A year advantage in a new computer product or process being

Question

A year advantage in a new computer product or process being introduced  can give a company a significant edge on its competitors.

A. A year advantage in a new computer product or process being introduced
B. Introducing a new computer product or process by a year earlier 
C. A year's advantage to introduce a new computer product or process 
D. To introduce a new computer product or process by a year earlier 
E. Being a year ahead in introducing a new computer product or process

Source: Brutal SCs

jainu · Accepted Answer

Hi all,
The question tests the usage of "gerunds vs infinitives"
The following rules should always be remembered:

Gerunds - often used when actions are real, concrete or completed:
Ex-I stopped smoking. (The smoking was real and happened until I stopped.) 
Infinitives - often used when actions are unreal, abstract, or future:
Ex-I stopped to smoke.(I was doing something else, and I stopped; the smoking had not happened yet.) 
 
One can easily eliminate the choices and end up choosing b/w B and D.
Now look at the two sentences and the clause which is   not   underlined
  b. Introducing a new computer product or process by a year earlier 
d. To introduce a new computer product or process by a year earlier   
  can give a company a significant edge on its competitors

The non-underlined part of the sentence(look at the word    "can give"   ) clearly tells that the "introduction of products a year earlier" is neither real, concrete or completed.

Hence we will choose infinitive instead of gerund and hence choice D is better.

KarishmaB · Answer

Here is the thing about "being" - it is an absolutely acceptable word in English language so it is odd to think that a particular institute does not favour it!
The reason many sentences with the word "being" are incorrect is that we often use this word incorrectly in our day-to-day language.

For example,

Being a doctor, he is very well respected.

This is incorrect because he is not "being" a doctor; he "is" a doctor.

But there are correct ways of using ‘being’. Since most students believe that ‘being’ is wrong, don’t trust the GMAC to not use this nugget of information to misdirect the test takers. The correct answers of questions at higher ability are worded in such a way that they make the test takers uncomfortable!

So how is ‘being’ used correctly?

‘Being’ is used to express a temporary state.

The little boy started screaming when he saw his dog being impounded.

‘Being impounded’ is a temporary state and would be over – unlike being a doctor. So the use of being is correct here.

In the original question, the company is not "being" a year ahead. It would be a year ahead in introducing and that won't change.

That said, option (D) "by a year earlier" doesn't work either. The SC is certainly from a non standard source and not worth your time and effort.

GMATT73 · Answer

Good one Praet, straight to the notes. 

To v (simple present) .... can v ( simple present)~

hanumayamma · Answer

The answer is : D

I found very useful information at:  https://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verbs.htm#infinitive

I hope this helps to resolve your confusion.

I chose B, but the OA is D. Aren't both gerunds and infinitives can be used as subjects anyways? what makes them both different in this question?thanks

Both gerunds and infinitive phrases can function as nouns, in a variety of ways. 
More information @  https://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm

Actual and Potential Meanings Although a gerund and an infinitive will often have practically the same meaning ("Running in the park after dark can be dangerous" and "To run in the park after dark can be dangerous"), there can be a difference in meaning. Gerunds are used to describe an "actual, vivid, or fulfilled action" whereas infinitives are better used to describe "potential, hypothetical, or future events" (Frodesen & Eyring 297). This is especially true with three kinds of verbs: verbs of emotion, verbs of completion/incompletion, and verbs of remembering.

nevergiveup · Answer

Being is rarely correct on the GMAT, so eliminate E
What gives a company a significant edge? It's not a year's advantage. It is the whole action of introduce a new computer product or process by a year earlier. So eliminate A and C.
Now, between B and D. Introducing....can give or To introduce...can give.
Introducing....give is not parallel. So eliminate B.

The correct answer left is D.

jainu · Answer

Yes. For ex, say the above sentence is changed to...

It is a fact that  a year advantage in a new computer product or process being introduced  gives a company a significant edge on its competitors. 
In this case following make more sense:
It is a fact that  introducing a new computer product or process by a year earlier  gives a company a significant edge on its competitors.

