Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 13:22

It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 13:22

Toolkit

Practice Tests

Sentence Correction (SC - EA only)

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Nov 20
UCR MBA Impact - Live Q&A with UCR AdCom & Student
07:30 AM PST
-
08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth
Nov 22
GMAT RC Masterclass
11:00 AM IST
-
01:00 PM IST
Do RC/MSR passages scare you? e-GMAT is conducting a masterclass to help you learn – Learn effective reading strategies Tackle difficult RC & MSR with confidence Excel in timed test environment
Nov 23
Conquer Algebra on the GMAT Focus Edition
11:00 AM IST
-
01:00 PM IST
Attend this free GMAT Algebra Webinar and learn how to master the most challenging Inequalities and Absolute Value problems with ease.
Nov 25
Try OnDemand GMAT Masterclass
10:00 AM EST
-
11:00 AM EST
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors.

Back to Forum

Create Topic

Sophisticated laser-guided land graders can now flatten uneven

1 2

CrackverbalGMAT

Major Poster

Joined: 03 Oct 2013

Last visit: 19 Nov 2025

Posts: 4,844

Own Kudos:

8,945

Given Kudos: 225

Affiliations: CrackVerbal

Location: India

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 4,844

Kudos: 8,945

25 May 2021, 10:59

Kudos

Bookmarks

Sophisticated laser-guided land graders can now flatten uneven farmland almost perfectly so as not to waste rainwater in runoff down sloping fields.

(A) so as not to waste rainwater
(B) so that rainwater is not wasted
(C) so that there is no wasted rainwater
(D) and thereby not waste rainwater
(E) and there is no rainwater wasted

Sophisticated laser-guided land graders can now flatten uneven farmland almost perfectly. Purpose of this function of the land grader?
so that rainwater is not wasted in runoff down sloping fields.

Only option B uses the correct idiom- “so that”.

Jaya6

Joined: 09 Jan 2021

Last visit: 21 Jun 2022

Posts: 68

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 142

Location: India

Schools: ISB '23 (S)

GPA: 3.2

Schools: ISB '23 (S)

Posts: 68

Kudos: 14

22 Jul 2021, 03:54

Kudos

Bookmarks

can someone please help me with the meaning of A again? I still dont understand why it does not convey the right meaning.

EducationAisle

Joined: 27 Mar 2010

Last visit: 18 Nov 2025

Posts: 3,891

Own Kudos:

3,579

Given Kudos: 159

Location: India

Schools: ISB

GPA: 3.31

Expert

Expert reply

Schools: ISB

Posts: 3,891

Kudos: 3,579

22 Jul 2021, 04:12

Kudos

Bookmarks

Jaya6

can someone please help me with the meaning of A again? I still dont understand why it does not convey the right meaning.

Hi Jaya6, "so...as to" is typically used to "redefine/explain" the adjective/adverb (in this case "perfectly") associated with so.

An official example in which "so...as to" is the correct construct:

Often major economic shifts are so gradual as to be indistinguishable at first from ordinary fluctuations in the financial markets.

On the other hand, so that is used to depict intent.

In the sentence under consideration, the intent of flattening uneven farmland is that rainwater is not wasted in runoff down sloping fields.

Hence, the usage of "so that" is more appropriate here.

p.s. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses "so…as to" vs "so…that" vs “so that”. If you or someone is interested, PM me your email-id; I can mail the corresponding section.

Dinesh654

Joined: 08 Jun 2021

Last visit: 11 Aug 2024

Posts: 155

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 217

Status:In learning mode...

Location: India

GMAT 1: 600 Q46 V27 Verified score

Products:

GMAT 1: 600 Q46 V27 Verified score

Posts: 155

Kudos: 9

12 Jun 2022, 06:07

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hello Dear experts,

there is a split between,

waste rainwater in runoff down sloping fields
and
rainwater is not wasted in runoff down sloping fields.

I think it slightly changes the meaning as one is modifying rainwater and other is modifying wasted.

Or its completly based on so that vs so as not to.

IS there a general "one" straight rule to distinguish between so that vs so as to?

ExpertsGlobal5

Experts' Global Representative

Joined: 10 Jul 2017

Last visit: 19 Nov 2025

Posts: 5,195

Own Kudos:

4,765

Given Kudos: 43

Location: India

GMAT Date: 11-01-2019

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 5,195

Kudos: 4,765

13 Jun 2022, 00:52

Kudos

Bookmarks

dcoolguy

Hello dcoolguy,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, there is indeed a difference in the meanings conveyed by these two phrases; "so as not to waste rainwater in runoff down sloping fields" incorrectly implies that the land graders were responsible for wasting water through the runoff and can now stop doing so; the intended meaning is that the land graders can now prevent water from being wasted through the runoff.

