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04 Dec 2020, 17:57
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ra213
While (B) might not have any clear-cut grammatical errors, it certainly seems a bit wordy and unclear. Let's look at a couple reasons why:
- First, the reader might initially think that "having their ability..." modifies "long fasts" (even though that doesn’t make much sense). To be fair, the intended meaning is pretty obvious. But the fact that the meaning is open to interpretation is one small vote against (B).
- Second, something seems fishy (or should I say turtle-y?) with "having their ability" — it's a bit redundant. We already know that the turtles have the ability, so we don’t need to repeat that the ability is theirs.
- Third, while "having" can imply cause and effect, it doesn't necessarily imply cause and effect... perhaps "having their ability" is just something the turtles do while they endure long fasts? In (D), the use of "because" makes the cause and effect relationship undeniably clear: Why can turtles endure long fasts? Because they are able to survive on weekly or even monthly feedings.
Is (B) technically wrong? Maybe not. But it just isn't as good as (D), which conveys the intended meaning in a clearer and more direct way.
I hope that helps!
25 Apr 2021, 19:43
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GMATNinja MartyTargetTestPrep
I understand why D is correct, but I am having a hard time convincing myself that answer choice A and B is wrong. Can you please explain your thought process?
I understand why D is correct, but I am having a hard time convincing myself that answer choice A and B is wrong. Can you please explain your thought process?
25 Apr 2021, 21:30
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shenwenlim
Here's the version created via the use of (A).
Turtles, like other reptiles, can endure long fasts, in their ability to survive on weekly or even monthly feedings; however, when food is readily available, they may eat frequently and grow very fat.
That version conveys the meaning that turtles can endure fasts in their ability to survive. There's no way to endure in an ability. So, the meaning conveyed by the (A) version is nonsensical.
Here's the version created via the use of (B).
Turtles, like other reptiles, can endure long fasts, having their ability to survive on weekly or even monthly feedings; however, when food is readily available, they may eat frequently and grow very fat.
GMAT Ninja explained what's wrong with (B) quite well a couple posts above. I can add another point.
It does really make sense to call the basic ability to survive on weekly or monthly feedings "their ability," not only because it is clearly an ability had by turtles, so "their" is unnecessary, but also because, as the sentence even implies, turtles are not the only creatures that have that ability. So, it is actually "an ability" that a number of creatures have, not "their ability," which only turtles have.
On another note, a funny thing about this sentence is that even the correct version conveys a silly meaning. The fact that turtles can endure long fasts is pretty much the same as he fact that they are able to survive on weekly or even monthly feedings. So, the sentence basically says, "turtles can endure long fasts because they can survive long fasts." LOL.
