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27 Sep 2013, 10:33
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stunn3r
Dear stunn3r,
If you don't mind, I'll jump in here.
I accept your interpretation of sentence #2, although for idiomatic reasons, it's awkward. I disagree about sentence #1: there's a subtle idiom at play. Here's the sentence:
The majority leader denied a motion to allow members of the house to go home ...
You are interpreting this as a simple infinitive of purpose (A did P to do Q) --- in other words, you are reading this as:
The majority leader denied a motion in order to allow members of the house to go home ....
or
The majority leader denied a motion for the purpose of allowing members of the house to go home ...
These interpretations are incorrect. You see, in the vast majority of cases, in this structure [subject][verb][infinitive], the infinitive is an infinitive of purpose --- that is, it shows the purpose, the intention, of the action of the verb. The only time it is absolutely NOT an infinitive of purpose is when there's another idiom present that demands an infinitive --- the idiom requirement always trumps the infinitive of purpose. Here's a blog on verbs that idiomatically require the infinitive:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/verbs-that ... -the-gmat/
This sentence has another such idiom, a much rarer idiom, but one that could show up on the GMAT. In a legal context or a formal meeting, a "motion" is a formal suggestion. Typically, in a parliamentary format, one person would make a "motion", then if another person "seconds" the motion, that is enough force a full vote on the motion --- if the body votes in favor of the motion, then the motion "carries", though in some contexts, some leader may have the executive power to veto a motion that has carried, as seems to be the case here. The green words are important idiomatic words to know about this context. Within this context, what the motion suggests, the content of the motion, is idiomatically expressed as an infinitive ---- thus, "a motion to allow members of the house to go home" idiomatically means that the content of the motion was "members should be allowed to go home". Once again, because there's an idiom involving an infinitive, that always take precedence, which is how we absolutely know this infinitive cannot be an infinitive of purpose.
This is precisely why your sentence #2 is awkward --- the correct idiom for expressing the content of a parliamentary motion is "a motion to allow X", not "a motion that allows X". The latter phrasing makes clear what you are trying to say, but it is unidiomatic.
Does all this make sense?
Mike
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10 Feb 2015, 11:30
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The majority leader denied a motion to allow members of the house to go home at the end of each vote instead of to confine them to the floor.
(A) to allow members of the house to go home at the end of each vote instead of to confine them to
(B) that would have allowed members of the house to go home at the end of each vote instead of confined to
(C) under which members of the house are allowed to go home at the end of each vote instead of confining them in
(D) that would allow members of the house to go home at the end of each vote rather than confinement in
(E) to allow members of the house to go home at the end of each vote rather than be confined to.......PARALLEL HENCE CORRECT
(A) to allow members of the house to go home at the end of each vote instead of to confine them to
(B) that would have allowed members of the house to go home at the end of each vote instead of confined to
(C) under which members of the house are allowed to go home at the end of each vote instead of confining them in
(D) that would allow members of the house to go home at the end of each vote rather than confinement in
(E) to allow members of the house to go home at the end of each vote rather than be confined to.......PARALLEL HENCE CORRECT
01 Mar 2016, 10:08
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This is just a simulated version of a popular official question that made big noise a decade ago.
Judge Bonham denied a motion to allow members of the jury to go home at the end of each day instead of to confine them to a hotel.
(A) to allow members of the jury to go home at the end of each day instead of to confine them to
(B) that would have allowed members of the jury to go home at the end of each day instead of confined to
(C) under which memebrs of the jury are allowed to go home at the end of each day instead of confining them in
(D) that would allow members of the jury to go home at the end of each day rather than confinement in
(E) to allow members of the jury to go home at the end of each day rather than be confined to
The OA is E. The takeaway is that ‘rather than’ and ‘instead of’ have since been tested several times in the official questions and the preferred choice has always been ‘rather than’ whenever we had to choose between two options.
If there is any problem with the intended meaning of ‘denied’, then replace it with a synonym ‘rejected’. The perspective will be then clear.
Judge Bonham denied a motion to allow members of the jury to go home at the end of each day instead of to confine them to a hotel.
(A) to allow members of the jury to go home at the end of each day instead of to confine them to
(B) that would have allowed members of the jury to go home at the end of each day instead of confined to
(C) under which memebrs of the jury are allowed to go home at the end of each day instead of confining them in
(D) that would allow members of the jury to go home at the end of each day rather than confinement in
(E) to allow members of the jury to go home at the end of each day rather than be confined to
The OA is E. The takeaway is that ‘rather than’ and ‘instead of’ have since been tested several times in the official questions and the preferred choice has always been ‘rather than’ whenever we had to choose between two options.
If there is any problem with the intended meaning of ‘denied’, then replace it with a synonym ‘rejected’. The perspective will be then clear.
