Hi, there. I'm add my two cents to this discussion.

The expected rise in the price of oil could be a serious impact to industrialized nations and severely diminish the possibility to have an economy free of inflation.
(A) be a serious impact to industrialized nations and severely diminish the possibility to have
(B) seriously impact on industrialized nations and severely impede the possibility to have
(C) seriously impact on industrialized nations and severely impede the possibility of having
(D) have a serious impact on industrialized nations and severely impede the possibility to have
(E) have a serious impact on industrialized nations and severely diminish the possibility of having

As I read the prompt, two things grated on me --- "a serious impact to . . ." and "the possibility to . . . ." Those are both wrong.

To eybrj2, I would say: I don't know who says that "impact" should not go with "on", but those people are wrong. If the verb "to impact" is going to be followed by a preposition, the preposition "on" is the exact right one. That's the correct idiom.

Another correct idiom is the word "of" following "probability". We speak of a "probability of" something, not a "probability to" something.

Just with those two issues, here are the answer choices:
(A) be a serious impact to industrialized nations and severely diminish the possibility to have
(B) seriously impact on industrialized nations and severely impede the possibility to have
(C) seriously impact on industrialized nations and severely impede the possibility of having
(D) have a serious impact on industrialized nations and severely impede the possibility to have
(E) have a serious impact on industrialized nations and severely diminish the possibility of having

That leaves (C) and (E). Then we get to that funny word "impede."

First of all, "impede" means to hinder, to put up obstacles in front of. The word "diminish" means to make less.

Probability is an abstract mathematical thing --- ultimately, it's a number. One can make this number more or less, but something is quite bizarre about the idea of impeding a number. It's like being told that a football player tackled the number pi --- it just doesn't make sense.

Furthermore, to "diminish the probability of X" is idiomatic, whereas there's something inherent wrong/awkward/strange about "impede the probability of X."

That means (C) is out also, so (E) is the only choice remaining that is free of all mistakes and awkwardness. Answer = (E)

Does all this make sense?
Here's another SC question with some similar issues.
http://gmat.magoosh.com/questions/1160
When you submit your answer to this question, the following page will have the video explanation. At Magoosh, each one of our 800+ practice GMAT questions has its own video explanation. We offer high quality GMAT prep at a ridiculously low price, and at the moment (until Thursday 3/29) we are having a sale (see the banner at the top of the page, or click the link in my signature.)

Let me know if anyone reading this has any additional questions.

Mike
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Accorindg to some sources:

A,B,C - incorrect -- Always remember in GMAT --impact should remain a noun; a proposal can have an impact.(The only thing that can be impacted is a wisdom tooth).
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I believe E is the right answer . Please find my explanation above. Is there an OA for this question ?

Kudo if you like my explanation.

Impede means to obstruct :
diminish means to reduce in value or effect.
You cannot obstruct the possibility of riots.
But,
You can obstruct the riots
on the other hand ::
you cannot diminish the riots
But,
You can diminish the possibility of riots.

So B ,D and C wrong
A wrong because ::
Noun (be a serious impact ) AND verb (severely diminish)
E correct by POE

IMO Correct answer should be ::
Seriously Impact industrialized nations and severely diminish the possibility of ...

Please correct me if i am wrong

i would go for C here. verb is better than noun. possibility+to verb is unidiomatic expression. so C wins the bill

Hi there,

Choice C has three errors:
1. In this choice, "impact" has been used as "verb". It is absolutely ungrammatical to say that "A seriously impact on B." The correct sentence would be: A seriously impact B. Hence, "seriously impact on industrilaized nations" is incorrect.
2. There is difference between "impeded" and "diminish". "impede" means "hinder" and "diminish" means "reduce". These two words cannot be used interchangeably.
3 The idiom "possibility of" is "preferred over "possibility to".

These three errors make Choice C incorrect.

Choice E is the correct answer as the usage of "impact" is correct, "diminish", the word from original choice, is retained, and "possibily of" has been used.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha
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Between D and E

D) have a serious impact on industrialized nations and severely impede the possibility to have ---- impede means to obstruct, hinder , block , The meaning is changed – possibility to have is unidiomatic
(E) have a serious impact on industrialized nations and severely diminish the possibility of having--- diminish means to reduce, the right intent. Possibility of having is idiomatic

So E
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the expected rise in the price of oil could be a serious
impact to industrialized nations and severely diminish
the possibility to have an economy free of inflation.
(A) be a serious impact to industrialized nations
and severely diminish the possibility to have
(B) seriously impact on industrialized nations and
severely impede the possibility to have
(C) seriously impact on industrialized nations and
severely impede the possibility of having
(D) have a serious impact on industrialized nations
and severely impede the possibility to have
(E) have a serious impact on industrialized nations
and severely diminish the possibility of having

Solution says that correct answer is E. I would request someone to explain how use of having is justified.

Thanks!

We look for a noun after "possibility of ..."
e.g. possibility of an earthquake...

The -ing form of the verb can be used as present participle or as a gerund (looks like a verb but functions as a noun)

Here, 'having ...' works as a gerund and hence the sentence is fine.

Note that "impede" means to hinder or obstruct. How can someone impede the possibility of something? One can decrease the possibility (of say, success) by impeding some action.
Possibility can be increased or decreased, not impeded.

Hence, (E) is correct.
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WONDERFULL EXPLANTION.
there are 2 kinds of error on gmat sc, grammar error and meaning error. the first is grammar rules simple to remember. but, the second error is the key to success on sc. to find out meaning error, we use OUR COMMON SENSE OF OUR WORLD. this is the thing less discussed. of course, we have to have a good grammar before finding meaning logicness.

in our world , it make no sense to say: impede possibility. we impede a growth, a car, . this is the place gmat test us. very simple concept we need to know .

we should say, to lessen possibility. to diminish possibility.

