Unlike computer skills or other technical skills, there is a disinclin

(E) Many people have a disinclination to recognize the weakness of their analytical skills while willing to admit their lack of computer skills or other technical skills.

We have two parts of a sentence connected by a conjunction, "while."

Let's first consider the part that precedes the conjunction.

Many people have a disinclination to recognize the weakness of their analytical skills

That section of the sentence is a complete clause, and it basically makes sense.

At the same time, "many people have a disinclination" conveys that many people have one disinclination. Of course, that meaning is a little off.

Further, "many people have a disinclination" is a bit convoluted. I would be better to say something along the lines of "many people are disinclined."

Now, let's consider the remainder of the sentence, which is even more clearly incorrect than the first part.

We can more easily see what's wrong with the second part of the sentence by shortening the sentence.

Many people have a disinclination ... while willing to admit their lack of computer skills or other technical skills.

The two parts do not make sense together.

This makes sense:

He was walking while asleep.

OK, we can all see that someone could walk while asleep. He was asleep, and during the period of time when he was asleep, he walked.

However, this does not make sense.

They have a disinclination while willing.

At best, that sentence conveys the nonsensical meaning that people are willing, and during the period of time when they are willing, the have a disinclination.

Really though, what's going on is that that meaning is not what's meant to be conveyed, and there are some words missing from version (E).

We have the following:

"People have a disinclination" and then "willing."

"have" does not go with "willing." We would not say "people have willing."

We would say that people "are willing."

So, there is no verb connecting "people" with "willing," and so, as it stands, (E) says essentially "people have a disinclination, while people willing," which is illogical.

So, some words are missing.

Here's a rewritten version of (E) that makes more sense.

Rewritten version of (E) Many people are disinclined to recognize the weakness of their analytical skills, while they are willing to admit their lack of computer skills or other technical skills.

A, B are straight out because of mismatched comparison.

C has a problem with the pronoun 'they'. It is not clear whether the people are weak or the skills are weak. Please note that the subject of the sentence is analytical skills

D. This is the correct sentence with the modifier modifying the noun in front.

E. The main problem with this sentence is that it is not clear what the modifier 'while willing to admit' modifies. It may be noted that there is no comma before while and hence that phrase illogically modifies the technical skills.

(P. S) it is often seen that when subordinate conjunction is placed at the end of a sentence, it usually starts a full-fledged subordinate clause with a subject and a verb although am not sure whether this is a convention or rule.

Drilled down to option C and D. Eliminated option C because of two reasons - "to a degree" doesn't make any sense. Moreover, the sentence completely changes the intent.

Hello

There are many comments regarding option E, in particular the use of "while". In my opinion, "while" can be used without a full clause as long as it is parallel to something that precedes it. Check out this Off SC problem: https://gmatclub.com/forum/a-recent-poll-indicates-that-many-people-in-the-united-states-hold-a-18679.html

In this particular case (E), what comes after while is unparalleled because it is preceded by a full clause, Thus it also should be structured the same way.

Please correct me if I'm wrong

A and B are gone for wrong comparison.
Though C corrects the comparison but meaning as well as structure-wise it does a pathetic job, as if analytical skills does something when it is not.
Out of D and E, E is an easy choice based on VAN rule, grammatically speaking.

Unlike computer skills or other technical skills, there is a disinclination on the part of many people to recognize the degree to which their analytical skills are weak.

(A) Unlike computer skills or other technical skills, there is a disinclination on the part of many people to recognize the degree to which their analytical skills are weak

(B) Unlike computer skills or other technical skills, which they admit they lack, many people are disinclined to recognize that their analytical skills are weak

(C) Unlike computer skills or other technical skills, analytical skills bring out a disinclination in many people to recognize that they are weak to a degree

(D) Many people, willing to admit that they lack computer skills or other technical skills, are disinclined to recognize that their analytical skills are weak

(E) Many people have a disinclination to recognize the weakness of their analytical skills while willing to admit their lack of computer skills or other technical

choice E suffer some problems.
adverb clause incomplete such as "willing to admit..." happens frequently on gmat. this is incomplete ,so, it is better to place it near the subject. if it follow the main clause this in INFERIOR, which can be incorrect and correct , depending on other choices, depending on each problem. one official question proves this point, which I dont remember. it seems "although".
this is first point E is inferior to D.

the second point is
choice E show two action happening at the same time. this is what we dont want
we need to show the two characteristics which exist indefinitely. this should be presented by simple tensese, "is', . I think "willing to ..." in choice D is adjective, not doing form of "to will".

I agree that "have a disinclination" is wordy". I think verb, or be+adjective is better than "have/take+noun". this this pattern as a rule.

this is hard to eliminate choice E.

this is OLD QUESTION FROM OG.
i dont think we should study it deeply because it is too old.
"comma+willing..." in choice E, the OA , is adverbial. and this is , I think, incorrect.

