nightwing79 wrote:
Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than it was in any previous election.
(A) a greater proportion than it was
(B) a greater proportion than
(C) a greater proportion than they have been
(D) which is greater than was so
(E) which is greater than it has been
hard one.
learn to accept the strange pattern which could be correct answer.
in many cases on gmat, I can easily find error in other choices and eliminate them. the remaining choice is strange to us but contain no error and we have to choose this choice. here, we can find error in A, C D, and E and choose B.
comparison patterns hard and could be strange to us. be ready for strange pattern in comparison.
the key skill for all SC section is that we have to figure out the intended meaning when we read an incorrect answer. only when we realize the intended meaning, we can find the correct pattern expressing this meaning. so, focus on meaning and try to guess the intended meaning when reading the original choice is key skill. of course, you could not find out the intended meaning when you finish reading the original choice. but after this step, your mind will look for the intended meaning. You will read the next choices with your mind looking for the intended meaning. while looking for the intended meaning, you could realize some easy errors. this is the process of reading answer choices.
after reading choice A, I dont understand the meaning. but I focus on finding out the intended meaning. which compares to which logically. with this question in mind, I continue to read four remaining choice . I realize some clear errors and eliminate the choices with them
now, choice B is remaining.
tivi costs account for more than half the spending in this year, a greater proportion than in previous year.
remember my question which compare to which logically.
we need to know gramatical role of each phrase. "a greater proportion" should refer to "half the spending". so, logically, the comparison is
half the spending is greater this year than in previous year.
honestly, this is noun to noun comparison and we have to make clear the two noun. but choice B is not clear. choice B can be best but is still incorrect. consider
1. the proportion was greater last year than previous year.
2.I was stronger last year than previous year.
3. I am stronger this year than I was last year (tense changes)
the person stronger than I passes the gmat.
noun-to-noun comparison can be in the two pattern above. if we want to use an adverb phrase such as "previous year" or "in previous year", we need a preceding clause with verb as in the case with sentence 1,2 or 3. if there is no clause with verb preceding, we use second noun.
so, choice b could be incorrect. we need a clause preceding to use adverb phrase. but , many comparison patter could be strange. look at the following , from gmatprep.
Only seven people this century have been killed by the great white shark, the man-eater of the //movies—less than those// killed by bee stings.
(A) movies—less than those
(B) movies—fewer than have been
(C) movies, which is less than those
(D) movies, a number lower than the people
(E) movies, fewer than the ones
in this problem, choice b is correct. the meaning is " seven persons who have been killed by sharks is smaller than the number of persons who have been killed by bee".
but the sentence can be choice B. but we dont know which entity in the sentence is compared with which entity.
this problem is similar to our problem in that we find the clear errors and eliminate the choices with them. I can not write a sentence like the choice B of 2 problems.
I can not remember the 2 pattern in the two problems. but I can remember that comparison pattern can be strange and I should look for clear errors to eliminate and keep the strange choice
close
08 Jun 2017, 10:15
