Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside th

Question

Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1) 
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Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside the classroom is quite positive, though overall reports of the climate outside the classroom are slightly more negative  than the climate inside the classroom .

A) than the climate inside of the classroom

B) than those of the climate inside the classroom

C) than is so of the climate inside the classroom

D) than compared to the climate inside the classroom

E) compared to those of the climate inside of the classroom

generis · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION   
  Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)

THE PROMPT  
 
Meaning?  Reports about the climate outside the classroom are more negative than reports about the climate inside the classroom. 
(I smell a bully on the playground.)

• we are dealing with a comparison
→ comparison words such as  more  are your triggers. Learn them.
→ the items being compared are the climate outside the classroom and the climate inside the classroom

• This sentence is excellent practice for you to learn to  ignore  parts of the sentence that are distractions. 
→ Strip the sentence by removing the entire first clause and the word "though," so we have:
 . . . overall reports of the climate outside the classroom are slightly more negative  than the climate inside the classroom . 
→ How do I know which parts of the sentence to remove? 
(1) practice
(2) practice
(3) practice—in which I force myself to identify what it being tested.
Then I know which parts of the sentence have no bearing on the issues tested by the question.

THE OPTIONS

• a faulty comparison exists between  reports  and the  climate  (inside the classroom)
→  watch the nouns . On the RHS of  than  is  climate . On the LHS of  than , the main noun is  reports . 
→  reports  are not more negative than  the climate .

• we must compare like to like in parallel fashion. 
The word  reports  in the non-underlined portion of the sentence must be compared to something like a report.
ELIMINATE A

• I see no errors

• the comparison is parallel
→  reports  (of the climate  outside  XYZ) are more negative than  THOSE = reports  (of the climate  inside  XYZ)

•  those  means  reports  
KEEP

• this answer is the trap for native speakers, who are accustomed to the phrase  is so . 
→ the word  so  can stand in for nearly any word or phrase, and even for a that-clause—but  so  cannot substitute for an entire clause
→ the phrase  than is so  roughly means  than is the case.  The latter phrase is among the most versatile of phrases in the English language.
→ but the singular verb  is  cannot be referring to (or substituting for) the plural noun  reports .

• this sentence does not compare  reports    to  reports   , but rather, tries to compare more negative outside climate to less negative inside climate.
→ in other words, the singular  is so  must refer to condition of being  negative. 
→ do not get tricked. The verb phrase  is so  is singular.  Reports  are plural and require the verb  are . 
→ At best, we are back to comparing the wrong things—namely,  reports  and  climate .
We do not have a noun that parallels  reports .
ELIMINATE C
 
• the word  more  and the phrase  compared to  are redundant;  more  in this context implies a comparison
→ when a comparison word such as  more  is present, eliminate any option that also contains language such as  compared to  or  in comparison to

• the comparison is not parallel:  reports  are still being compared to  climate 
→  reports    are more negative than compared to the  climate   
ELIMINATE D
 
• "than" is missing: the comparative word  more  must always be paired with  than 
• redundant: as in (D), we do not place  more  and  compared to  in the same sentence
ELIMINATE E

The answer is B.

COMMENTS

Ranasaymon  ,  monk123  ,  kush09  ,  warrior1991  ,  winterschool  ,  Akp880  , and  Varunsawhney8  , good to "see" you all.

This group displays diverse styles and includes Butler members with both long and short tenure.
Nice mix.
And nice work.

Ranasaymon · Answer

Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside the classroom is quite positive, though overall reports of the climate outside the classroom are slightly more negative  than the climate inside the classroom.

Comparison marker:  More...than
 Comparison:   overall reports of the climate outside vs overall reports of the climate inside

A) than the climate inside of the classroom   Incorrect

=> Comparison Error: overall reports of the climate outside vs the climate

B) than those of the climate inside the classroom    Correct

C) than is so of the climate inside the classroom    Incorrect

=> Unnecessarily wordy and comparison error : overall reports of the climate outside vs the climate

D) than compared to the climate inside the classroom    Incorrect

=> more..than compared to (redundant) ( Correct form-> more..than)
=> Comparison Error: overall reports of the climate outside vs the climate

E) compared to those of the climate inside of the classroom    Incorrect

=> more...compared to ( Incorrect)

monk123 · Answer

Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside the classroom is quite positive, though overall reports of the climate outside the classroom are slightly more negative than the climate inside the classroom.
 
