The gyrfalcon, an arctic bird of prey, has survived a close

generis
How do we add an extra "the" with "numbers" when we replace with "they" as a pronoun of only "numbers"?
Also, use of "they" as a pronoun of "numbers" is awkward, isn't it?
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a)its numbers are now five times greater than what they were when
in this option , why are we using word "what" after "than", we can simply omit "what" and the answer choice will still make sense.

the correct choice should look like this

"its numbers are now five times greater than they were when"

Also to note. Fivefold means 5x. Unless this is idiomatically different from my local understanding?
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in B " its numbers now fivefold what they were when" isnt were a verb? cant understand how B isnt a full sentence.

Hi Kriti, you are right. were is a verb. The problem with B however is that it does not have a main verb; basically, there is no Independent clause.

For the most part, we would expect an Independent clause after a semicolon.

For example, following is not a correct sentence:

Kriti is a student; she who is preparing for GMAT.

Again, while we have a verb is after the semicolon, this is not a correct sentence because there is no main verb/Independent clause.

One way to fix it would be:

Kriti is a student; she is preparing for GMAT.

Now we have an Independent clause she is preparing for GMAT after the semicolon, with is being the main verb.

You can watch our video on Independent and Dependent Clauses

p.s. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses Independent and Dependent Clauses, their application and examples in significant detail. If you or someone is interested, PM me your email-id; I can mail the corresponding section.
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I have the same question as AliciaSierra from 2 years ago

Why do we have a “what” inserted in option (A)?

Many thanks in advance.




Posted from my mobile device

Hello Learner,

When ever you see the context word numbers modifying an subject, use of more than is wrong.

Hello Fdambro294,

We hope this finds you well.

Having gone through the question and your query, we believe that we can help resolve your doubt.

In Option A, "what" is a placeholder pronoun; placeholder pronouns are pronouns that do not refer directly to a noun present in the sentence, rather they refer to clauses. In this case, "what" refers to the clause "they were when...1970's"; in the abstract, "what" refers to how high gryfalcon numbers were when the use of DDT was sharply restricted in the early 1970's. Placeholder pronouns are typically used to improve sentence construction.

Hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
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HI Experts,

Is option C wrong because there is no verb after the semi colon.?

Thanks

HI Kitty,

Yes, exactly. That is why C (and the other answer choices) are incorrect. None of them are a complete clause.

Also, note that several posts on this question already mentioned this! Be sure to check posts already made for a question to see if you can find your answer there. You'll save yourself the time waiting for an answer!
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Can someone explain options a b c.
b. why is comparison with fivefold wrong
c. what is the comparison issue here

Original Sentence Breakdown:
"The gyrfalcon, an arctic bird of prey, has survived a close brush with extinction; its numbers are now five times greater than what they were when the use of DDT was sharply restricted in the early 1970's."

Subjects: The gyrfalcon, its numbers
Verbs: has survived, are
Pronouns: its, they
Modifiers: "an arctic bird of prey" (modifying 'gyrfalcon'), "now five times greater than what they were when the use of DDT was sharply restricted in the early 1970's" (modifying 'its numbers').

Let's analyze each option:

(A) its numbers are now five times greater than what they were when

This option is wordy and a little awkward due to the use of "what they were when". However, it correctly uses the pronoun "its" to refer to the gyrfalcon and "they" to refer to the numbers. There are no grammatical errors as such.

(B) its numbers now fivefold what they were when

This option is more concise, and it correctly uses "fivefold" to indicate a five-times increase. But it's missing a verb (like 'are' or 'have become'). I think the corrected version could have been: "its numbers now fivefold what they were when". (Eliminate)

(C) its numbers now five times more than when
This option is concise and I became confused between Option A and C, I was about to eliminate option A, however, the phrase "five times more than when" is awkward and unclear. Especially the use of "than when". (Let's keep it for now)

(D) now with fivefold the numbers it had when
This option is incorrect because "fivefold the numbers" is not idiomatic in English. We can say "five times the numbers" or "fivefold increase in numbers". (Eliminate)

(E) now with its numbers five greater since
This option is incorrect because "five greater since" is absolutely nonsense and sounds weird.

Based on this analysis, none of the options seem to perfectly capture the intended meaning. The closest is option (A), but it is a bit wordy.

The best option would be something like:
"its numbers are now five times what they were when"; which eliminates the unnecessary and awkwardly phrased "greater than what" found in option A.
But based on the options provided, since the GMAT doesn't care about my opinion, I'll go with Option A.

p.s.: I'm not an expert, so correct me if I am wrong.

Notice the ";"

A ";" joins two independent clauses, both of which need to have a SUBJECT and VERB.