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Unlike math or science, there is an incapacity on the part of most people to acknowledge the severity of their language deficiencies.

A. Unlike math or science, there is an incapacity on the part of many people to acknowledge the severity of their language deficiencies. - WRONG. Incorrect comparison.

B. Unlike math or science, which they acknowledge are weak, many people are unable to acknowledge that they have language deficiencies. - WRONG. Incorrect comparison.

C. Unlike math or science, language brings out an incapacity in many people to acknowledge that they are deficient. - CORRECT. Crisp and clear with proper comparison between math or science and language.

D. Many people, able to acknowledge weaknesses in math or science, are unable to acknowledge their language deficiencies. - WRONG. Changes meaning.

E. Many people have an incapacity to acknowledge deficiencies in language while able to acknowledge their weaknesses in math or science - WRONG. Changes meaning.

IMO Answer C.
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Ans : D.

A,B COMPARISON issue ..illogical comparison.
C . MEANING issue. language cannt bring incapacity ..
D. Correct .
E. Sv issue in while clause . Are able or other verb should be there.

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Ans : D.

A,B COMPARISON issue ..illogical comparison.
C . MEANING issue. language cannt bring incapacity ..
D. Correct .
E. Sv issue in while clause . Are able or other verb should be there.

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does anyone know what level difficulty this question is?
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does anyone know what level difficulty this question is?

You can check difficulty level of a question in the tags just above the original post. For this question, the difficulty is 600-700.
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please provide the OE for this one..
imo the answer is C.

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The original sentence begins with a comparison between "math and science" and something else. The first noun following the comma must be the field of knowledge to which "math and science" are compared, not "an incapacity." Eliminate (A).
Eliminate (B). It compares "math and science" to "many people."
Eliminate (C). It corrects the comparison error by comparing math and science to "language," but "incapacity in many people to acknowledge..." is unclear. Deficient in what way?
Eliminate (E). The construction "have an incapacity ... while ..." needs to use two verbs in parallel form, or the second part needs to be changed into a modifying phrase. The phrasings while they are able or while being able would both work.
(D) is correct. The contrast between what "[m]any people" are and are not able to do is clearly and correctly drawn.
TAKEAWAY: The two parts of a comparison must be structured in parallel form. They must be the same sort of thing to make the comparison logical.
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Bunuel

Competition Mode Question



Unlike math or science, there is an incapacity on the part of most people to acknowledge the severity of their language deficiencies.


A. Unlike math or science, there is an incapacity on the part of many people to acknowledge the severity of their language deficiencies.

B. Unlike math or science, which they acknowledge are weak, many people are unable to acknowledge that they have language deficiencies.

C. Unlike math or science, language brings out an incapacity in many people to acknowledge that they are deficient.

D. Many people, able to acknowledge weaknesses in math or science, are unable to acknowledge their language deficiencies.

E. Many people have an incapacity to acknowledge deficiencies in language while able to acknowledge their weaknesses in math or science

Bunuel
Is there a meaning change when we say "people acknowledge their language deficiencies" instead of "people acknowledge the severity of their language deficiencies".
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Bunuel

Competition Mode Question



Unlike math or science, there is an incapacity on the part of most people to acknowledge the severity of their language deficiencies.

A. Unlike math or science, there is an incapacity on the part of many people to acknowledge the severity of their language deficiencies.

B. Unlike math or science, which they acknowledge are weak, many people are unable to acknowledge that they have language deficiencies.

C. Unlike math or science, language brings out an incapacity in many people to acknowledge that they are deficient.

D. Many people, able to acknowledge weaknesses in math or science, are unable to acknowledge their language deficiencies.

E. Many people have an incapacity to acknowledge deficiencies in language while able to acknowledge their weaknesses in math or science

Bunuel GMATNinja
What about the absence of a pronoun in D… ‘able to acknowledge weaknesses in math or science’ has no pronoun that refer back to the people. So it sounds as if they acknowledge that science and math are having weaknesses.

So what did I miss here?

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Bunuel

Competition Mode Question



Unlike math or science, there is an incapacity on the part of most people to acknowledge the severity of their language deficiencies.

A. Unlike math or science, there is an incapacity on the part of many people to acknowledge the severity of their language deficiencies.

B. Unlike math or science, which they acknowledge are weak, many people are unable to acknowledge that they have language deficiencies.

C. Unlike math or science, language brings out an incapacity in many people to acknowledge that they are deficient.

D. Many people, able to acknowledge weaknesses in math or science, are unable to acknowledge their language deficiencies.

E. Many people have an incapacity to acknowledge deficiencies in language while able to acknowledge their weaknesses in math or science

Bunuel GMATNinja
What about the absence of a pronoun in D… ‘able to acknowledge weaknesses in math or science’ has no pronoun that refer back to the people. So it sounds as if they acknowledge that science and math are having weaknesses.

So what did I miss here?

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Hello amoghhlgr,

We hope this finds you well.

Having gone through the question and your query, we believe that we can help clear up your doubt.

You are correct that the absence of a pronoun in the phrase "able to acknowledge weaknesses in math or science" leads to a potentially ambiguous meaning; however, the intended meaning - that many people are able to acknowledge their own weaknesses in math or science - is one correct interpretation of this phrase; in fact, it is the most logical one. Thus, although Option D is not perfect, it is not incorrect; further, the other answer choices all have far more concrete errors in terms of comparisons and meaning that lead them to be eliminated outright. Thus, Option D is the best answer choice.

Please remember, on the GMAT, you must identify the best of the given answer choice, not a perfect answer choice.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
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