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The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed an 17 Sep 2018, 01:17
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35% (medium)

Question Stats:

65% (01:09) correct 35% (01:28) wrong based on 471 sessions

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The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced on the edge of poverty.


(A) the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced

(B) both the employed and the jobless alike; large amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(C) the employed and the jobless alike; great numbers of people were precariously balanced

(D) both the employed and the jobless alike; vast amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(E) both the employed and the jobless; great quantities of people were precariously balanced
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C
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The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed an 17 Sep 2018, 03:38
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Bunuel
The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced on the edge of poverty.


(A) the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced

(B) both the employed and the jobless alike; large amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(C) the employed and the jobless alike; great numbers of people were precariously balanced

(D) both the employed and the jobless alike; vast amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(E) both the employed and the jobless; great quantities of people were precariously balanced
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+1 for C

(A) the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced

(B) both the employed and the jobless alike; large amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(C) the employed and the jobless alike; great numbers of people were precariously balanced --> People is a countable noun. Hence, numbers is correct

(D) both the employed and the jobless alike; vast amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(E) both the employed and the jobless; great quantities of people were precariously balanced
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The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed an 18 Sep 2018, 02:35
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Bunuel
The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced on the edge of poverty.


(A) the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced

(B) both the employed and the jobless alike; large amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(C) the employed and the jobless alike; great numbers of people were precariously balanced

(D) both the employed and the jobless alike; vast amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(E) both the employed and the jobless; great quantities of people were precariously balanced
Show more

MANHATTAN REVIEW OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:



This question has to do with the words that we use in combination with countable and non-countable nouns. Do you say a quantity, amount or number of people? Quantity and amount are used with non-countable nouns. In other words, you can only have a number of people (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) but not a quantity such as 9 and a half people. This makes the correct answer, C, quite obvious. It is also unnecessary to use both ‘both’ and ‘alike’ in options B and D. D changes the meaning by using the active voice. Please note that ‘great numbers of’ is equivalent to ‘a great number of’.
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The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed an 09 Dec 2018, 01:07
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POE:
1. both / alike - never put together
2. quantity / amount / number - "quantity" & "amount" is used for uncountable nouns and "number" is used for countable (here people).
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The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed an 25 Mar 2022, 13:53
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Bunuel
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The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced on the edge of poverty.


(A) the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced

(B) both the employed and the jobless alike; large amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(C) the employed and the jobless alike; great numbers of people were precariously balanced

(D) both the employed and the jobless alike; vast amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(E) both the employed and the jobless; great quantities of people were precariously balanced

MANHATTAN REVIEW OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:



This question has to do with the words that we use in combination with countable and non-countable nouns. Do you say a quantity, amount or number of people? Quantity and amount are used with non-countable nouns. In other words, you can only have a number of people (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) but not a quantity such as 9 and a half people. This makes the correct answer, C, quite obvious. It is also unnecessary to use both ‘both’ and ‘alike’ in options B and D. D changes the meaning by using the active voice. Please note that ‘great numbers of’ is equivalent to ‘a great number of’.
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We all understand that number of people is way to go in this case. But the misunderstanding is completely a different thing. is that "s" at the end correct? I tried to find such rule, but unfortunately could not. would it not be more correct to say great number of people, or a number of people, rather than great numbers of people?
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The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed an 27 Mar 2022, 05:44
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Foreheadson
Bunuel
Bunuel
The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced on the edge of poverty.


(A) the employed and the jobless alike; vast quantities of people were precariously balanced

(B) both the employed and the jobless alike; large amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(C) the employed and the jobless alike; great numbers of people were precariously balanced

(D) both the employed and the jobless alike; vast amounts of people precariously balanced themselves

(E) both the employed and the jobless; great quantities of people were precariously balanced

MANHATTAN REVIEW OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:



This question has to do with the words that we use in combination with countable and non-countable nouns. Do you say a quantity, amount or number of people? Quantity and amount are used with non-countable nouns. In other words, you can only have a number of people (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) but not a quantity such as 9 and a half people. This makes the correct answer, C, quite obvious. It is also unnecessary to use both ‘both’ and ‘alike’ in options B and D. D changes the meaning by using the active voice. Please note that ‘great numbers of’ is equivalent to ‘a great number of’.

We all understand that number of people is way to go in this case. But the misunderstanding is completely a different thing. is that "s" at the end correct? I tried to find such rule, but unfortunately could not. would it not be more correct to say great number of people, or a number of people, rather than great numbers of people?
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Hello Foreheadson,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, in this sentence the use of "numbers" conveys that many people from different categories were "balanced on the edge of poverty"; this meaning is also implied through the phrase "affected the employed and the jobless alike".

We hope this helps.
All the best!
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The president’s ill-advised economic policies affected the employed an 23 Dec 2025, 00:06
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