The problem with that example is that both "to exceed the proposed speed limit" and "to exceed the current one" now match up with the future tense verb ("will be"). So it sounds as though drivers WILL be as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they WILL BE to exceed the current one.

Obviously exceeding the current speed limit in the future doesn't make any sense. In this case, it's better to include "they ARE" to illustrate the different times of the two actions.

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


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.

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

Hello, imSKR. Missing this question is okay. You just have to take from it what you can. First, yes, add the idiom as _____ as to your list so you recognize it the next time. That is an easy fix. The subtler issue is that we have a comparison here, and that as is used (unlike like) to compare actions. Who or what is exceeding the speed limit? Drivers who are doing something (i.e. exceeding). Thus, we are comparing an action to another action, and the extra they are, the doer of the action, is necessary. Otherwise, (A) can be read as saying,

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

I think you will agree with me that the above sentence provides a nonsensical meaning, that the current speed limit cannot exceed a proposed speed limit under any circumstances. Just laugh this one off. Choice (A) is a good trap answer; choice (E) is the correct answer.

Thank you for tagging me.

- Andrew

Stop with all the fancy explanations... Please !!!

Fist read these two sentences.

1) When it comes to calorie content, an apple is AS good AS a mango is.
2) For older patients a minor case of pneumonia can be as fatal as a heart attack(can be) |
"can be" is in ellipsis. It can be written or not written because the meaning is implied.

we need as-as comparison
Then we need a correct idiom --> "Likely to".

NOW LET US CHECK THE OPTIONS

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

Option A,B.C are out because of incorrrect idiom. Option D and E remaining.

D. as likely that they will exceed the proposed speed limit as :

likely that is incorrect .. likely to is the correct composition

WRONG :- Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be as likely that they will exceed the proposed speed limit as the current one. ---> SEE HOW WRONG THE SENTENCE SOUNDS !!!
[/color]

E. as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are. Likely to is correct.

as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are .
Traffic safety officials predict that drivers will be as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are (ELLIPSIS :-likely to exceed ) the current one. PERFECT
E wins :- Correct Idiom "likely to"
Correct usage of "As" for comparing clause.
"They" have a proper reference in DRIVERS


E can be read as:- "as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit as they are likely to exceed the current one."


LOOK FOR SIMPLICITY AND AVOID GETTING LOST IN UNNECESSARY RULES AND TERMINOLOGY WHILE MAKING A DECISION.
GMAT IS NOT LOOKING FOR YOU TO WRITE AN ESSAY ON SENTENCE CORRECTION EXAMPLES. ELIMINATE WRONG, SELECT RIGHT AND MOVE ON TO NEXT QUESTION.

Rule tested- Parallelism (ellipsis)

"to exceed" is implied in the second half of the sentence.

This is a case of ellipsis in comparison. In this some words omitted from the sentence to make it more concise. Both noun and verb can be omitted. The omitted words should be present in the first part of the sentence in the same form.

Jim's pen is brighter than Alex's (pen). - Correct! ("pen" is implies)
Jim is smarter than Alex (is). - Correct! ("is" is implied)

The omission of a noun for concision is straightforward. Just make sure that the 2 nouns in the sentence can be logically compared. But there are certain exceptions when you are deciding

whether to include a verb in the second half of the sentence.



Tense Shift

If the verb tense changes from the first to the second half of the sentence, then the verb must not be omitted in the second half.

· You look more beautiful think year than last year. - Incorrect

· You look more beautiful this year than you did last year.- Correct

Meaning Ambiguity-

Do not omit the verb if doing so will make the sentence’s meaning ambiguous.

I love my dog more than my friend. - Incorrect

Here, the intended meaning could be that I love my dog more than I love my friend, OR
that I love my dog more than my friend does. Since the omission of the verb in the second half of the sentence distorts the meaning, this sentence is incorrect on the GMAT.

·
I love my dog more than I love my friend.- Correct!

·
I love my dog more than my friend does.- Correct!



Coming to the option D and E

Option D makes a parallelism error. If we simplify, we get the following structures:


D. Drivers will be

as likely that they will exceed the proposed speed limit

as the current one (speed limit)

Comparing a clause with a noun phrase.



E. Drivers will be

as likely to exceed the proposed speed limit

as they are (to exceed ) the current one (speed limit)

Comparing two clauses.



As for the use of "that", both "likely that" and "likely to" are correct.

'Likely that' is correct.

It's likely that+ clause

Likely is often used with it as a subject

For example: It's likely that I'll be late.

The other usage is with infinitive

be likely to+ infinitive

For example: I'm likely to be late.

Learn proven strategies to get an MBA through GMAT in 2018! Join the free 4 part MBA Through GMAT Video Training Series.
https://gmat.crackverbal.com/mba-through-gmat-video-2018

Hope this helps!
CrackVerbal Academics Team

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.

ONE OF the best explanations EVER!