Dear thangvietnam
My friend, I will simply add that I believe there are at least six kinds of errors on GMAT SC.
1) Grammar mistakes = B/W violations of clear grammar rules (SVA, verb tense, pronouns, etc.)
2) Logic mistakes = phrasing that are inherently illogical (e.g. "the student taller than everyone in her class.")
3) Changes in meaning = correct in and of itself, but different from the prompt meaning
4) Idiom mistake = wrong combination of words ("able for doing X")
5) Diction mistakes = using a word in the wrong way ("There were less accidents."
6) Rhetorical problems = a rhetorically strong sentence is clear, crisp, direct, and powerful, and it forcefully makes its statement. A rhetorically strong sentence is rambling, weak, unclear, tentative, mealy-mouthed, and unsure of itself.

GMAT SC is hard because you have to keep all these dimensions in mind at once.

Mike
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hi,
The expected rise in the price of oil could be a serious impact to industrialized nations and severely diminish the possibility to have an economy free of inflation.

(A) be a serious impact to industrialized nations and severely diminish the possibility to have
"The expected rise in the price of oil " could not itself be a serious impact BUT can HAVE a serious impact..
Parallelism ISSUE

(B) seriously impact on industrialized nations and severely impede the possibility to have
It could seriously impact industrialized .. NOT IT could seriously impact ON industrialized..
changes the meaning by using 'impede' instead of diminish..
impede means delay while diminish means making less

(C) seriously impact on industrialized nations and severely impede the possibility of having
It could seriously impact industrialized .. NOT IT could seriously impact ON industrialized..
changes the meaning by using 'impede' instead of diminish..
impede means delay while diminish means making less

(D) have a serious impact on industrialized nations and severely impede the possibility to have
Corrects the parallelism issue but changes meaning by using 'impede' instead of diminish

(E) have a serious impact on industrialized nations and severely diminish the possibility of having
CORRECT as it is
E ans

Hi egmat

You mentioned that The idiom "possibility of" is "preferred over "possibility to".

Don't we use Prefer to instead of prefer over?

Please advise as it is really confusing.

Here's the official explanation provided by the GMAC for this question:

This sentence describes effects an expected rise in the price of oil could have on industrialized nations. When the noun impact is used to mean a strong effect, rather than a physical blow, it is conventionally followed by the preposition on, not to. And the noun possibility is conventionally followed by a prepositional phrase starting with of or by a subordinate clause, not by a verb in the infinitive.

Option A: In this context, using the noun impact with the preposition to violates the conventions of English diction. So does using the noun possibility with the infinitive to have.

Option B: The phrasal verb impact on is not widely accepted in formal English. The phrase impede the possibility makes no sense, because to impede means "to slow the progress of," and a possibility is not something that progresses. Using the noun possibility with the infinitive to have violates the conventions of English diction.

Option C: The phrasal verb impact on is not widely accepted in formal English. The phrase impede the possibility makes no sense, because to impede means "to slow the progress of," and a possibility is not something that progresses.

Option D: The phrase impede the possibility makes no sense, because to impede means "to slow the progress of," and a possibility is not something that progresses. Using the noun possibility with the infinitive to have violates the conventions of English diction.

Option E: Correct. The noun impact is appropriately used with the preposition on; the phrase diminish the possibility makes sense because a possibility can be increased or diminished; and the noun possibility is appropriately followed by the prepositional phrase of having an economy free of inflation.

The correct answer is E.

Please note that I'm not the author of this explanation. I'm just posting it here since I believe it can help the community.
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HI AndrewN , GMATCoachBen GMATGuruNY

Can you please help me this problem. Bit confused with Sub-Verb.

What is the role of Could Have here?
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Below is a list of MODAL VERBS:
can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would
Generally, a modal verb is followed by the BARE INFINITIVE (to + VERB with the to omitted).
In many cases, a modal verb serves to convey that the following bare infinitive action is POSSIBLE or OBLIGATORY.

D and E: The expected rise...could have a serious impact.
expected = adjective modifying rise
rise = subject
could = modal verb
have = bare infinitive (to have with the to omitted)
serious = adjective modifying impact
impact = direct object of could have
Here, the usage of could conveys that the bare infinitive action in blue is POSSIBLE.
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Hello, NandishSS. I agree with the thorough analysis GMATGuruNY has supplied above. I will confess to thinking in less grammatical terms during my own approach to the question (one I had not done previously, so I am glad you called my attention to it). What catches my eye is expected. An expectation is not the same as a prediction, so whereas the latter often incorporates definitive projections in the language—e.g., will do something—the former adopts less decisive language, as in could have (rather than will or must) or could do something. Remember, too, that and in options (D) and (E), without the comma, should join parallel entities. What are those entities?

(D) [could] have a serious impact on industrialized nations and [could] severely impede the possibility to have
(E) [could] have a serious impact on industrialized nations and [could] severely diminish the possibility of having

To be clear, each continuation is parallel through the noun, following a verb + modifier + noun basic construct (even if the modifiers are not the same part of speech and fall in different places). But in choice (D), we get a prepositional phrase at the end of the first part and an infinitive at the end of the second. Notice how this lack of parallelism is corrected in (E), where we see prepositional phrases at the end of the two like entities.

I hope that helps shed some more light on the question. Thank you for thinking to ask me about it.

- Andrew

Thank you AndrewN , GMATGuruNY
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E.
'Impact on' as a verb is incorrect. 'Impact' as a verb is correct.
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