The new ski resort is much larger than is usual for a

Question

The new ski resort is much larger than   is usual   for a recreational facility in the area, with two hundred canons and twelve passenger gondola lifts.

A)is usual 
B) Being usual 
c)One usually is 
D)it is usual 
E)Usual

Source: goGMAT

crackjack · Answer

E seems correct. Pls post the OA.

Zarrolou · Answer

The new ski resort is much larger than   is usual   for a recreational facility in the area, with two hundred canons and twelve passenger gondola lifts.

A)  is   usual 
B)   Being   usual 
c)  One   usually is - one who ?
D)  it   is usual 
E)  Usual

E is clearly the winner

Archit143 · Answer

Hi 
I think that E would have been write , had it been written "Usually"...
I would like to know the source...

Consider kudos if my post helps!!!!!

Archit

guerrero25 · Answer

Hi Zarrolou -- this is about "usual" Vs "is usual" . "Usual" is used to compare a noun to itself and "Is usual" is used to compare a noun to other but similar noun(s). Here we 're comparing The new ski resort to other recreational facility in the area,so , we 're comparing an object to other similar objects. Per the OA "is Usual" is the the correct idiomatic use . Could you please clarify ?

Zarrolou · Answer

The new ski resort is much larger than  is usual  for a recreational facility in the area, with two hundred canons and twelve passenger gondola lifts.

A)is usual
E)usual

What is the subject of "is usual"? For sure it's not an "other recreational facility" because it follows the verb, we cannot have the structure VERB+SUBJ
Could be the sky resort itself? 
The new ski resort is much larger than   (the ski resort) is usual ... so this means that the resort changes size somehow? If now is bigger than usual, it must have grown
I eliminated A because of this problem with the subject

I agree that a sentence like "The new ski resort is much larger than  an usual recreational facility " would be better because this compares clearly the resort to an other facility, but the option "much larger than   is   usual" is wrong.

May I ask you what is the source?

guerrero25 · Answer

Hi Zarrolou -- I just got a response from Jim @ statusPrep ( BTG expert ) with following explanation :
 
The reason 'is usual' is correct and not 'usual' is because the latter would imply that the ski resort is bigger than it is normally; however, 'is usual' compares the size to other resorts in the area.

dransa · Answer

I am not sure why B is wrong. The phrase "One usually is" seems to refer to a ski resort. Please explain...

hridaybector · Answer

Can anyone explain the OA.
in option A , isnt "is usual" refers to the usual size?
if it does then we are essentially comparing the resort with the size of recreation facility which seems wrong.
in option C above error is not present and is comparing the resort with the recreation faciliy which seems right to me.

VerbalBot · Answer

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The new ski resort is much larger than is usual for a

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The new ski resort is much larger than is usual for a

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