Under high pressure and intense heat, graphite, the most stable form

Question

Under high pressure and intense heat, graphite, the most stable form of pure carbon, changes into the substance commonly referred to as diamond and  remaining this way whether or not  the heat and pressure are removed.

(A) remaining this way whether or not 
(B) remaining like that even as
(C) remaining as such whether or not 
(D) remains in this way although
(E) remains thus even when

Source: OG verbal review 2: Q45.

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/22/science/with-a-mighty-squeeze-nitrogen-is-transformed.html

The transformation is similar to that of carbon. Under high pressure and intense heat, graphite, the most stable form of pure carbon, changes into diamond and remains diamond  even when  the heat and pressure are taken away.

GMATNinja · Accepted Answer

For starters, the parallelism doesn’t make any sense. The parallelism trigger “and” is followed by “remaining”, and there’s no “-ing” modifier that could possibly be parallel to “remaining.”

Also, “whether or not” is apparently considered redundant on the GMAT. “Whether” is enough, and the “or not” is just a waste of words.

For whatever it’s worth, I’m also not crazy about the phrase “in this way.” But I’ll say more about that at the end of the explanation.

In any case, the parallelism alone is enough to eliminate (A).

(B) has the same parallelism problem as (A). See above for more on that issue.

Plus, the phrase “like that” is a little bit suspect here. I think “that” is trying to act as a singular pronoun (more on “that” in  this article  and in  this video ), and it presumably refers to “diamond.” So we have: “graphite… (remains) like a diamond even as the heat and pressure are removed.” Nope, the graphite IS a diamond – it’s not “like a diamond” or “like diamond.”

So (B) is gone.

(C) has the same two problems as (A): the parallelism is wrong, and “whether or not” isn’t really the GMAT’s favorite phrase. See the explanation for (A) for more on these issues.

I’m not sure that the phrase “as such” is completely wrong, for whatever it’s worth. I think it’s awkward and clunky and a little bit antiquated, but I wouldn’t eliminate (C) based solely on that phrase. Fortunately, we have plenty of completely concrete reasons to get rid of (C).

And now things get nasty.

The parallelism is fine now! We have “graphite…  changes  into… diamond and  remains …” That’s cool.

So what’s the difference between (D) and (E)? There are only two things, and both are pretty subtle.

First, “in this way” in (D) is pretty goofy. I guess the phrase “this way” is trying to refer to the fact that the substance is now a diamond? I can’t be certain that it’s WRONG, but it’s awfully weird to say “graphite remains in this way” when we’re trying to say “graphite remains a diamond.” How is being a diamond “a way”? That doesn’t make much sense. In (E), “thus” sounds pretentious, but it can reasonably refer back to “as a diamond.”

The other problem is a little bit clearer. The underlined portion in (D) ends with “although”, which basically means “despite the fact that” – so (D) is saying that the substance remains a diamond “ despite the fact that  the heat and pressure are removed.” (E) says that the substance remains a diamond “ even when  the heat and pressure are removed.”

That might seem like a really tiny difference, but (E) makes more sense. The point is that the substance remains a diamond even after the heat and pressure are removed – after all, you wouldn’t wear a hot, pressurized diamond in a ring, right? There’s no reason to emphasize the idea that it remains a diamond  despite  being removed from the heat.

So it’s probably a little bit unsatisfying, but (E) is our answer.

hemanthp · Answer

Ron Purewal says (and I post this here for the benefit of the group..I will take the KUDOS anyways

): the correct answer to this problem is (e). usually "thus" is used to mean roughly "therefore", BUT "thus" can mean "in the same way" or "in the same state". for instance: at maturity the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, and remains thus until its death. --> in this case, "thus" means "in the same state", and, therefore, means "as a butterfly". same thing in choice (e), in which "thus" means "in the form of diamond". this IS the intended meaning: AT THE TIME WHEN the pressure is removed, the substance stays in the form of diamond. -- (d) is incorrect. * "in this way" is unidiomatic here. "in this way" can refer only to the MANNER IN WHICH AN EVENT OR ACTION OCCURS OR IS PERFORMED. it CANNOT refer to the physical state of something. for instance, in the above example, you CANNOT use "in this way" to refer to the butterfly stage. also: * if you use "although", you are basically declaring that "the heat and pressure are removed". in other words, "X, although Y" expresses the idea that X and Y are both facts (although they contrast with each other in some way). this is not the intended meaning; "heat and pressure are removed" is a hypothetical that may or may not happen, and so should be introduced with "when" or "if" rather than "although". -End of Ron's message Thank you.

