Records from the latter half of the 19th century show that

Question

Records from the latter half of the 19th century show that in 1876 in Westbridge County there were 1,200 landowners, nearly 12 percent of the state landowner population,  three times as many as 1852 .

A) three times as many as 1852

B) three times as much as 1852

C) triple what it was in 1852

D) triple the figure for 1852

E) thrice the number that was recorded in 1852

LucyDang · Accepted Answer

Hey Temurkhon,

You bring out a very good point:   When to use twice/thrice/three times, when to use double/triple?

As per their discussion:

Why E is wrong : "Thrice is an adverb and can not modify a noun. "

D is correct because double/triple are adjectives, so can modify noun.

For further clarity :

"Twice": "Twice" CANNOT function as an object of the preposition such as "by". 
"Twice" is an adverb. 
Example: 
"... increased by more than twice .." -- WRONG!

On a similar note, "DOUBLE" is an adjective and can not modify verb, but since "Twice" is an adverb it can modify Verb. 
Example:- 
The same amount of acreage produces double the apple.... -- WRONG 
The same amount of acreage produces twice as many apples..... -CORRECT

"twice as many as":

"..., twice as many as ..." is an APPOSITIVE modifier. Appositives must modify some noun that comes immediately before the comma.

However, I am not satisfied with this explanation. I hope that some experts will give their thoughts about this usage!

Lucy

carcass · Answer

https://grockit.com/blog/gmat/2011/12/23/gmat-8-rules-of-diction-for-non-native-speakers/ 
Kaplan purchased Grockit in July 2013. In 2016, Grockit announced that it was shutting down,  here .

aquarius24 · Answer

A three times as many as 1852 --- comparing population with 1852 --wrong

B three times as much as 1852 --- same as in A--- wrong

C triple what it was in 1852 ----"It" is creating ambiguity --- wrong

D triple the figure for 1852 --- concise and correct

E thrice the number that was recorded in 1852 -- correct but wordy

mohit878 · Answer

Answer should be D as in option A,B we are doing wrong comparison.E is wordy and in Option C it's antecedent is ambiguous

LucyDang · Answer

Hi Carcass,

What does this sentence compare? 1,200 landowners in 1876 and # of landowners in 1852 or landowner population in 1876 and landowner population in 1852? I think # of landowners is landowner population, right?

Please help to clear my doubt!

Many thanks to you!

Temurkhon · Answer

As I know when we use direc numbers like here "1200 landowners" it is better to use multiplying form like "thrice or three times" than "three times as.... as" form. So, I selected E. But dictionary says that "triple" is also possible

Temurkhon · Answer

thanks, Lucy

for me becomes clear that A and B impossible because they do not have nouns after "three times as...as". C is wrong because uses adjective without noun. D is correct using adjective with noun. E is wrong using adverb with noun

kinjiGC · Answer

Records from the latter half of the 19th century show that in 1876 in Westbridge County there were 1,200 landowners, nearly 12 percent of the state landowner population, three times as many as 1852.

Intended meaning -> comparing 1200 landowners in 1876 to landowners in 1852

A three times as many as 1852 ->  in  is missing

B three times as  much  as 1852 ->  much cannot be used to compare countable nouns

C triple  what it  was in 1852 ->  it -> what does it refer to?

D triple the figure for 1852 ->  for can be replaced with in and is correct.

E thrice the number that was recorded in 1852 ->  this option can be written as "thrice the number in 1852". rest of the sentence is not required.

grainflow · Answer

What if "nearly 12 percent of the state landowner population," was removed? Would the sentence below be correct?

Records from the latter half of the 19th century show that in 1876 in Westbridge County there were 1,200 landowners, three times as many as 1852.

I am trying to understand if the ",three times" has to come directly after what it references to or if it comes down to some other rule.

thangvietname · Answer

in E, the number that was recored in 1852 make no sense.

mvictor · Answer

A three times as many as 1852
comparing figures with year. no

B three times as much as 1852
landowners is countable - should be many - out

C triple what it was in 1852
it refers to landowners - incorrect.

D triple the figure for 1852
looks good to me.

E thrice the number that was recorded in 1852
thrice - is it a real word?i don't think it's good on GMAT, and D looks more concise...

Nightmare007 · Answer

Hi  daagh  Sir,
 I got a doubt in below question

Records from the latter half of the 19th century show that in 1876 in Westbridge County there were 1,200 landowners, nearly 12 percent of the state landowner population, three times as many as 1852.

A three times as many as 1852

B three times as much as 1852

C triple what it was in 1852

D triple the figure for 1852 (oa)

E thrice the number that was recorded in 1852

Doesn't figure in option D is ambiguous. It can represent that 12% or 1200. 
If it is not. 
What is it specifying : 12% or 1200 ?

AliciaSierra · Answer

mikemcgarry ,  GMATNinjaTwo ,  GMATNinja ,

Could you explain above SC question. How "for" is correct in option D?

How "triple the figure.." is modifying 1200 landowners in Westbridge County?

Thanks,
Amm

AliciaSierra · Answer

Remove non-essential modifier...

