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505-555 Level|   Verb Tense/Form|                  
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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 22 Jul 2022, 18:51
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I see the clear meaning difference between??choices A and B, but I am still confused as to how we should know which meaning the author intended? What if the second choice is really what the author meant?

From my understanding of "meaning" questions on the GMAT, you do not necessarily need to preserve what the author was trying to say. Rather, you need to pick the answer choice that is grammatically??correct and concise.

Thank you for your help in advance.
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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 22 Jul 2022, 20:04
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woohoo921
I see the clear meaning difference between??choices A and B, but I am still confused as to how we should know which meaning the author intended? What if the second choice is really what the author meant?

From my understanding of "meaning" questions on the GMAT, you do not necessarily need to preserve what the author was trying to say. Rather, you need to pick the answer choice that is grammatically??correct and concise.

Thank you for your help in advance.
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Actually, the (A) and (B) versions convey essentially the same meaning. So, we choose (A) because it does a better job of conveying that meaning.

Meanwhile, you are correct in your take that there's nothing special about the meaning of the original version, and our goal is not to preserve any particular meaning.
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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 22 Jul 2022, 20:13
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woohoo921
I see the clear meaning difference between??choices A and B, but I am still confused as to how we should know which meaning the author intended? What if the second choice is really what the author meant?

From my understanding of "meaning" questions on the GMAT, you do not necessarily need to preserve what the author was trying to say. Rather, you need to pick the answer choice that is grammatically??correct and concise.

Thank you for your help in advance.
Actually, the (A) and (B) versions convey essentially the same meaning. So, we choose (A) because it does a better job of conveying that meaning.

Meanwhile, you are correct in your take that there's nothing special about the meaning of the original version, and our goal is not to preserve any particular meaning.
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MartyTargetTestPrep
Thank you for your reply!

To clarify, do you disagree with empowergmat's explanation as to why Choice B is incorrect "This is INCORRECT because the phrase “that are powered by gasoline” suggests that only some trucks (the ones powered by gasoline) will be converted. This isn’t true – all of the trucks are being converted because they are all gasoline-powered!" I did not quite catch why this implies there are more trucks that are not gasoline-powered. Do you believe that A is simply a better choice because it is less wordy?

Thank you again.
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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 22 Jul 2022, 20:38
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woohoo921
I see the clear meaning difference between??choices A and B, but I am still confused as to how we should know which meaning the author intended? What if the second choice is really what the author meant?

From my understanding of "meaning" questions on the GMAT, you do not necessarily need to preserve what the author was trying to say. Rather, you need to pick the answer choice that is grammatically??correct and concise.

Thank you for your help in advance.
Actually, the (A) and (B) versions convey essentially the same meaning. So, we choose (A) because it does a better job of conveying that meaning.

Meanwhile, you are correct in your take that there's nothing special about the meaning of the original version, and our goal is not to preserve any particular meaning.

MartyTargetTestPrep
Thank you for your reply!

To clarify, do you disagree with empowergmat's explanation as to why Choice B is incorrect "This is INCORRECT because the phrase “that are powered by gasoline” suggests that only some trucks (the ones powered by gasoline) will be converted. This isn’t true – all of the trucks are being converted because they are all gasoline-powered!" I did not quite catch why this implies there are more trucks that are not gasoline-powered. Do you believe that A is simply a better choice because it is less wordy?

Thank you again.
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I see what you you mean about different meanings now, and I guess (B) does tend to imply that there are other trucks that are not gasoline powered, but in any case, that difference in meaning is not the issue.

(B) isn't as good as (A) simply because (B) is less concise and well structured, partly because, in (B), the modifier "that are gasoline powered" is placed farther from "trucks" than is ideal.
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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 19 Aug 2022, 15:13
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EMPOWERgmatVerbal
Hello Everybody!

