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According to some anthropologists, the long-standing Western obsession

What is your answer?

54% [23]

30% [13]

11% [5]

0% [0]

2% [1]

Total votes : 42

Frank28

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08 Jul 2020, 15:02

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79% (01:50) wrong

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According to some anthropologists, the long-standing Western obsession with cultivating lawns is less an aesthetic choice than a genetically coded preference, inherited from early humans who lived in the savannas of East Africa, grassy areas in which inhabitants could not only forage freely but also spot approaching enemies from a great distance.

A. lawns is less an aesthetic choice than a genetically coded preference,
B. lawns is less an aesthetic choice than it is a genetically coded preference that had been
C. lawns is less of an aesthetic choice than it is a genetically coded preference, and it was
D. lawns, less of an aesthetic choice than a genetically coded preference that had been
E. lawns, less of an aesthetic choice than a genetically coded preference,

source: topgmat

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ArunSharma12

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08 Jul 2020, 22:17

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ans: A
According to some anthropologists, the long-standing Western obsession with cultivating lawns is less an aesthetic choice than a genetically coded preference, inherited from early humans who lived in the savannas of East Africa, grassy areas in which inhabitants could not only forage freely but also spot approaching enemies from a great distance.

A. lawns is less an aesthetic choice than a genetically coded preference,; comparison is clear in this choice. later part of sentence is one long modifier
B. lawns is less an aesthetic choice than it is a genetically coded preference that had been; preference that had been.. grassy areas? not sure what that had been intended to modify. It can stand for cultivating lawns or obsession
C. lawns is less of an aesthetic choice than it is a genetically coded preference, and it was; It can refer back to obsession or cultivating lawns. It was inherited.. does the obsession no longer is inherited from early humans
D. lawns, less of an aesthetic choice than a genetically coded preference that had been; preference that had been, inherited.. similar to option B. there is no verb for obsession
E. lawns, less of an aesthetic choice than a genetically coded preference, no verb for obsession

Frank28

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09 Jul 2020, 01:52

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ArunSharma12

Thank you for your comment. In my opinion, A means that the obsession is inherited from early humans, but the writer meant to say that the genetically coded preference is inherited from early humans. I would go with B

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06 Sep 2020, 19:55

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Frank28

ArunSharma12

But the usage of had been is incorrect.
Reason there are no two events to show comparison between of what happened before the other

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28 Oct 2020, 21:11

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Why "had been" is used here when there is no two events described in the sentence.

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28 Oct 2020, 21:58

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In B

“.....preference that had been inherited from early humans who lived in the Savanas....

Technically, isn’t B saying that we inherited the code from humans who lived in the Savannah BEFORE these humans lived in the Savanas? Obviously doesn’t make sense....

If not, then where is the 1st Past Event?

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29 Oct 2020, 21:22

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Can someone please explain why is B right and C wrong?

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30 Oct 2020, 05:43

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The issue with Answer C is that the sentence takes what should be a modifier and turns it into a separate, independent clause.

In answer C there are 2 clauses connected with a “comma , and” coordinating conjunction. From a grammar standpoint, everything about this part of the sentence seems fine. (Ignoring potential pronoun ambiguity issues)

However, from a contextual and meaning standpoint, things are slightly changed. The author intended the info. following the word “inherited” to be descriptive modifying info about the origins of the “long standing obsession.” Forming this part of the sentence into a new independent clause puts the modifying info. at the same level of importance as the main clause.
This does not follow the author’s intended meaning.

An example:

(1) “Floyd Mayweather Jr. possesses tremendous fighting skill, learned at a young age from his father.”

In this 1st example, the main focus of the sentence is to convey to the reader that Floyd Mayweather Jr is a skilled boxer. At the end of the sentence, as descriptive info., we are also told that these skills were learned from his father when Floyd Jr. was young.

VS.

(2)”Floyd Mayweather Jr. possesses tremendous fighting skills, and Floyd Jr. learned these skills at a young age from his father.”

This next sentence takes what was descriptive, modifying info. and places it at the same level of importance as the main clause. While the 2nd example does not technically have any grammar issues, it changes the context and focus of the sentence.

Maybe someone can explain it a little better.....i’ll see if I can find better examples and explanations.

Hope it helps somewhat

pg03

Can someone please explain why is B right and C wrong?

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Updated on: 31 Mar 2021, 08:37

Originally posted by GMATE1 on 31 Mar 2021, 08:21.
Last edited by GMATE1 on 31 Mar 2021, 08:37, edited 1 time in total.

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Dear GMATNinja, dear community,

I would highly appreciate if you could enlighten me as to why answer choice B is (supposedly) correct. As many others I choose A over B, because I do not believe that past perfect is necessary in answer choice B. Not only do I believe that it is unnecessary, but I also believe it is wrong as the verb "lived" is in simple past. And this usage would insinuate that first the western obsession was inherited BEFORE the ancestors lived, which is not logical!
I realize that "is" was repeated in B and therefore could be preferred due to parallelism, however I am not sure if it is required here as A seems clear and does not use past perfect, which I suspect to me wrong.

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31 Mar 2021, 10:36

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B is definitely incorrect. There's no specific past event for "inherited" to precede, so past perfect doesn't mean anything here. However, GMATE1, note that the past perfect applies only to "inherited," not to "lived," which is in a modifier.

I see no problem with A. I don't know if the source credits it as the answer, but it's the only one that works.

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How option A is incorrect and B is correct .

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