Statisticians have constructed many complex mathematical models design

Definitely did not get this question right. I was fooled & was torn between A & B.

A - in the coming years it is going to be improved in order to more accurately forecast the results of the next election

I eliminated this at first, thinking "it" was wrong but was definitely fooled by the subject "the best of models" which actually takes on a singular. I supposed I really need to not eliminate questionable pronouns out of habit!

B - over the coming years they will improve the model by enabling it to more accurately forecast the results of the next election

I thought that "they" accurately represented "statisticians"....since who else can improve models, but "enabling it to" changes the meaning slightly. "Enable it to" kind of makes it seem like the statisticians need to give permission, which is not what this is trying to say. We're trying to say that we're improving the model for X reason not that we know how to improve the model already, we just have to give it the capability to do something.


C - it is going to be improved in order to more accurately forecast the results of the election in the coming years

Incorrect because "in the coming years" looks like its attached to election when the original meaning intends for the model improvements to be modified by "in the coming years."

D - they are going to be improved in order to more accurately forecast the results in the coming years of the next election

Same issue as above. Also, they should be "it" is since the subject is "the best of models".


E - most of the models are going to be improved in order to more accurately forecast the results of the election in the coming years

Same issue as C.


_________________

Statisticians have constructed many complex mathematical models designed to predict voter behavior, but since even the best of the models failed to correctly predict the winner in many of last year’s parliamentary races, in the coming years it is going to be improved in order to accurately forecast the results of the next election.

I see something awry in the question. The idea of passage is not to improve just one model. It is to improve the entire system of psephology by overhauling all the existing models or at least most of them
The prompt is implying that "since even the best of the models failed last year, all others also failed; therefore all the models need to be improved. Reference to 'even' is to emphasize this aspect. Therefore, we can see the irrelevance of the singular 'it' in the context. We can also see the relevance of "most models" in E. The point is not to improve one model but to improve at least a majority of them.
I beg to differ with the OA and OE.
_________________

Official Explanation is as follows:

(1) Take a First Glance (5 seconds)

All five answer choices begin differently, but the only topic hinted at by the initial splits is Pronouns (it vs. they). You’ll have to dig deeper to investigate the problems with the other answers.



(2) Read for Meaning

The main subject of this sentence is the best (of the mathematical models). Since of the models is a prepositional phrase, ignore it when you identify the subject. Like fish or species, the word best can be singular or plural (my best friend; the best movies of the year). It’s important to look for another clue to determine whether the appropriate pronoun is it or they; is there a non-underlined verb or pronoun that points to best, indicating whether it is singular or plural? The verb failed goes with best, but failed could be either singular or plural. It turns out that best can be singular or plural in this sentence; either interpretation is consistent with the rest of the sentence, so the it vs. they split is a red herring.

Scan the answers vertically to find another difference that you can use to evaluate the answers.



(3) Find a Starting Point

Start with any difference that seems easiest to you, then move to the next easiest issue, and so on. Stop when you have one answer or you aren’t sure how to address the remaining differences. All errors for each choice are detailed in the next section.



(4) Eliminate (and Repeat)

(A) CORRECT. The modifier in the coming years correctly modifies the clause that follows (it is going to be improved), describing when the model is going to be improved.

(B) This sentence says that the statisticians will improve the model. The word by indicates that what follows is the way in which they will improve the model—perhaps the statisticians will tweak the algorithm or run more simulations. Instead, the sentence continues, by enabling it to accurately forecast the results of the next election. Enabling the model to accurately forecast the election is the consequence, not the cause, of the improved model.

(C) This answer may sound very tempting; the only difference between this choice and the correct answer is the placement of the modifier in the coming years. Here, in the coming years is placed next to the election. But a single election does not take place over a time period lasting years; had the sentence instead said elections, the modifier placement would be acceptable.

(D) The modifier in the coming years is placed next to the results, implying that the model is going to forecast the election results over a period of years. But the forecast will take place at a particular moment. In the coming years should modify it is going to be improved; the process of improving the model is what will take years.

(E) This answer repeats the modifier mistake from answer (C): in the coming years is placed next to the election. But a single election does not take place over a time period lasting years; had the sentence instead said elections, the modifier placement would be acceptable.

prags1989
This was a very tough one, and i got it wrong at first. But now I see the reason.

Statisticians have constructed many complex mathematical models designed to predict voter behavior, but since even the best of the models failed to correctly predict the winner in many of last year’s parliamentary races, in the coming years it is going to be improved in order to accurately forecast the results of the next election.

The sentence talks about mathematical models and best of the model both. And the sentence also mentions it is going to be improved. Here as it is singular, best of the models, which is also singular, is the clear antecedent for it; therefore, we need not assume that complex mathematical models, which is plural, is the antecedent. "most of the models" is a new addition, and it changes the meaning of the sentence. Put in a different way "1) What suggests you that Best of the models can't be the antecedent and it referring to best of the models is a mistake and 2) Even if you believe that it was mistake and reference should have been to mathematical models, how do you explain the word "most"." There are your two clear reasons to eliminate E.

Please hit +1 Kudos if you liked the explanation.

