The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that washing

Question

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that washing one's hands is  most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella .

A. most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

B. the most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

C. a most important step in preventing illness as to do so can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

D. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off E. coli, salmonella, and other dangerous infections

E. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off infections such as E. coli and salmonella which are indeed dangerous

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Bunuel · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that washing one's hands is  most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella .

A. most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect for two reasons:

1. It uses the Superlative form incorrectly. The correct Superlative form is  the most , not just  most .

2. It uses the Pronoun  it  to refer to a previously mentioned verb.

If we want to refer to a previously mentioned verb ( washing ) we should use either the expression doing so or to do so.

What helps us identify this question as a Pronoun question is the following Stop Sign: Any pronoun in the underlined part or after it.

B. the most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

Incorrect.

Although this answer choice corrects the original Superlative error by changing  most  to  the most , it repeats the original Pronoun mistake, by using the Pronoun  it  to refer to a previously mentioned verb.

C. a most important step in preventing illness as to do so can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

Incorrect.

Although this answer choice corrects the Pronoun mistake in the original sentence by using the phrase  to do so  to refer to the verb  washing , it repeats the original Superlative mistake. The correct Superlative form is  the most , not  a most .

(Note that the phrase a most + adjective is an idiom that means a very+ adjective - it does not have the same meaning as the superlative form.)

D. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off E. coli, salmonella, and other dangerous infections

This answer choice corrects both grammatical mistakes in the original sentence:

1. It corrects the Superlative form by changing  most  to  the most .

2. It replaces the pronoun it with the phrase  doing so , to refer to the verb  washing .

Wait...isn't there a meaning change here? This answer choice adds the word "other", which does not appear in the original sentence.

In a case like this it is necessary to distinguish between a change in the wording of the sentence and a change of meaning.

The original sentence uses the words such as which, by definition, indicate that  E. coli and salmonella  are only two examples of many other infections. In answer choice D,  such as  was simply changed to  other : the two sentence have exactly the same meaning.

E. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off infections such as E. coli and salmonella which are indeed dangerous

Incorrect.

While this answer choice corrects the original Superlative mistake by changing  most  to  the most  and corrects the original Pronoun mistake by replacing the pronoun  it  with the phrase  doing so  (to refer to the verb  washing ) it is stylistically flawed.

The phrase  which are indeed dangerous  is wordy and, therefore, redundant.

Sumi1010 · Answer

Notes:  
 1. When we say something most xxx (superlative), it's unique one. 
  - A most important factor.
- most important factor  
 - the most important factor

We can eliminate choices  A and C.

2. To refer an action done, we say "do so" and not "it"  
We can eliminate choice  B  too.

Between choices D and E -
D. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off E. coli, salmonella, and other dangerous infections
 - warding off X, Y and other infections (similar to X and Y) 
E. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off infections such as E. coli and salmonella which are indeed dangerous
 - warding off infections such as X and Y (side info : X and Y happened to be dangerous).  
 This is not the intended meaning.

IMO  D

zhanbo · Answer

My answer is (D) . It took me 47 seconds. First split : "most important step", "the most important step" or "the most important step". Generally, the definite article (the) is needed before the superlative adjective. Quote from https://completeenglishgrammar.com/exam ... e-article/: Always remember that the definite article must precede the superlative adjective if the superlative comes directly before the noun. Eliminate (A)and (C). Second Split : "it" or "doing so". "it" does not have one clear antecedent. Eliminate (B) Last split : Compare (D) and (E), and (D) is more concise and formal. In (E), "which are indeed dangerous" alone is enough to rule it out as it is rather sloppy writing.

sumitkrocks · Answer

"It" in A and B is referring to action -Eliminate

Definitive article "the" is required with With superlative adjectives Eliminate C

E changes meaning i.e Washing hands can ward off dangerous infections such as Coli and salmonella not only these two infections 
 
D is the answer IMO

asishron29181 · Answer

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that washing one's hands is  most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella.

A. most important step in preventing illness as  i t can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella- Incorrect .Pronoun ambiguity

B. the most important step in preventing illness as  it  can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella- Incorrect. Pronoun ambiguity

C. a most important step in preventing illness as to  do so  can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella- Incorrect

D. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off E. coli, salmonella, and other dangerous infections - Correct

E. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off infections such as E. coli and salmonella which are indeed dangerous- Incorrect. Wordy construction.

IMO D

TarunKumar1234 · Answer

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that washing one's hands is most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella.

A. most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

B. the most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

C. a most important step in preventing illness as to do so can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

D. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off E. coli, salmonella, and other dangerous infections

E. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off infections such as E. coli and salmonella which are indeed dangerous

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Show Answer

Official Answer

D

Showmeyaa · Answer

Superlative form is always preceded by the word 'the' and always requires a group under comparison.
(D), IMO!

ElevateR · Answer

A. most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella - eliminate, as the term should be "the most important step..."

B. the most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella - eliminate, as the pronoun "it" is ambiguous, it can refer to the step or the illness

C. a most important step in preventing illness as to do so can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella - eliminate, as the term should be "the most important step..."

D. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off E. coli, salmonella, and other dangerous infections  - correct

E. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off infections such as E. coli and salmonella which are indeed dangerous - eliminate, as "...infections such as E. coli and salmonella which are indeed dangerous" changes the meaning. It does not cover other dangerous diseases.

hientranzx · Answer

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that washing one's hands is most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella.

THE most important step --> Eliminate AC
A. most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella
C. a most important step in preventing illness as to do so can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

"It" refers to noun, not a clause --> Eliminate B. ("Doing so" = washing one's hands)
B. the most important step in preventing illness as it can ward off dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella

Correct answer
D. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off E. coli, salmonella, and other dangerous infections

Which refers to samonella --> Eliminate E. A better way is "dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella"
E. the most important step in preventing illness as doing so can ward off infections such as E. coli and salmonella which are indeed dangerous

gauranggarg · Answer

Isnt washing used in a gerund form here?

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Gaurav2896 · Answer

I have doubt why B is incorrect
Here 'washing one's hands' is a gerund here not verb and 'it' can refer to gerund or phrase .

For ex - Working on piano is favorite pastime for Sam as it is for his wife.
Above example is 100% correct.
Also it seems option D is changing meaning by stating E.Coli ,salmonela, and other dangerous infections but in original sentence it is dangerous infections such as E. coli and salmonella. I don't think this meaning change is gud in GMAT .
I don't believe OA is D.

AL05 · Answer

Bunuel   generis   GMATNinja 
I have a doubt in the explanation provided by bunuel.
Isn't "washing one's hands" acting like a subject in the above mentioned sentence. If it is the subject, why can't the pronoun "it" refers to it?

Also, Bunuel mentioned that "washing" is a verb. According to me, it is acting like a subject. Please let me know where I'm going wrong.

DmitryFarber · Answer

AL05 
You're right that "washing" is a noun here. In fact, -ing words are never really verbs, even though they are built from verbs and often describe an action. I'm not sure the GMAT would use "it" to refer back to a specific action of this sort, especially when we have the just encountered the singular nouns "step" and "illness." We have another clear reason to cut A (the missing "the" at the beginning), but I would expect an official q to give us a better reason to eliminate B.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that washing

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