Further, "so as to" is generally an incorrect usage; "so + cause + as to + effect" is the correct, idiomatic usage.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team

gmatimothy

Joined: 18 Apr 2022

Last visit: 19 Dec 2022

Posts: 111

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 704

Location: United States

Posts: 111

Kudos: 9

30 Jul 2022, 09:54

Kudos

Bookmarks

BillyZ

Sophisticated laser-guided land graders can now flatten uneven farmland almost perfectly so as not to waste rainwater in runoff down sloping fields.

Another way to solve this problem is ambiguity. Anything that ends with "rainwater" is ambiguous because if you read the non-underlined, it implies that "rainwater in runoff down sloping fields." Makes much more sense to include a clause that rainwater is not wasted in those down sloping fields. Only (B) and (E) do that - it makes much more sense to use "so" in (C) vs. "and" in (E) as "and" separates the idea of flattening the land to prevent waste in rainwater. (C) is the correct choice.

(A) so as not to waste rainwater
(B) so that rainwater is not wasted
(C) so that there is no wasted rainwater
(D) and thereby not waste rainwater
(E) and there is no rainwater wasted

SC34561.01

himanshu0123

Joined: 27 Mar 2016

Last visit: 20 Mar 2023

Posts: 190

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 101

Posts: 190

Kudos: 5

13 Sep 2022, 22:39

Kudos

Bookmarks

please clarify the difference b/w 'so as to' and 'so that' in A] and B]
To me both tells you the intention behind a purpose.

when is the usage of 'so as to' correct?

EducationAisle

Joined: 27 Mar 2010

Last visit: 18 Nov 2025

Posts: 3,891

Own Kudos:

3,579

[1]

Given Kudos: 159

Location: India

Schools: ISB

GPA: 3.31

Expert

Expert reply

Schools: ISB

Posts: 3,891

Kudos: 3,579

[1]

13 Sep 2022, 23:38

Kudos

Bookmarks

himanshu0123

please clarify the difference b/w 'so as to' and 'so that' in A] and B]
To me both tells you the intention behind a purpose.

when is the usage of 'so as to' correct?

You might want to go thru this post:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/comparisons- ... l#p2529965

KarishmaB

Tutor

Joined: 16 Oct 2010

Last visit: 19 Nov 2025

Posts: 16,267

Own Kudos:

77,000

[2]

Given Kudos: 482

Location: Pune, India

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 16,267

Kudos: 77,000

[2]

13 Sep 2022, 23:50

Kudos

Bookmarks

himanshu0123

please clarify the difference b/w 'so as to' and 'so that' in A] and B]
To me both tells you the intention behind a purpose.

when is the usage of 'so as to' correct?

Both are very close in meaning but we prefer 'so that' over 'so as to' usually (though usage of 'so as to' may be acceptable too). After 'that' we have a clause which leads to clear and concise meaning. Also, 'so that' has wider application (to show intent as well as to show effect)
'so as to' shows intent of the do-er.

In this question, use of 'so as to' is not ok because graders flatten uneven farmland not with the intention of not wasting rainwater. The graders are not the ones wasting rainwater. It seems like we know the thoughts of the graders with the use of 'so as to'

We should use 'so that' to show cause - effect. The effect of flattening uneven farmland will be that rainwater will not be wasted. Who is wasting the rainwater is not relevant here.

Here is an excerpt from our Sentence Correction book on 'so that' and 'so as to'

So … that / (So that)

It often connects an adjective/adverb with a clause. It is used to mean ‘to the level described.’ ‘That’ is followed by a subordinate clause.

Example:
She is so hardworking that she is always one step ahead of everyone.
The kitchen is so small that I don’t have to do much to keep it tidy.

We use ‘so that’ together to begin adverb clauses of purpose.
It shows a relationship between two actions. It joins a main clause to a dependent clause and shows how they relate.
‘So that’ means ‘in order to’ which answers the question ‘Why?’ It gives us a cause-effect scenario.
Example:
We should reach the theatre early so that we get good seats.
The adverb clause is ‘so that we get good seats.’ It shows the purpose for the action in the main clause. Why should we reach early? To get good seats. ‘Getting good seats' will be the effect of ‘reaching early.'