POE:
Stop sign- more than; look for comparison error.
'reports' are compared here. Eliminate (A) (C) & (D)
Eliminate (E) - 'compared to' is redundant

A)  than the climate  inside of the classroom

B) than those of the climate inside the classroom -   CORRECT

C)  than is so of  the climate inside the classroom

D)  than compared to the climate  inside the classroom

E)  compared to  those of the climate inside of the classroom

kush09 · Answer

Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside the classroom is quite positive, though overall reports of the climate outside the classroom are slightly more negative  than the climate inside the classroom .

A)  than the climate  inside of the classroom
-- incorrect comparison, reports are compared to classroom

B)  than those of  the climate inside the classroom
-- Correct usage of comparison marker than, and those of indicate reports

C)  than is so of  the climate inside the classroom
-- incorrect comparison

D)  than compared to  the climate inside the classroom
-- than and compared is redundant.

E)  compared to  those of the climate inside of the classroom 
-- than is the correct comparison marker.

IMO answer is B.

warrior1991 · Answer

Incorrect comparison. Reports outside the classroom compared with climate inside the classroom.

Correct comparison. 
a)Reports outside the classroom compared with reports of climate inside the classroom.
b) More than  used.

Incorrect comparison. Reports outside the classroom compared with climate inside the classroom. 
 
 Incorrect comparison. Reports outside the classroom compared with climate inside the classroom. 
 
 We need  more than  construct.

IMO B

winterschool · Answer

Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside the classroom is quite positive, though overall reports of the climate outside the classroom are slightly more negative than the climate inside the classroom.

A) than  the climate  inside of the classroom  Incorrect

comparison error - reports compare with the climate

B)  than those of the climate inside the classroom   Correct

C) than  is so of  the climate inside the classroom  Incorrect

SV error - reports plural , is singular; 'those of' is better than 'is so of'

D) than  compared to  the climate inside the classroom  Incorrect

redundancy problem - than compared to

E)  compared  to those of the climate inside of the classroom  Incorrect

.....more ........than ......- better uses

Akp880 · Answer

Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside the classroom is quite positive, though overall reports of the climate outside the classroom are slightly more negative than the climate inside the classroom.

A) than the climate inside of the classroom

B) than those of the climate inside the classroom

C) than is so of the climate inside the classroom

D) than compared to the climate inside the classroom

E) compared to those of the climate inside of the classroom

Explanation:

A-  Illogical comparison ...reports are being compared with the climate here.

B- Correct choice. Logical comparison and idiomatic usage more X than Y

C- Illogical comparison .More X than Y idiom requires parallel X and Y elements.

D-Than and Compared both are same,hence  redundant  here.(Than is appropriate because of idiom More X than Y)

E-  unidiomatic structure.

Hence B is the correct answer.

Regards,
Atul Pandey

Varunsawhney8 · Answer

Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside the classroom is quite positive, though overall reports of the climate outside the classroom are slightly more negative than the climate inside the classroom.

A) than the climate inside of the classroom
INCORRECT COMPARISON
REPORTS COMPARED TO THE CLIMATE

B) than those of the climate inside the classroom
CORRECT COMPARISON
REPORTS COMPARED TO THOSE (REPORTS)

C) than is so of the climate inside the classroom
INCORRECT COMPARISON
REPORTS COMPARED TO THE CLIMATE

D) than compared to the climate inside the classroom
INCORRECT COMPARISON
REPORTS COMPARED TO THE CLIMATE

E) compared to those of the climate inside of the classroom 
IDIOM ERROR-
MORE THAN
INCORRECT

agar123 · Answer

Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside the classroom is quite positive, though overall reports of the climate outside the classroom are slightly more negative than the climate inside the classroom.

Meaning: Students feel that the atmosphere is positive both inside and outside the classroom , but reports of the climate outside the classroom are slightly more negative than <the reports> of the climate inside the classroom. So the issue is -- comparison, two logical entities should be compared.

A) than  the climate  inside of the classroom --> Reports are being compared to the climate

B) than those of the climate inside the classroom --->Correct

C) than is so of the climate inside the classroom ---> Same as A

D)  than compared to  the climate inside the classroom --> than compared to is incorrect.

E)  compared to  those of the climate inside of the classroom --> More should be followed by than

generis · Answer

You can find the official explanation  here .

VerbalBot · Answer

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Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside th

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Students generally feel that the atmosphere both inside and outside th

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

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My Rewards