I dont think A is the correct answer nor this is a good quality problem. The part inside the comas is just an additional information and the subject of that part can't be the one that "it" refers to.

None of the options makes sense. Is it a Manhattan GMAT question? Perhaps someone from Manhattan can confirm.
_________________

I felt the first option would be incorrect as it is too verbose and 'it' would be incorrect since the subject would be multiple designs(considering that the sentence within commas can be eliminated).

You’re getting it wrong because all the answers are wrong. There are multiple models, but the OA uses the singular “it” to describe them.

Posted from my mobile device

I cancelled A because Mathematical models -Plural , It - singular

Rakesh1987

i think this is considered a good quality, this test our understanding of modifier,
read for meaning. in the coming years, vs election in coming years vs results of election in the coming years.
to be as clear as possible, we need to separate election from the in the coming years.
we are left with A and B.
in the coming years, vs over the coming years and pronoun , it vs they.
notice the sentence structure, the main star is the model.
it is the correct as it implies the Best model. they are going to improve it.
sentence structure starts with the model, so it is best not to mess up, by starting it with they, we change the main author. it is unnecessary.

Yes, this question is from Manhattan. I think I attempted this question wrong (if go with Official Answers) in both attempts of mocks.

I eliminated A,B, and C as the options contained the pronoun it, while the options were referring to the models. The last subject should dictate the verb and pronoun, hence logic dictated.

I also eliminated D as the phrase results in the coming years of the next election didn't make sense. Results are related to elections and not coming years.

Now I did mark the answer as E, while missing the fact that results of the election in the coming years
contains one flaw. That is it should have been elections and not election.

So ideally all options have the flaw, but I felt the least flaw present was in Option E. And after reading all the above comments and answers, this question needs refinement.

Please share OE. i DONT understand how "going to be " is correct for future action.

John ate bad food in the morning from the market. I think he's going to fall sick.
The sentence I just created has "going to fall sick" construction that is similar to "going to be" construction and as you can see, such constructions can be used to represent future in certain cases.

Dear experts,
mikemcgarry IanStewart VeritasKarishma daagh EMPOWERgmatVerbal EMPOWERgmatRichC AjiteshArun GMATNinja walker DmitryFarber

Can you please shed some light on this question?
I could not decide between option A and option B.
Ultimately I chose option B only because of the idiom "over the coming years".
The meaning difference suggested by OE is really subtle.

Statisticians have constructed many complex mathematical models designed to predict voter behavior, but since even the best of the models failed to correctly predict the winner in many of last year’s parliamentary races, in the coming years it is going to be improved in order to accurately forecast the results of the next election.


The models are going to be improved over the coming years to predict the results in the next election. IN option B,C and D the phrasing has been changed to ‘results of the election in the coming years’ . It gives the wrong impression that the next election is going to happen in the coming years rather than the original intent of modifying the time from in which the models will be modified. Hence option B,C and D are incorrect.

A - in the coming years it is going to be improved in order to more accurately forecast the results of the next election
Option A is correct. Here ‘it’ refers to the best of the models. There will be only one best. Hence a singular pronoun can be used. It makes more sense to modify only the best of the models rather than to modify all of the models till date

B - over the coming years they will improve the model by enabling it to more accurately forecast the results of the next election
Here they refers correctly to the statisticians because if the refers to the model, then it would mean models will improve the models…which is absurd. But the issue is when we use ‘they’ to refer back to something, it will mean the same set of people. It doesn’t have to be the same set of statiticins who are going to modify the models in the future.It can be different set.
Hence option B is incorrect.


C - it is going to be improved in order to more accurately forecast the results of the election in the coming years
Option C is incorrect because of the reason stated beginning.


D - they are going to be improved in order to more accurately forecast the results in the coming years of the next election
Option D is incorrect because of the reason stated in the beginning. Also the use of they is very vague over here. Will all the models be improved?..why would the. Statisticians improve all of them? It makes more sense to modify just the best of the models


E - most of the models are going to be improved in order to more accurately forecast the results of the election in the coming years
Option E is incorrect because of the reason stated in the in the beginning.

daagh

in E, I see that "next" is missing which is present in the question stem. So I am not sure if we can omit next. However, I think B) is better since the idea is to improve most or all the models.

I don't see anything particularly wrong with D. But, there is an issue with this question. As @dagh correctly points out, the best model was singled out to point to a flaw in all of the models and as a result, a need to update all of the models is indicated.

A-C uses 'it' which correctly matches with the singularity of 'best of the models' at the expense of meaning.
_________________

Hi CEdward,

Option D is wrong, because it uses "they" in place of "it", the subject is best of the models but not the "models" because the part of the sentence from but becomes a separate clause. Therefore, it will be the best fit here.


Statisticians have constructed many complex mathematical models designed to predict voter behavior, but since even the best of the models failed to correctly predict the winner in many of last year’s parliamentary races, in the coming years it is going to be improved in order to accurately forecast the results of the next election.

totally agree with this opinion, it cannot be A , A's meaning is horrible, if you wanna us it, then what is the point of the many complex mathematical models? and I highly suggest the people who create this question to follow the rules and styles of GMAT. your purpose is to creat a good question to help students improve the score, not to "hard" students.