So … as / So … as to / (So as to)

‘So … as’ is often used for negative comparisons.
Example:
His writing is not so bad as Shane’s. (This is a perfectly acceptable comparison.)
‘So … as to’ is similar to the ‘so … that’ usage but it uses an infinitive ‘be’ instead of the clause used with ‘so that.’ It is considered inferior to the ‘so that’ usage. In GMAT, we will prefer ‘so that’ because it gives us an actual consequence. When dealing with a hypothetical result, ‘so … as to’ could be acceptable.
Example:
Grade A1 diamonds are so rare as to be almost priceless. (This is less preferable usage. Use ‘so … that’ instead.)
She spoke loudly but not so loudly as to get us kicked out. (Acceptable usage since it is a hypothetical result)

We use the phrase ‘so as to’ to mean ‘with the intention of.’ It shows the intention behind an action.
Example:
We reached the theatre early so as to get good seats. (This is acceptable usage.)
‘So as to’ is followed by an infinitive. In the example above, ‘get’ is the infinitive. Here, there is an express intention of reaching early for the purpose of getting good seats.

RonTargetTestPrep

Target Test Prep Representative

Joined: 19 Jul 2022

Last visit: 07 Nov 2022

Posts: 430

Own Kudos:

537

[3]

Given Kudos: 1

GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51 Verified score

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51 Verified score

Posts: 430

Kudos: 537

[3]

17 Sep 2022, 21:14

Kudos

Bookmarks

himanshu0123

please clarify the difference b/w 'so as to' and 'so that' in A] and B]
To me both tells you the intention behind a purpose.

when is the usage of 'so as to' correct?

"...so as to..." is an idiomatically legitimate construction used to express the intended goal/outcome/purpose of the preceding action.

Importantly (not only here, but consistently across many GMAC-authored problems):
Because "so as to..." doesn't have a subject of its own, it takes on the subject of the preceding clause: That subject has the stated purpose or eventual goal.

The resulting sentence in choice A implies that these laser-guided grader machines can take certain actions with the goal of conserving water—a goal that the machines themselves have 'in mind'! That's nonsense, of course.

Choice B has no such problem, because "so that" is followed by a clause with its own subject ("rain is not wasted").

Shrirupa

Joined: 02 Dec 2021

Last visit: 09 Feb 2024

Posts: 150

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 14

Schools: ISB '25 (A)

Posts: 150

Kudos: 48

17 Dec 2022, 08:32

Kudos

Bookmarks

Sophisticated laser-guided land graders( Subject of the main clause) can now flatten ( main verb ) uneven farmland almost perfectly so as not to waste rainwater in runoff down sloping fields.

(A) so as not to waste rainwater
(B) so that rainwater is not wasted ( More clear)
(C) so that there is no wasted rainwater ( active sentence is better than passive)
(D) and thereby not waste rainwater ( wrong parallel )
(E) and there is no rainwater wasted ( Two IC is not needed, they are not connected properly )

Elite097

Joined: 20 Apr 2022

Last visit: 08 Oct 2025

Posts: 771

Own Kudos:

553

Given Kudos: 346

Location: India

Schools: Sloan '25 Columbia '27 Haas '27

GPA: 3.64

Schools: Sloan '25 Columbia '27 Haas '27

Posts: 771

Kudos: 553

11 Jan 2023, 02:20

Kudos

Bookmarks

ExpertsGlobal5 why is that construction incorrect? All experts have actually written it is correct and idiomatic but the issue is that in this question it does not have its own subject
avigutman
pls clarify

ExpertsGlobal5

dcoolguy

carmenamos

Joined: 11 Jan 2023

Last visit: 11 Jan 2023

Posts: 5

Kudos: 0

11 Jan 2023, 05:30

Kudos

Bookmarks

Thanks again to all the experts who replied - we believe the more people who chime in, the better coverage we all get when answering questions. You rock!

ExpertsGlobal5

Experts' Global Representative

Joined: 10 Jul 2017

Last visit: 19 Nov 2025

Posts: 5,195

Own Kudos:

4,765

Given Kudos: 43

Location: India

GMAT Date: 11-01-2019

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 5,195

Kudos: 4,765

11 Jan 2023, 06:43

Kudos

Bookmarks

Elite097

ExpertsGlobal5

dcoolguy

Hello Elite097,

We hope this finds you well.