ExpertsGlobal5 · Answer

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem: 
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that under high pressure and intense heat, graphite changes into diamond, and it remains diamond even after the heat and pressure are removed.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Tenses + Verb Forms + Awkwardness/Redundancy

• Information that is permanent in nature is best conveyed through the simple present tense. 
• Present participles ("verb+ing" – "remaining" in this sentence) are used to modify nouns, refer to ongoing events in any time period, and (when preceded by a comma) express cause-effect relationships.

A:  This answer choice incorrectly uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "remaining" in this sentence) to refer to information that is permanent in nature; please remember, information that is permanent in nature is best conveyed through the simple present tense, and the present participles ("verb+ing" – “remaining” in this sentence) are used to modify nouns, refer to ongoing events in any time period, and (when preceded by a comma) express cause-effect relationships. Further, Option A uses the needlessly wordy phrases "this way" and "whether or not", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.

B:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "like that even as"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that graphite that has turned into diamond remains   similar   to diamonds, even   during the process   of heat and pressure being removed; the intended meaning is that graphite that has turned into diamond   remains diamond   even   after   heat and pressure have been removed. Further, Option B incorrectly uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "remaining" in this sentence) to refer to information that is permanent in nature; please remember, information that is permanent in nature is best conveyed through the simple present tense, and the present participles ("verb+ing" – “remaining” in this sentence) are used to modify nouns, refer to ongoing events in any time period, and (when preceded by a comma) express cause-effect relationships.

C:  This answer choice incorrectly uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "remaining" in this sentence) to refer to information that is permanent in nature; please remember, information that is permanent in nature is best conveyed through the simple present tense, and the present participles ("verb+ing" – “remaining” in this sentence) are used to modify nouns, refer to ongoing events in any time period, and (when preceded by a comma) express cause-effect relationships. Further, Option C uses the needlessly wordy phrases "as such" and "whether or not", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.

D:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "in this way"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that under high pressure and intense heat, graphite changes into diamond, and it remains diamond even after the heat and pressure are removed. Moreover, Option D further, subtly alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "although the heat and pressure are removed"; the use of although incorrectly implies that the graphite that has turned into diamond remains diamond,   despite the fact that   the heat and pressure are removed; the intended meaning is that the graphite that has turned into diamond remains diamond,   even after   the heat and pressure are removed.

E:   Correct.  This answer choice uses the phrase "remains thus even when"; the use of the pronoun "thus" and the phrase "even when" conveys the intended meaning of the sentence - that under high pressure and intense heat, graphite changes into diamond, and the graphite that has turned into diamond remains diamond even after the heat and pressure are removed. Further, Option E correctly uses the simple present tense verb "remains" to refer to information that is permanent in nature. Additionally, Option E is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.

Hence, E is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZj-SubJwsM

All the best!
Experts' Global Team

huntgmat · Answer

Parallel Structure

Under high pressure and intense heat, graphite, the most stable form of pure carbon, changes into the substance commonly referred to as diamond and remaining this way whether or not the heat and pressure are removed.

(A) remaining this way whether or not 
 Not parallel to  changes into  
(B) remaining like that even as
 Same as a 
(C) remaining as such whether or not
 Same as a  
(D) remains in this way although
 Hold it 
(E) remains thus even when
  akward

D for me.

maratikus · Answer

A, B, C are out because of "remaining"
D is out because of "in this way"

E is correct.

jay02 · Answer

E for me.

"remains thus" does imply the continuation of status quo or in this case the existential form (diamond).

"although" & "are" together didn't sound right to me. Maybe, it's a tense issue...

someone enlighten me please...

hanumayamma · Answer

The sentence has “whether” usage issue -

(A) remaining this way whether or not ( Whether implies an alternative or not – eliminate it )

(B) remaining like that even as ( “like” is used to compare two same comparable entities (nouns) – eliminate it )

(C) remaining as such whether or not ( Whether or not – eliminate it )

(D) remains in this way although ( Hold it )

(E) remains thus even when  (“When” is time modifier – eliminate it )

Answer: D

JohnLewis1980 · Answer

Hi mates,

IMO  E

Because of //ism, A, B and C out: graphite changes   and remains

Between D and E... well, for me Diamon is a state not a way, so, E

OA and Source?

