Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be equally likely

Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as to exceed the current one.

Is the above sentence correct? Why do we really need to put 'they are' if 'to exceed' is present? Agree that without 'to exceed' it will produce ambiguity.

Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be equally likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as the current one.

(A) equally likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as
(B) equally likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are
(C) equally likely that they will exceed the proposed speed limit as
(D) as likely that they will exceed the proposed speed limit as
(E) as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are


1. The intended sentence is-- Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are (likely to exceed) the current one. We may note the ellipsis here in full action for the sake of concision. Therefore, the Answer choice E is indeed complete.


2.The first step is to eliminate all the choices that miss the action verb in the second part, namely, ‘are’. Missing the verbal word will render the comparison wrong by treating the proposed speed itself as the current one. Then the essence of proposed loses relevance. Hence A, C and E can be dumped.
Now comes the idiom ‘as X as Y’ into play, wherein ‘as…. As’ is an essential ingredient. Hence, -will be equally likely to do x as they are Y -- is unidiomatic. As likely to do x as they are Y is the correct idiom. Therefore E.

I got stuck between A and E and eliminated E for the ambiguous use of "they". It could refer to the drivers or the officials. Where did I go wrong?

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-



Choice A: This answer choice incorrectly compares "the drivers" to "the current one"; This error is due to the omission of the verb in the second part of the comparison; when a comparison involves a tense shift, no verb can be omitted. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice B: This answer choice features the same error found in Option A. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice C: This answer choice utilizes the unidiomatic phrase "likely to"; furthermore, it is needlessly wordy and quite awkward due to the phrase "that they will". Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice D: This answer choice repeats the same idiom-related error found in Option C. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice E: This answer choice maintains correct idiom use and conveys the intended meaning of the sentence. Thus, this answer choice is correct.

Hence, E is the best answer choice.

All the best!
Experts' Global Team

Doesn't the word following "as" have to be parallel with the other word that follows the other second "as."

Hi GMATNinja, GMATNinjaTwo, MikeScarn, generis, hazelnut

Could you please confirm if the below sentences are correct?

When it comes to calorie content, an apple is AS good AS a mango.

When it comes to calorie content, an apple is AS good AS a mango is.

Experts daagh GMATNinja CrackVerbal egmat. Please help!

I don't understand the parallelism in Option E as in How are they parallel?
My reasoning :

as likely to exceed (Infinitive) the proposed speed limit as they are (Clause)

In the above as....as structure, Infinitive is made parallel to a clause.

Thank you.

Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be equally likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as the current one.


(A) equally likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as

(B) equally likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are

(C) equally likely that they will exceed the proposed speed limit as

(D) as likely that they will exceed the proposed speed limit as

(E) as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are

Hi AndrewN Sir,

As we discussed in other posts, look for simple and concise sentences ( make sure no other error in it).
in option A, i found :
likely to - tick
the proposed speed limit as the current one - ( only one singular, so one can only refer to speed limits; if ones ; could refer to drivers)- so no ambiguity- tick
other idiom: not sure ( so i hanged on A)

D: easy to reject ( as X as Y; X and Y are not same parts of speech and we have concise option available)
Between A and E , ( current one / they are current one). I choose A because in A i am comparing speed with speed without ambiguity .

My question:
In such situation, how can we avoid doing mistake as i did in A.
( i was not aware if equally like as could be wrong and "they" i found is not needed as there is no ambiguity in A)

please suggest

(E) as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are

I understand that as....as.... is the correct construction, but why "as they are the current one" make sense?

Current one refers to current speed limit; they refers to drivers

as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as drivers are the current speed limit??

Wouldn't this choice make more sense if "as likely to exceed the proposed limited as they DO WITH the current one"

Experts please explain...

Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are the current one.

Within the context of Choice E- is it ok to say....

...Drivers will be as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit AS the current one?

If you see what I've done above, I have excluded "THEY ARE" from the latter half of the sentence.

GMATNinja and other experts please weigh in on this

Within the context of Choice E- is it ok to say....

...Drivers will be as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit AS the current one?

If you see what I've done above, I have excluded "THEY ARE" from the latter half of the sentence.

GMATNinja and other experts please weigh in on this

Within the context of Choice E- is it ok to say....

...Drivers will be as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit AS the current one?

If you see what I've done above, I have excluded "THEY ARE" from the latter half of the sentence.

GMATNinja and other experts please weigh in on this

Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be equally likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as the current one.


(A) equally likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as

(B) equally likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are

(C) equally likely that they will exceed the proposed speed limit as

(D) as likely that they will exceed the proposed speed limit as

(E) as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are

EducationAisle

If we replace "equally" with "as" in the original sentence. Will it still be wrong? I don't know how the ellipses will work out then.

A'. Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as the current one.

A' will be still wrong right?