysis might not be needed. Much more like how GMATNinja goes about solving stuff, though it's an established fact that he is way more qualified with respect to the nitty-gritty of English grammar just as you are.

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