Let’s take a look at this closely to narrow down to the right answer! After a quick scan over the answers, there are a couple major differences that we need to address:

1. Placement of the descriptor “gasoline-powered” or “powered by gasoline”
2. Use of the verb “to convert”: to convert/on converting/will convert

Okay, let’s start with #1 on our list. The placement of the phrase “gasoline-powered” or “powered by gasoline” can completely change the intended meaning of the sentence! Let’s see which ones stick to the intended meaning:

A. to convert its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area to
This is OK because it’s clear that all of the trucks are gasoline-powered, and all of the trucks will be converted to natural gas.

B. to convert its more than 2,000 trucks in the Los Angeles area that are powered by gasoline to
This is INCORRECT because the phrase “that are powered by gasoline” suggests that only some trucks (the ones powered by gasoline) will be converted. This isn’t true – all of the trucks are being converted because they are all gasoline-powered!

C. on converting its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area that will
This is OK because it’s clear that all of the trucks are gasoline-powered, and all of the trucks will be converted to natural gas.

D. for its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area to convert to
This is OK because it’s clear that all of the trucks are gasoline-powered, and all of the trucks will be converted to natural gas.

E. that its more than 2,000 trucks in the Los Angeles area that are powered by gasoline will convert to
This is INCORRECT because the phrase “that are powered by gasoline” suggests that only some trucks (the ones powered by gasoline) will be converted. This isn’t true – all of the trucks are being converted because they are all gasoline-powered!


This means we can eliminate answers B and E because they change the intended meaning. That leaves us with answers A, C, and D. Let’s take a closer look at #2 on our list, proper verb tense, and see how each answer stacks up:

A. to convert its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area to
This is CORRECT! The placement of “gasoline-powered” is good, and the verb “to convert” creates a nice parallel to the later verb “to run.”

C. on converting its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area that will
This is INCORRECT because it uses the phrase “plans on” which is not idiomatically correct. It should always be “plans to” on the GMAT.

D. for its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area to convert to
This is INCORRECT because it creates a bit of a strange, unintended meaning. This sentence, as written, says that the plan is for the trucks to convert themselves to natural gas. That doesn’t make sense!


Don’t study for the GMAT. Train for it.
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EMPOWERgmatVerbal

Thanks for your explanations. However when taken in regards with the question below - the answer choice was to go with a "situation that was tense" and not a "tense situation", however in this question we seem to be doing the opposite. Could you please explain this discrepancy?

Although some had accused Smith, the firm’s network manager, of negligence when the crucial data went missing, the CEO defused a situation that was quite tense with her public statement that the debacle was not Smith’s fault.
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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 10 Oct 2022, 09:14
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Bunuel
The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area to run on cleaner-burning natural gas.


(A) to convert its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area to

(B) to convert its more than 2,000 trucks in the Los Angeles area that are powered by gasoline to

(C) on converting its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area that will

(D) for its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area to convert to

(E) that its more than 2,000 trucks in the Los Angeles area that are powered by gasoline will convert to



(SC01603)

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UPS Trucks

(A) CORRECT

(B) Modifier (that are powered by gasoline)

(C) Modifier (that will run on … natural gas); Meaning / Idiom (converting … that)

(D) Meaning

(E) Meaning; Modifier (that are powered by gasoline)

First glance

Three answer choices start with to convert or on converting, while the other two mention convert to at the end. When parts of the sentence move around across the answer choices, look out for Meaning, Modifier, or Structure issues.

Issues

(1) Meaning
Meaning / Idiom: converting … that

Choices (A), (B), and (C) begin with to convert or on converting, while (D) and (E) use to convert at the end of the underlined section. Temporarily ignore the modifiers in each answer choice and look for the simple sentence structure. Here is the core structure of each sentence:

(A) The UPS plans to convert its trucks to run on natural gas.

(B) The UPS plans to convert its trucks to run on natural gas.

(C) The UPS plans on converting its trucks that will run on natural gas.

(D) The UPS plans for its trucks to convert to run on natural gas.

(E) The UPS plans that its trucks will convert to run on natural gas.