EducationAisle, could you please mark out the subject and verb for me in Choices A and E?

Unlike computer skills or other technical skills, there is a disinclination on the part of many people to recognize the degree to which their analytical skills are weak.


(A) Unlike computer skills or other technical skills, there is a disinclination on the part of many people to recognize the degree to which their analytical skills are weak

(B) Unlike computer skills or other technical skills, which they admit they lack, many people are disinclined to recognize that their analytical skills are weak

(C) Unlike computer skills or other technical skills, analytical skills bring out a disinclination in many people to recognize that they are weak to a degree

(D) Many people, willing to admit that they lack computer skills or other technical skills, are disinclined to recognize that their analytical skills are weak

(E) Many people have a disinclination to recognize the weakness of their analytical skills while willing to admit their lack of computer skills or other technical

This is one of those questions that proves that change in meaning is acceptable if the other choices are grammatically incorrect.
A. Comparison error
B. Comparison error
C. It says analytical skills bring out the disinclination. Illogical.
D. Here willing to admit that they lack has been made non essential by enclosing in commas. But this choice ia error free and hence is the correct option.
E. Have a disinclination is awkward at best if not wrong. While shows simultaneous action which definitely ia not the intendes meaning.
D is correct

Posted from my mobile device

Hi Sakshi,

A: Main subject: there; main verb: is

E: Main subject: many people; main verb: have

Doesn't option (D) change the meaning?

The original sentence never says that people lack computer or other technical skills. It simply says that they fail to admit that their analytical skills are WEAK.

Further, in option (C), if we replace "they" with "Analytical skills", doesn't it make sense?

Hello, karthik2209. There is a widespread myth that the original sentence somehow conveys the intended meaning. The truth is that only the non-underlined portion of a sentence is immutable, both in terms of its grammar and its meaning. Since the sentence we are examining is fully underlined, we have to assess each answer choice holistically, on its own merits. As for (C), the problem, of course, is that they is ambiguous and seemingly refers to people, and that is the sort of meaning change that the GMAT™ considers untenable. Unless they were replaced, the word remains unclear, and you have to go by what is on the screen instead of what you want to be there.

I hope that helps. If you have further questions, feel free to ask. Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew

egmat,

CAn you help why option E is wrong?

Can someone explain why in D the part that’s offset by commas is not considered non-essential? The first post in this chain suggests you can re order the “many people” and “willing to admit” in what circumstances can you do that?

Posted from my mobile device

Here's the official explanation provided by the GMAC for this question:

The point of this sentence is to contrast how people feel about their computer skills or other technical skills with how they feel about their analytical skills. However, the awkward, wordy construction that begins with there is confuses this comparison, so that computer skills… are illogically contrasted with disinclination. Making the sentence more concise allows the contrast to be clear.

Option A: An awkward, wordy construction prevents clarity of meaning; the comparison of computer skills… to disinclination is illogical

Option B: Computer skills or other technical skills are illogically compared to many people

Option C: The construction skills bring out a disinclination in many people is wordy, awkward, and idiomatically incorrect

Option D: Correct. Making people the subject of the sentence allows a construction that clearly contrasts how they feel about the two sets of skills.

Option E: Have a disinclination is wordy (the verb disinclined is preferred) and, when followed by while willing, creates an incomplete construction

The correct answer is D.

Please note that I'm not the author of this explanation. I'm just posting it here since I believe it can help the community.

Request Expert Reply:
Hi honorable experts,
MartyTargetTestPrep, GMATNinja, GMATGuruNY, AjiteshArun, AndrewN, BrightOutlookJenn
It seems that the highlighted part keeps the essential info, but it is kept with set of comma as non-essential modifier! May I know the actual reason behind it, please?

Hello, TheUltimateWinner. There may be no reason other than a stylistic one to explain why the sentence is expressed in the manner above. It could just as easily have adopted a who clause, with or without commas:

1) Many people who are willing to admit that they lack computer skills or other technical skills are disinclined to recognize that their analytical skills are weak.

2) Many people, who are willing to admit that they lack computer skills or other technical skills, are disinclined to recognize that their analytical skills are weak.

In the first sentence, we understand that the author means to single out a subset of people; in the second, we are just getting additional information about some people. It all depends on how the author of the sentence wants the reader to view the attached description of many people.

I wish there were a firm grammar-based reason I could offer, but this one could go either way. Thank you for calling my attention to the question.

- Andrew

AndrewN
Thanks for the feedback.
Actually, I've asked that question because so far we know that 'essential modifier' can't be kept between COMMA.

One more thing is that COMMA+VerbING is used to modify the whole clause preceding it, but there is no clause (just many people) before COMMA+VerbING, unfortunately. Can you share your thought, please?

One more thing:
In choice D, 'willing' is modifying 'many people', right? But, we know that 'willing' should modify 'many people' if there is no COMMA between them!