Hello Everyone!
This is a great example of a comparison/contrast sentence you might find on the GMAT exam! Before we get started, here is the original question with any major differences between each option highlighted in orange:
As contrasted with the honeybee, the yellow jacket can sting repeatedly without dying and carries a potent venom that can cause intense pain.
(A)
As contrasted with the honeybee
(B)
In contrast to the honeybee’s
(C)
Unlike the sting of the honeybee
(D)
Unlike that of the honeybee
(E)
Unlike the honeybee
Since we are dealing with a comparison/contrast of 2 items, the first thing we should check for is parallelism. The two items being compared or contrasted MUST be equal in number, type, or phrasing style.
In this sentence, "the yellow jacket" is one of the items being compared to something else. Let's see which answers compare it to a similar object, and eliminate those that don't:
(A) As contrasted with
the honeybee --> yellow jacket vs. honeybee -->
PARALLEL(B) In contrast to
the honeybee’s --> yellow jacket vs. something the honeybee owns -->
NOT PARALLEL(C) Unlike
the sting of the honeybee --> yellow jacket vs. the sting -->
NOT PARALLEL(D) Unlike
that of the honeybee --> yellow jacket vs. something the honeybee has -->
NOT PARALLEL(E) Unlike
the honeybee --> yellow jacket vs. honeybee -->
PARALLELWe can eliminate options B, C, and D because they aren't comparing similar types of things.Now that we're left with only 2 options, let's take a closer look to determine which is the best choice:
(A)
As contrasted with the honeybee
This is
INCORRECT because it's overly wordy and sounds awkward. Why say "As contrasted with" when something simpler, such as "Unlike" works just as well?
(E)
Unlike the honeybee
This is
CORRECT! It is comparing two similar items (two types of bees), and it uses the most concise language possible!
There you have it - option E is the best choice!Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.