I guess this version has no other errors. But the point is that "real fact" means use gerunds.....

BM · Answer

A - "A year advantage" is vague. Also, the phrases before and after "or" are not parallel.
B - "Introducing" is not the best word to use here. "To introduce" sounds better.
C - "A year's advantage" is illogical. A year cannot have an advantage.
D - Correct.
E - Be careful when "being" appears. Maybe too many -ing words in phrase.

I'm still not quite sure why option E is incorrect. "Being" is usually a warning sign, but the word is not wrong all of the time. Perhaps there are parallelism issues with E as well.

KarishmaB · Answer

Responding to a pm:

It's a bad question - none of the options are sound.

Given OA - (D) uses "by a year earlier" which is not an acceptable expression.

Kindly ignore the question and move on.

Avinashs87 · Answer

I would greatly appreciate some light in this answer . Choice E is a better candidate for an answer than D in my opinion. What do you guys think?

AryamaDuttaSaikia · Answer

" E" starts with "being." A sentence starting with "being " can only be correct if "being" acts as a replacement of because. Also "being" and " can" is not parallel in "E." Hence "D" is the best of the lot. In the other answer choices" edge" and "advantage" is redundant.

Avinashs87 · Answer

Thanks! While I understand GMAT does not preferring, E made much more sense. Thanks for the clarification.

sayantanc2k · Answer

Verb+ing structure could have various functions:

1. Present continuous: I am going to school. I am being good.
2. Gerund: I hate going to school. I hate being good.
3. Present participle: I made my father happy, going to school regularly. I made my father happy, being good to the poor.

I cannot see any reason that "go+ing" would be correct in the above 3 cases, but "be+ing" would not be. Only the items 1 and 3 above depicts the sense of "temporary state" for the word "being". Item 2 is a general truth; yet I would consider the statement correct.

The usage of "being" in option E falls under the category 2 above (gerund). Hence probably the usage is grammatically not quite wrong for the same reason that " I hate being good" is not wrong.

Another example:
Being happy is the ultimate objective of living.

Here "being happy" is not a temporary state, but a general truth. Would you consider this sentence wrong then?

Adi88 · Answer

Dear,
Thanks for your clarification.
From where did you get the following rule ? Please mention the source.

Gerunds - often used when actions are real, concrete or completed:
Ex-I stopped smoking. (The smoking was real and happened until I stopped.)
Infinitives - often used when actions are unreal, abstract, or future:
Ex-I stopped to smoke.(I was doing something else, and I stopped; the smoking had not happened yet.)

mSKR · Answer

I understand that maybe question is not standard, but I have a query on gerund vs infinitives.

D says: To introduce a new computer product or process xxx can give (expected results)
B says: Introducing a new computer product or process xxx can give (expected results)

As we say:
Running is good for health (Anyone who does may avail the benefits. The statement is more in general)-- Gerund is preferred ?
I want to run to improve my health (it shows intention of a person) -- Infinitive is preferred

So in this line , B should be an answer? Is not it?

If the statement were:
A company needs to introduce a new computer a year ahead to get a significant edge on its competitors. ( here shows an intention of company )
Infinite is better in above statement.

What I am missing?

AndrewN   VeritasKarishma

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  imSKR . You are not missing anything. In fact, I agree with your analysis. However, (B) suffers from the same error that is preserved in (D), namely   by  a year earlier . To be clear, it would be fine to say that introducing something a year earlier can confer some benefit, but it is  not  okay to place  by  in there as a time marker. The gerund is preferred in such a sentence, and I cannot get behind (D) for any reason. I am glad this question is tagged "poor quality." That is the right label for it.

Even so, I appreciate your bringing my attention to it. You did such a fine job analyzing the issues that I have little to add myself.

- Andrew

A year advantage in a new computer product or process being

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A year advantage in a new computer product or process being

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