In 1876 in Westbridge County there were 1,200 landowners, triple the figure for 1852.......As per some above post it is same as "in 1876 in Westbridge County there were 1,200 landowners, triple the figure in 1852"....

though i am not sure about my approach.

aragonn · Answer

ammuseeru

Usually Comparison questions are based on pure meaning. you have to find what is compared with what. On these lines lets look into it.

1 - 1,200 landowners - a number will be compared
2 - We will need a number for 2nd part.

A three times as many as 1852 ---- If this were "three times as many as that of 1852", this would have been correct. Comparing with 1852 is wrong.

B three times as much as 1852 ---- as much as is wrong.

C triple what it was in 1852 ---- it can refer to percentage or number.

D triple the figure for 1852 ---- First for your question on usage of for. use of for is correct here. This phrase will give the number of landowners clearly. So comparison of 1200 landowners with the figure from 1852 is correct here. keep this option.

E thrice the number that was recorded in 1852 ---- first thing i thought of is wordy. then again validity of choice is usage of thrice. it is an adverb. it should modify verb not noun. Correct usage is -  I called you thrice last night.

Hope this helps.

daagh · Answer

If 'figure' were to represent 12%, then the diction would have been 'triple the percentage' for 1852. Since the choice says that it is the number, it refers to only 1200, the only absolute number available in the question

generis · Answer

Does "figure: refer to 1,200 or 12 percent?

Nightmare007  and  Harshgmat  , 
 
The answer depends on whom you ask.

The issue raised by this question is in flux. This question is nearly identical to an OG question that is at least   13 years old;   that question  showed up as early as 2005.

This question has the same problem as that OG question: does "figure" refer to 12 percent or 1,200?
 
I have seen three experts who believe that "figure" refers to "1,200," and two experts who believe that the referent is "12 percent."

I suspect that this issue  is not going to be resolved.

In a strict sense, "triple the figure for 1852" modifies the nearest possible and logically sensible noun, which is 12 percent.

Analyzing a similar non-official question, Ron Purewal takes the position that "figure modifies the 12 percent,"

an approach that he repeats in his analysis of a third question, here.

On that last thread cited you will find another Manhattan expert whom I respect.

She takes the position that "figure" refers to "1,200."
 Kevin Rocci also believes that "figure" refers to 1,200 .

Language changes. Grammarians squabble. Rule emphases evolve. And we must adapt. 
This and the official sentence are not going to win any awards for clear prose. That said, there is no need to worry much about either of them.

On the topic of pronoun antecedent ambiguity (Option C), the consensus among people who have been watching patterns in GMAT SC for more than a decade accords with what I have found from informal but fairly exhaustive data analysis:

· If NO noun exists as a possible antecedent, the option is wrong. We have a case of The Missing Antecedent, not pronoun ambiguity.

· If more than one noun qualifies, but one makes more logical sense than the other, does the former agree in number, sex, and person- or thinghood? (I just made up that last word.) Yes? Option is fine. Move on. Does not agree with with pronoun? We have a case of Pronoun Disagreement, not pronoun ambiguity.

· Do two nouns qualify as an antecedent (= the very RARE case of true pronoun ambiguity)? 
Then the answer options in OGs 2018 and 2019 at issue contain  other and better reasons to eliminate the options.  (I and others believe that pronoun ambiguity should be the  last  reason that a test taker eliminates an option.)

I may have missed a question. If so, please PM me.)

The topic of modifier referent ambiguity seems to be shifting. See R. Purewal in the longer thread above.

Exactly how that shift will play out is unclear -- but I have not seen the issue tested in OGs 2016, 2018, and 2019. (Again, if I am mistaken, please PM me.)

Meaning - my take

I think that "figure" refers to "1,200," and that the sentence means 
 ...there were 1,200 landowners in W. County in 1876, triple the figure for 1852.

Whether "triple the figure for 1852" refers irritatingly to 12% or sensibly to 1,200,  the answer is D.

I agree with  aragonn  's answer and reasoning.

Remove the material set off by commas. Then remove the other possible comparison.

Records . . . show that in 1876 in Westbridge County there were 1,200 landowners, triple the figure for 1852.

Records . . . show that in 1876 in Westbridge County there were, nearly 12 percent of the state landowner population, triple the figure for 1852.

Ouch.
Sometimes essential modifiers can be set off with commas, so maybe that 12 percent information is essential.
In any event, answer D covers both possibilities.

"Twice the figure FOR" is okay

ammuseeru  , "twice the figure for  " is idiomatically correct. 
I suspect that the phrase sounds strange to a non-native speaker's ear, but the phrase is very common especially if a statistical figure is being reported "for" that year.

I Googled "twice the figure for" and found, among many other examples:
 
 That example, here, uses the phrase with (certain) "people  "

This example uses the phrase with a specific year.

I hope that analysis helps.

VodkaHelps · Answer

Please help clear the reason why the option E is incorrect. 
THank you very much!

generis · Answer

VodkaHelps , your username is hilarious. Sorry for the delayed reply. Your question would be easier to answer if it were more specific.

Posts in the thread discuss option E. What about option E is unclear? Why? Why is option E better than option D?

Records from the latter half of the 19th century show that

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Records from the latter half of the 19th century show that

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards