Last visit was: 06 Dec 2024, 01:34 It is currently 06 Dec 2024, 01:34
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
karthikb
Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Last visit: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 6
Own Kudos:
525
 [524]
Posts: 6
Kudos: 525
 [524]
41
Kudos
Add Kudos
483
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
ChrisLele
User avatar
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
Joined: 28 Nov 2011
Last visit: 27 Jul 2020
Posts: 296
Own Kudos:
4,653
 [152]
Given Kudos: 2
Expert reply
Posts: 296
Kudos: 4,653
 [152]
77
Kudos
Add Kudos
74
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
daagh
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Last visit: 16 Oct 2020
Posts: 5,264
Own Kudos:
42,247
 [50]
Given Kudos: 422
Status: enjoying
Location: India
WE:Education (Education)
Expert reply
Posts: 5,264
Kudos: 42,247
 [50]
33
Kudos
Add Kudos
16
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
mcelroytutoring
Joined: 10 Jul 2015
Last visit: 05 Dec 2024
Posts: 1,191
Own Kudos:
2,508
 [50]
Given Kudos: 279
Status:Expert GMAT, GRE, and LSAT Tutor / Coach
Affiliations: Harvard University, A.B. with honors in Government, 2002
Location: United States (CO)
Age: 45
GMAT 1: 770 Q47 V48
GMAT 2: 730 Q44 V47
GMAT 3: 750 Q50 V42
GMAT 4: 730 Q48 V42 (Online)
GRE 1: Q168 V169
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Expert reply
GMAT 4: 730 Q48 V42 (Online)
GRE 1: Q168 V169
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Posts: 1,191
Kudos: 2,508
 [50]
25
Kudos
Add Kudos
22
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their production history.

A) small cars are more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their
B) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their
C) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in
D) more fuel-efficient small cars than those at any other time in their
E) more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in


A) The "are" is unnecessary, and "at any time" should read "at any other time." Otherwise it is an invalid comparison, since now is also a time. That's like saying "Sachin Tendulkar is better than any cricketer," which of course should read, "Sachin Tendulkar is better than any other cricketer," because he is not better than himself!

B) Again, "at any time" should read "at any other time."

C) Correct. "those" is an elegant way of referencing "small cars," and it also preserves the focus and meaning of the original.

D) We cannot compare a verb to a noun. In other words, we cannot compare how many cars are made to the cars themselves.

E) Sounds pretty good other than the "at any time" vs. "at any other time" issue that we should already be aware of, thanks to answers A/B vs. answers C/D. You could also argue that it shifts the meaning slightly from the original, changing the focus from small cars that are fuel efficient to fuel-efficient cars that are small.

You could also argue that both the answer choices with the word "now" (A and E) are redundant because of the reference to "Today's technology."

When confused by a tough SC, don't forget to compare and contrast your answers for inspiration. Omitting the "other" from this expression is a common mistake, but you can catch this mistake by scanning vertically, and paying close attention to the small differences between each answer choice.
User avatar
daagh
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Last visit: 16 Oct 2020
Posts: 5,264
Own Kudos:
42,247
 [32]
Given Kudos: 422
Status: enjoying
Location: India
WE:Education (Education)
Expert reply
Posts: 5,264
Kudos: 42,247
 [32]
22
Kudos
Add Kudos
9
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
This can get complex, if you so desire. However, just limit it to two aspects.
1. ‘Their’ has no clear antecedent. We cannot say, whether 'their' is the possessive pronoun of producers or small cars. So drop A, B, and D.
2. When in comparisons between two things, use of 'other' is a customary adjective for excluding the one compared from the rest of others. Note that choice E does not use the term ‘other’. So C is the choice.

Alternately, we can also see whether the comparison is 1)between cars of more fuel efficiency and of the current efficiency or 2) between more number of and the same number of small cars. Whichever way you take, you will finally land in C
User avatar
Marcab
Joined: 03 Feb 2011
Last visit: 22 Jan 2021
Posts: 856
Own Kudos:
4,660
 [26]
Given Kudos: 221
Status:Retaking after 7 years
Location: United States (NY)
Concentration: Finance, Economics
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V39
GPA: 3.75
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V39
Posts: 856
Kudos: 4,660
 [26]
17
Kudos
Add Kudos
9
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
az780
Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now
than at any time in their
production history.
A.small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their
B.small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their
C.small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in
D.more fuel-efficient small cars than those at any other time in their
E.more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in

Difference between "any time" and "any other time".
Any time- includes the current time as well so the comparison may include the contemporary cars as well. Incorrect
Any other time- includes the time period apart from today's time or current period. Sounds fine

Comparison has to be made between "small cars of today" and "small cars of other time".

D and E are ambigous in that they may intend to say "more number of fuel efficient cars" or "more fuel efficient small cars"
User avatar
CrackverbalGMAT
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 03 Oct 2013
Last visit: 05 Dec 2024
Posts: 4,879
Own Kudos:
8,121
 [20]
Given Kudos: 224
Affiliations: CrackVerbal
Location: India
Posts: 4,879
Kudos: 8,121
 [20]
10
Kudos
Add Kudos
10
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their production history.

(A) small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their If you come across any option where there is a stray pronoun, you need to first check is the pronoun has an antecedent. The plural pronoun “their” can have either “manufacturers” or “cars” as its antecedent. Vague.

(B) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their Same as A

(C) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in “those” refers to “small cars”. This option is saying that today’s technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more furl efficient that the small cars at any other time. Correct.

(D) more fuel-efficient small cars than those at any other time in their Same as A and same problem as in D

(E) more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in This option is talking about more small cars; the original sentence is taking of more fuel efficiency.

- Nitha Jay
General Discussion
User avatar
daagh
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Last visit: 16 Oct 2020
Posts: 5,264
Own Kudos:
42,247
 [13]
Given Kudos: 422
Status: enjoying
Location: India
WE:Education (Education)
Expert reply
Posts: 5,264
Kudos: 42,247
 [13]
7
Kudos
Add Kudos
6
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
For those who are short-timed on the floor, here is a quickie;

‘Their’ is simply ambiguous, unable to pinpoint whether it stands for cars or manufactures; drop A, B and D on that count; Between B and E; note that we have to use the term any other when we compare two things. So E is out; C wins
User avatar
chetan2u
User avatar
RC & DI Moderator
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Last visit: 21 Nov 2024
Posts: 11,445
Own Kudos:
37,849
 [7]
Given Kudos: 333
Status:Math and DI Expert
Products:
Expert reply
Posts: 11,445
Kudos: 37,849
 [7]
5
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
gmatser1
Can someone explain why E is wrong?


Hi,
two reasons why E is wrong..

Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their production history.
5) more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in

1) more fuel efficient small cars means different from 'small cars that are more fuel efficient'...
the comparison shifts from fuel efficiency to more number of fuel efficient small cars, illogically..

2) now is also a time in the production history..
so at any time should change to at any other time..

hope it helped
User avatar
sayantanc2k
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Last visit: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 2,397
Own Kudos:
15,373
 [1]
Given Kudos: 26
Location: Germany
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
WE:Corporate Finance (Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)
Expert reply
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
Posts: 2,397
Kudos: 15,373
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
qingping
what does "those" stand for ?

"Those" stands for "small cars". Small cars manufactured today are more fuel efficient than small cars (those) at any other time.
avatar
manlog
Joined: 08 Jan 2015
Last visit: 20 Aug 2018
Posts: 48
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 53
Posts: 48
Kudos: 57
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
sayantanc2k
qingping
what does "those" stand for ?

"Those" stands for "small cars". Small cars manufactured today are more fuel efficient than small cars (those) at any other time.
sayantanc2k, does answer B has a correct referral "they"? I am stuck with they + verv vs. those
User avatar
sayantanc2k
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Last visit: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 2,397
Own Kudos:
15,373
 [16]
Given Kudos: 26
Location: Germany
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
WE:Corporate Finance (Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)
Expert reply
Schools:
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47
Posts: 2,397
Kudos: 15,373
 [16]
10
Kudos
Add Kudos
6
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
manlog
sayantanc2k
qingping
what does "those" stand for ?

"Those" stands for "small cars". Small cars manufactured today are more fuel efficient than small cars (those) at any other time.
sayantanc2k, does answer B has a correct referral "they"? I am stuck with they + verv vs. those

"Those" is preferred in this case, because a "different copy" of "small cars" is required. We are not referring to the same "small cars that are more fuel efficient", but to a "different copy" of the "small cars", which were produced at any other time in production history. "They" could be used if we were referring the same cars. Another example may make the mistake more visible:

On the bridge I saw cars that are bigger than those in front of the house.... right
On the bridge I saw cars that are bigger than they are in front of the house....... wrong.

Therefore answer B is wrong.
User avatar
daagh
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Last visit: 16 Oct 2020
Posts: 5,264
Own Kudos:
42,247
 [5]
Given Kudos: 422
Status: enjoying
Location: India
WE:Education (Education)
Expert reply
Posts: 5,264
Kudos: 42,247
 [5]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their production history.

(A) small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their

(B) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their

(C) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in

(D) more fuel-efficient small cars than those at any other time in their

(E) more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in

Without burning much midnight oil, simply reject A, B, and D, for the awful ambiguity of the pronoun 'their' and limit oneself to just considering C and E.
The focus of new technology is not more numbers but better performance. It is no great USP to say that I make one million cars using my new technology and get 15 kilometers to a liter Vs that I may make only 100,000 cars but still can give 20 kilometers to a liter.
This is the one reason C scores over E.
avatar
kunalkhanna
Joined: 01 Dec 2017
Last visit: 26 Apr 2019
Posts: 9
Own Kudos:
3
 [1]
Given Kudos: 23
Posts: 9
Kudos: 3
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I am really confused between C and E, please help
User avatar
Kurtosis
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 13 Apr 2015
Last visit: 10 Nov 2021
Posts: 1,419
Own Kudos:
4,724
 [4]
Given Kudos: 1,228
Location: India
Products:
Posts: 1,419
Kudos: 4,724
 [4]
4
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their production history.

(C) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in - Notice any other time here. Also 'those' correctly refers to small cars. Comparison is between small cars using today's technology vs small cars of the past.

(E) more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in - Here comparison is between today's fuel efficient small cars vs fuel efficient small cars of the past and the present. This is illogical.

kunalkhanna
I am really confused between C and E, please help
avatar
Zaidf123
Joined: 21 Sep 2018
Last visit: 16 May 2021
Posts: 23
Own Kudos:
15
 [1]
Given Kudos: 15
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, General Management
GMAT 1: 650 Q47 V31
GMAT 1: 650 Q47 V31
Posts: 23
Kudos: 15
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I am not able to choose between B and C. Please help
User avatar
AjiteshArun
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 15 Jul 2015
Last visit: 06 Dec 2024
Posts: 5,653
Own Kudos:
4,902
 [4]
Given Kudos: 704
Location: India
GMAT Focus 1: 715 Q83 V90 DI83
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V169
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
GMAT Focus 1: 715 Q83 V90 DI83
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V169
Posts: 5,653
Kudos: 4,902
 [4]
4
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Zaidf123
I am not able to choose between B and C. Please help
This is the sentence that option B leads to:

Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their production history.

1. We need to distinguish between "old small cars" and "new small cars", so we don't want to use the they that option B uses, because the they makes it sound like we are talking about the same small cars. For example:

Today's politicians are better than they were in the 1800s.

This does not have exactly the same structure as B, but it shows the problem that the they introduces.

2. We should try to use "any other time" rather than "any time".

Spring is better than any other season.
Spring is better than any season. ← Spring itself is a season, so we need "any other".
User avatar
sislam04
Joined: 06 Sep 2016
Last visit: 10 Nov 2022
Posts: 37
Own Kudos:
13
 [1]
Given Kudos: 15
Posts: 37
Kudos: 13
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I find the comparison in c illogical.
You wouldn’t say I am taller than Jane. You would say I am taller than Jane is.

So it should be small cars are more fuel-efficient than smalls cars of the past were.

Please someone explain.

And would b have been correct if it were just changed to any other time?

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
AjiteshArun
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 15 Jul 2015
Last visit: 06 Dec 2024
Posts: 5,653
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 704
Location: India
GMAT Focus 1: 715 Q83 V90 DI83
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V169
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
GMAT Focus 1: 715 Q83 V90 DI83
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V169
Posts: 5,653
Kudos: 4,902
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
sislam04
You wouldn’t say I am taller than Jane. You would say I am taller than Jane is.
Hi sislam04,

"I am taller than Jane" should be fine. Why do you feel that we'd have to go with "I am taller than Jane is"?
User avatar
sislam04
Joined: 06 Sep 2016
Last visit: 10 Nov 2022
Posts: 37
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 15
Posts: 37
Kudos: 13
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
AjiteshArun
sislam04
You wouldn’t say I am taller than Jane. You would say I am taller than Jane is.
Hi sislam04,

"I am taller than Jane" should be fine. Why do you feel that we'd have to go with "I am taller than Jane is"?


Well you wouldn’t say:
“I am smarter than you”

You would say:
“I am smarter than you are”

The comparison should be the the features of each and not the feature of one person to a person.

Hence why I have trouble with C. It’s conspiring the small car fuel efficiency to the another car. Whereas it should be small car fuel efficient to small car fuel efficeny at any other time.

Hope that makes sense and thank you for your time.

Posted from my mobile device
 1   2   3   4   
Moderators:
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7147 posts
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
234 posts