In choices (A), (B), and (C), the UPS is clearly doing both the planning and the converting. However, in choices (D) and (E), convert comes after trucks, rather than coming after United Parcel Service. This illogically implies that the trucks will convert themselves of their own accord, rather than being converted by the UPS. Eliminate answer choices (D) and (E).

Choice (C) says that the organization plans to convert just the trucks that will (already) run on natural gas. First, this wording never indicates what the organization plans to convert the trucks to. Second, if you assume (from knowledge of the original sentence) that it plans to convert the trucks to natural gas, then this reasoning is circular; logically, you can’t convert to natural gas the trucks that already will run on natural gas. Eliminate choice (C).

(2) Modifiers: that are powered by gasoline; that will run on … natural gas

Three of the answer choices use the term gasoline-powered trucks. The other two choices, (B) and (E), change this modifier to that are powered by gasoline. In choices (B) and (E), the modifier is moved away from the noun trucks, and appears immediately after the noun area. Since the modifier is immediately after the word area, it seems to imply that the area, not the trucks, is powered by gasoline. Eliminate choices (B) and (E).

Also, the intended meaning of the sentence is that only the gasoline-powered trucks in the area—as opposed to all trucks in the area—will be converted. By moving the reference to gasoline power away from the word trucks, choices (B) and (E) create ambiguity. It is no longer immediately clear whether the sentence refers to all trucks in the Los Angeles area or only the gasoline-powered ones.

Answer choice (C) also uses a that modifier. In this answer choice, the that modifier starts at the end of the underlined section: that will run on cleaner-burning natural gas. As in choices (B) and (E), this modifier logically describes the trucks, but is incorrectly placed next to the word area. Eliminate answer choice (C).

The Correct Answer

Correct answer (A) makes clear that the trucks are gasoline-powered. It also clearly conveys the fact that the UPS does both the planning and the conversion.
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Hi AndrewN,

Can we reject Choice B , C and E straight-away because of wrong placement of MODIFER That ? (Say in Choice B THAT is modifying Los Angeles Area which leads to illogical meaning)

Also in Choice B can THAT jump over Los Angeles Area and modify 2000 trucks?

Regards
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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 12 Oct 2022, 07:16
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PriyamRathor

I don't think eliminating based on "that" is safe since "that" can jump over the modifying phrase "in the Los Angeles Area"

As other experts have mentioned Option (A) and (B) are identical.

So picking the more concise option makes sense.
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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 13 Oct 2022, 00:22
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PriyamRathor
Say in Choice B THAT is modifying Los Angeles Area which leads to illogical meaning)

Also in Choice B can THAT jump over Los Angeles Area and modify 2000 trucks?
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Actually in choice B, that cannot modify Los Angeles area, because of the construct "that are".

So, the presence of the plural verb are is an indication that that is modifying a plural entity. Since "Los Angeles area" is singular, that cannot modify Los Angeles area in B.

p.s. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses modifier issues of "that", 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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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 14 Oct 2022, 08:41
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Submitting my response here. I've found the answers here really helpful to my understanding as well.

(A) to convert its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area to
OK

(B) to convert its more than 2,000 trucks in the Los Angeles area that are powered by gasoline to
Means converting only those that are powered by gasoline. Meaning changes here. We want a meaning that means all trucks

(C) on converting its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area that will
that will, odd

(D) for its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area to convert to
for its ... Trucks to convert to ... Meaning changes here. UPS is no longer the subject, truck is.

(E) that its more than 2,000 trucks in the Los Angeles area that are powered by gasoline will convert to
that X will Y (Convert). Meaning changes here. In (e) we're foreseeing the future vs in (a) Subject plans to do something
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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 11 Dec 2022, 01:48
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It is interesting to read that "plan on" is wrong idiom; we can check the reference here
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/plan+on+(something)

Therefore, we cannot exclude "C" because of idiom. I would say the C does not represent complete thought
Quote:
(C) on converting its more than 2,000 gasoline-powered trucks in the Los Angeles area that will
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Converting "to" what?
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The United Parcel Service plans to convert its more than 2,000 gasolin 27 Dec 2023, 14:44
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