Hello Everyone!
This is a great example of a comparison/contrast sentence you might find on the GMAT! Let's tackle it, one problem at a time, to determine which option is the correct choice! First, here is the original sentence with any major differences between the options highlighted in
orange:
Unlike the conviction held by many of her colleagues that genes were relatively simple and static, Barbara McClintock adhered to her own more complicated ideas about how genes might operate, and in 1983, at the age of 81, was awarded a Nobel Prize for her discovery that the genes in corn are capable of moving from one chromosomal site to another.
(A)
Unlike the conviction held by many of her colleagues
that genes were (B)
Although many of her colleagues
were of the conviction of genes being(C)
Contrary to many of her colleagues
being convinced that genes were(D)
Even though many of her colleagues
were convinced that genes were(E)
Even with many of her colleagues
convinced of genes beingAfter a quick glance over the options, there are some things we can focus on:
1. What subordinate conjunction to begin with: Unlike/Although/Contrary to/Even though/Even with
2. Active vs. Passive Voice
3. Conciseness/WordinessLet's start with #1 on our list: subordinate conjunctions. Whenever we're using them to create a contrast, we need to check for 2 things:
1. The two things being contrasted are similar in wording/number/type
2. They are the right conjunction to show the intended meaningHere is how our options break down when we focus on subordinate conjunctions:
(A)
Unlike the conviction held by many of her colleagues that genes were
This is
INCORRECT because it's creating a false comparison! It's comparing "conviction" to Barbara McClintock, rather than comparing her colleagues to her (both of which are people).
(B)
Although many of her colleagues were of the conviction of genes being
This is
OKAY for now, so let's keep it for later.
(C)
Contrary to many of her colleagues being convinced that genes were
This is
OKAY for now, so let's keep it for later.
(D)
Even though many of her colleagues were convinced that genes were
This is
OKAY, so let's save it for later.
(E)
Even with many of her colleagues convinced of genes being
This is
INCORRECT because "Even with" isn't a subordinate conjunction in English. Since this isn't idiomatically correct, let's rule it out.
We can rule out options A & E because they either create a non-parallel comparison or used a conjunction that doesn't exist in English.Now that we're left with 3 options, let's tackle #2 & #3 on our list. There are two main things we need to focus on here:
1. Are the phrases written using active or passive voice? The GMAT always prefers active over passive voice, so try to rule out any that use passive voice.
2. Are they overly wordy or confusing? The GMAT doesn't like that either!(B) Although many of her colleagues
were of the conviction of genes beingThis is INCORRECT because the phrase "of the conviction of genes being" is overly wordy and confusing for readers. It's also passive voice, so let's rule this out.
(C) Contrary to many of her colleagues
being convinced that genes wereThis is also
INCORRECT because the wording is confusing. By adding in the word "being," it created a modifier that needed a comma before the word "being" to even work.
(D) Even though many of her colleagues
were convinced that genes wereThis is
CORRECT! It's clear, concise, and doesn't create any grammatical problems!
There you have it - option D is the correct choice! It creates a strong, clear, and concise contrast between Barbara McClintock and her colleagues! If you pay close attention to trends in the GMAT exam (active vs. passive voice / conciseness vs. wordiness / parallelism), you can easily spot problems and rule out options quickly!
Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.
_________________
"Students study. GMAT assassins train."
★★★★★ GMAT Club Verified Reviews for EMPOWERgmat & Special Discount
GMAT Club Verbal Advantage EMPOWERgmat Critical Reasoning Question Pack
close
