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20 Apr 2021, 23:51
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B
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
15%
(low)
Question Stats:
79% (01:14) correct
21%
(01:28)
wrong
based on 165
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Over the last six months, public and private banks have loaned more than $500 billion as part of aggressive new lending efforts by the nation’s Central Bank to distressed businesses and state and local governments.
A) more than $500 billion as part of aggressive new lending efforts by the nation’s Central Bank to distressed businesses and state and local governments.
B) more than $500 billion to distressed businesses and state and local governments as part of aggressive new lending efforts by the nation’s Central Bank.
C) as much as $500 billion as part of aggressive new lending efforts by the nation’s Central Bank to distressed businesses and state and local governments.
D) so much as $500 billion as part of aggressive new lending efforts to distressed businesses and state and local governments by the nation’s Central Bank.
E) as part of aggressive new lending efforts by the nation’s Central Bank more than $500 billion for distressed businesses and state and local governments.
20 Apr 2021, 23:53
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
THE PROMPT
The phrase should logically be placed next to loaned more than $500 billion.
Sentences such as this one are good for strengthening what I will call "psychological muscle memory."
Under pressure, on the test, a long sentence with a lot of phrases can appear daunting. It is easy to panic.
The key is to remember that grammar rules will not always be the dominant issue and that finding the key issue may require that you do more "better or worse" assessments between and among options.
THE OPTIONS
→ direct object = what was loaned? About $500 billion.
→ indirect object = to whom or to what was the $500 billion loaned? To distressed businesses and state and local governments
→ This sentence is tedious and confusing because we must wait until the end of the sentence to find out to whom the $500 billion was loaned.
Because of the placement of to distressed businesses, a reader might believe that there is something called "Central Bank to distressed businesses."
Now, if the latter were really the name of an institution, important words would be in all caps.
• Do not eliminate a sentence on the first pass because it contains stylistic problems.
I do not like this option. The indirect object should be placed right after the direct object so that the sentence is easily and quickly understood.
KEEP, but look for a better option
• The indirect object immediately follows the direct object. I understand quickly what was loaned and to whom.
Option A is fresh in our minds. Compare it to option B: is option A better or worse than option B?
Option A is worse than option B. Whichever sentence makes you work less hard to understand is the better sentence.
Eliminate A.
KEEP B
→ This sentence is similar to option A and not as good as option B.
• there is nothing wrong with as much as
No, as much as does not mean the same thing as more than does.
Not a problem. We are not required to replicate the wording in option A.
ELIMINATE C
→ We have already seen from option B that placing to distressed businesses right after $500 billion keeps the indirect object close to the direct object
• so much as is not idiomatic. It is also nonsensical.
ELIIMINATE D
→ as a matter of style and rhetorical effectiveness, the direct object ($500 billion) should be kept close to its verb (loaned)
• for is not idiomatic
→ if the lending is direct, we lend money TO, not for . . . $500 billion for distressed businesses.
A bank does not loan money "for" distressed businesses if the bank gives the money to the businesses.
• this sentence is a hot mess
→ the intervening phrase "as part of . . ." explains the purpose of the $500 billion loan to different places but creates a disjointed sentence.
. . .Banks have loaned as part of aggressive new lending efforts by XYZ . . . more than $500 billion for P, Q, and R.
This option is not better than option B.
The answer is B.
COMMENTS
mlakshmi84 , welcome to SC Butler.
The answers that provide explanation are quite good.
I used formal terms such as direct object and indirect object to talk about style and construction issues.
Many of you did not use those terms but simultaneously did a good job explaining the concept.
Nice work, everyone.
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)
THE PROMPT
Quote:
• The placement of the phrase to distressed businesses and state and local governments is the key in this question.
The phrase should logically be placed next to loaned more than $500 billion.
Sentences such as this one are good for strengthening what I will call "psychological muscle memory."
Under pressure, on the test, a long sentence with a lot of phrases can appear daunting. It is easy to panic.
The key is to remember that grammar rules will not always be the dominant issue and that finding the key issue may require that you do more "better or worse" assessments between and among options.
THE OPTIONS
Quote:
• The indirect object is too far from the direct object
→ direct object = what was loaned? About $500 billion.
→ indirect object = to whom or to what was the $500 billion loaned? To distressed businesses and state and local governments
→ This sentence is tedious and confusing because we must wait until the end of the sentence to find out to whom the $500 billion was loaned.
Because of the placement of to distressed businesses, a reader might believe that there is something called "Central Bank to distressed businesses."
Now, if the latter were really the name of an institution, important words would be in all caps.
• Do not eliminate a sentence on the first pass because it contains stylistic problems.
I do not like this option. The indirect object should be placed right after the direct object so that the sentence is easily and quickly understood.
KEEP, but look for a better option
Quote:
• I do not see any errors
• The indirect object immediately follows the direct object. I understand quickly what was loaned and to whom.
Option A is fresh in our minds. Compare it to option B: is option A better or worse than option B?
Option A is worse than option B. Whichever sentence makes you work less hard to understand is the better sentence.
Eliminate A.
KEEP B
Quote:
• The indirect object is too far from the direct object
→ This sentence is similar to option A and not as good as option B.
• there is nothing wrong with as much as
No, as much as does not mean the same thing as more than does.
Not a problem. We are not required to replicate the wording in option A.
ELIMINATE C
Quote:
• the indirect object is still too far from the direct object.
→ We have already seen from option B that placing to distressed businesses right after $500 billion keeps the indirect object close to the direct object
• so much as is not idiomatic. It is also nonsensical.
ELIIMINATE D
Quote:
• now the direct object, $500 billion, is too far from its verb loaned
→ as a matter of style and rhetorical effectiveness, the direct object ($500 billion) should be kept close to its verb (loaned)
• for is not idiomatic
→ if the lending is direct, we lend money TO, not for . . . $500 billion for distressed businesses.
A bank does not loan money "for" distressed businesses if the bank gives the money to the businesses.
• this sentence is a hot mess
→ the intervening phrase "as part of . . ." explains the purpose of the $500 billion loan to different places but creates a disjointed sentence.
. . .Banks have loaned as part of aggressive new lending efforts by XYZ . . . more than $500 billion for P, Q, and R.
This option is not better than option B.
The answer is B.
COMMENTS
mlakshmi84 , welcome to SC Butler.
The answers that provide explanation are quite good.
I used formal terms such as direct object and indirect object to talk about style and construction issues.
Many of you did not use those terms but simultaneously did a good job explaining the concept.
Nice work, everyone.
21 Apr 2021, 00:02
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My answer is (B). It took me 52 seconds.
So, public and private banks have loaned significant amount of money to distressed businesses and state and local governments, and such action is part of aggressive new lending efforts by the nation’s Central Bank.
Only (B) logically places "to distressed businesses and state and local governments" right after the dollar amount. Other options are unnatural. So this question seems to focus on just one issue: word order.
In (D), "so much as" is also incorrect.
So, public and private banks have loaned significant amount of money to distressed businesses and state and local governments, and such action is part of aggressive new lending efforts by the nation’s Central Bank.
Only (B) logically places "to distressed businesses and state and local governments" right after the dollar amount. Other options are unnatural. So this question seems to focus on just one issue: word order.
In (D), "so much as" is also incorrect.