Thanks

trainspotting · Answer

I will chose E instead of D...I think "in this way" is not making sense in D...On the contrary "remains thus" usage can be found in a lot of writings...

sudeep · Answer

E it is:

Dictionary meaning in WordWeb
 thus  (adverb) means: In the way indicated

although is inappropriate in D.

Natia · Answer

E IMO. As for difference between D and E
e.g.
The substance remains warm although ice is added.
The substance remains warm even when ice is added.
In the second sentence the emphasize is on the fact that even if you add ice, the substance remains its quality. This moment is not emphasized so strongly in the first sentence, just like in D and E

Darmody · Answer

Hi I have read the OA is E, can somebody explain what is the exact meaning of "thus" and when it can be used ?

Vercules · Answer

Hi Darmody,

Your question is very much justified; this usage of "thus" is rare. Usually it is used to mark a conclusion, but in this sentence it is used to express the present state of something; "in this way".

"Thus" is used in this sentence to expresses the present state of the transformed graphite, i.e. diamond.

To put it in simpler word you can replace "thus" with "in this way"

So the choice can be reworded as - remains  in this way  even 
 
You may use "thus" as a replacement of "in this way" or "the same way"

As an example:

Mary is extremely sad and is expected to remain thus until she hears some good news. --> You may replace "thus" with "in this way" and the meaning would remain the same.

Vercules

skamal7 · Answer

vercules,
 Can you please explain why the use of although is wrong in this sentence...

Vercules · Answer

Hi skamal7,

Putting into simple words, you use "although" when you are stating facts that happened or happening. "even when" is usually used when you want to express a hypothetical condition or a habit.

I go to school although it is raining.-->

Incorrect, "I go to school" expresses a habit, where as "although" is expressing a fact, i.e. "it is raining". The question under discussion presents the quality of graphite/ diamond. This is a general truth and in its use of although in (D) the sentence incorrectly means that this one time "heat and pressure are removed" and diamond remains in its current state. However, this does not expresses a general quality properly. The sentence's actual meaning is that diamond will retain its state while and even after removing heat and pressure. The removal of heat and pressure has not happened, it may or may not happen thus it is hypothetical. The use of "even if" would also be correct in this case.

I am going to school, although it is raining. -->

Correct, two facts are being expressed "going to school" and "it is raining".

I go to school even when it is raining. -->

Better, the sentence means that "I will go to school whether it rains or not" is it raining right not? may be or may not be (hypothetical).

I go to school even when it rains.  -->

Best, now the sentence expresses a habit, using simple present verbs "go" and "rains".

Hope this helps,

Vercules

Nitinaka19 · Answer

Hi E-Gmat,

Under high pressure and intense heat, graphite, the most stable form of pure carbon, changes into the substance commonly referred to as diamond and  remaining this way whether or not  the heat and pressure are removed.

(A) remaining this way whether or not-out
(B) remaining like that even as-out
(C) remaining as such whether or not-out
(D) remains in this way although
(E) remains thus even when

Im able to eliminate Choices A,B,&C as and is the parallel marker First Verb is "Changes" and Second should be "Remains"
But not able to eliminate Choice D & E. Please explain ?

Thanks in advance

egmat · Answer

Hi Nitin,

As the above poster has pointed out "although" is unnecessarily bringing in a contrast. There is no contrast in the intended meaning of the sentence. The sentence wants to say that even when certain conditions are changed, the diamond doesn't change. So, no contrast is required here.

I hope this helps!

Regards,
Meghna

AryamaDuttaSaikia · Answer

Two reasons for option E over D :

- D introduces unnecessary contrast by using Although. (Although changes the intended meaning of the sentence)

- In D (X, although Y) - the subject of X & Y are not related.

sukanyar · Answer

Can you explain this further. It is not clear to me.

Under high pressure and intense heat, graphite, the most stable form

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Under high pressure and intense heat, graphite, the most stable form

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