To clarify, the use of the construction "so as to" to refer to the purpose of an action is not considered acceptable on GMAT; the only similar construction that is acceptable is "so + cause + as to + effect" - for example, "I was so weak as to faint." - wherein "so as to" is used to link a cause and effect.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team

arbazfatmi1994

Joined: 05 Jul 2022

Last visit: 16 Jan 2024

Posts: 103

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 31

Location: India

WE:Advertising (Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals)

Products:

Posts: 103

Kudos: 18

09 Aug 2023, 06:01

Kudos

Bookmarks

Sophisticated laser-guided land graders can now flatten uneven farmland almost perfectly so as not to waste rainwater in runoff down sloping fields.

(A) so as not to waste rainwater

It seems to suggest that the land graders were causing rainwater wastage

(B) so that rainwater is not wasted

(C) so that there is no wasted rainwater

It's not grammatically incorrect, but it's wordier than B

(D) and thereby not waste rainwater

It seems to suggest that the land graders were causing rainwater wastage

(E) and there is no rainwater wasted

Uses passive structure unnecessarily, and it fails to convey the purpose

Saupayan

Joined: 30 May 2013

Last visit: 23 May 2025

Posts: 108

Own Kudos:

137

Given Kudos: 94

Status:Full-time employee

Affiliations: Apple Inc

Location: United States

Saupayan: Mazumdar

Concentration: Economics, Leadership

GMAT 1: 760 Q51 V41 Verified score

GRE 1: Q170 V160 Verified score

GPA: 3.89

WE:Engineering (Computer Hardware)

GMAT 1: 760 Q51 V41 Verified score

GRE 1: Q170 V160 Verified score

Posts: 108

Kudos: 137

29 Aug 2023, 22:09

Kudos

Bookmarks

egmat

saman283

EMPOWERgmatVerbal

I am still unclear on this question. I agree with your explanation that we want the sentence to convey that the land graders flatten the land, and that flattening prevents rainwater getting wasted in the runoff. We need to find an option that better conveys the intended meaning.

Now is the prevention of rainwater getting wasted "the result" or "the purpose" of using land graders? What I understood was that it is the result of using land graders.

By this logic, we should not use x so that Y construction in option B as it conveys intention instead of merely a result.

Hello saman283,

Although your question is not for me, here are my two cents on this one.

The sentence does present the intent behind the use of the laser-guided land graders. Let's understand why. What is the specialty of the laser-guided land graders? They can flatten the uneven land almost perfectly? Why is the almost perfectly flattened land needed? So that the rainwater can be saved from being wasted.

So essentially, the laser-guided land graders are used to save the rainwater from getting wasted. This is the purpose behind the usage of the land graders. Therefore, the use of the phrase "so that" is correct in Choice B.

Hope this helps.

Thanks.
Shraddha

Hi egmat and Shraddha,
I am still not convinced that the OA conveys the correct meaning or correct cause-effect relationship.
Consider this...
I will work today so that I can rest tomorrow
vs
I can work today so that I can rest tomorrow

The first construction is the intended meaning (according to me). The second construction (incorrectly) says Hey just because I CAN work today (irrespective of whether I actually do it or not) I can rest tomorrow

Isn't this exactly what the OA is doing?
I would have liked it more had it been "such that" instead of "so that".
Am I missing something here?

DmitryFarber

Manhattan Prep Instructor

Joined: 22 Mar 2011

Last visit: 08 Nov 2025

Posts: 3,020

Own Kudos:

8,563

[2]

Given Kudos: 57

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT Focus 1: 745 Q86 V90 DI85 Verified score

Posts: 3,020

Kudos: 8,563

[2]

30 Aug 2023, 12:34

Kudos

Bookmarks

Saupayan

Be careful about trying to force one incorrect meaning onto a sentence. We'd only want to use that incorrect interpretation if it seems to be what the sentence must be saying. In short, if there are two ways to read the sentence, one that makes sense and another that is weird and isn't something we'd actually say, then just read the sentence the first way and don't eliminate. The wrong answer should be actively wrong.

In this case, however, it isn't even possible to create the kind of misreading you're talking about. We don't use the phrase "so that" to follow simple statements of fact, as in "It's raining, so that I stayed home." The "so that" modifies an earlier action to show how one leads to the other, or at least how we'd like it to. "I want to go to college so that I can become a scientist." "I dressed in layers so that I could adjust for the temperature at the test center." So in your sentence, we can't read "so that" as a modifier for the FACT that I can work today. It has to modify the action of working. Similarly, the "so that" in the original question isn't modifying the entire preceding clause. It's modifying the action "flatten."

1 2

Moderators:

GMATNinja

GMAT Club Verbal Expert

7443 posts

GMATNinjaTwo

GMAT Club Verbal Expert

231 posts

miag

189 posts