Manhattan Prep Instructor
Joined: 06 Sep 2011
Posts: 49
Re: Recent surveys indicate that, contrary to popular belief,
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Updated on: 03 Oct 2011, 07:31
I doubt that it's ours, and it's a little awkward, but it's not a bad question. No way the answer is A, though.
Notice the comparison signal, as strongly...as. Eliminate answers in which the two clauses joined by this signal are not logically comparable and structurally similar.
In A, the two elements joined are the prepositional phrases with good health and with moderate drinking. This suggests that abstinence correlates with good health less strongly than abstinence correlates with moderate drinking. But that meaning is nonsensical. Abstinence and moderate drinking are mutually exclusive: they don't correlate at all. ELIMINATE.
Though the comparison made in B is more sensible, B uses like to compare two clauses and is wrong for that reason (like can join only nouns). ELIMINATE
In C, the two elements joined are correlate with good health and does, with does standing in for the earlier verb. That is, C says that moderately drinking and good health correlate more strongly than do abstinence and good health. This is sensible. Leave for now.
In D, the two elements joined are correlate with good health and does, with does standing in for the earlier verb. That is, D says that moderate drinking and good health correlate more strongly than do abstinence and good health. This is sensible. Leave for now.
E is ambiguous between the sensible comparison made in C and D, and the nonsensical comparison made in A. ELIMINATE.
That leaves C and D. The only difference between C and D is moderately versus moderate. I expect that most people who pick D here do so because it "sounds" better. Fair enough, but there is another reason to prefer D over C, though that reason doesn't get much play on the GMAT. If you want to modify a gerund (such as drinking) with an adverb (such as the moderately in C), the adverb should go after the gerund. If you want to modify a gerund with an adjective (such as the moderate in D) the adjective should go before the gerund. So D.
This approach assumes that you recognize AS adverb AS as a comparison signal. I haven't counted instances, but I suspect that you're even more likely to see As adjective AS. You should recognize that each of these is a comparison signal/parallel marker.
Here are some examples of AS adverb AS:
No other sprinter holds his top speed as well as Usain Bolt does.
This could also be written,
No other sprinter holds his top speed as well as does Usain Bolt.
But will usually be elided,
No other sprinter holds his top speed as well as Usain Bolt.
No other sprinter runs as quickly as Usain Bolt does.
This could also be written,
No other sprinter runs as quickly as does Usain Bolt.
But will usually be elided
No other sprinter runs as quickly as Usain Bolt.
Here are some example of AS adjective AS:
No other sprinter is as successful as Usian Bolt.
No other sprinter is as tall as Usain Bolt.
Originally posted by
MichaelS on 02 Oct 2011, 23:02.
Last edited by
MichaelS on 03 Oct 2011, 07:31, edited 1 time in total.