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20 Sep 2020, 00:00
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C
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
25%
(medium)
Question Stats:
68% (01:21) correct
32%
(01:30)
wrong
based on 346
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Unlike the law protecting endangered animals, the Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of endangered plants does not prohibit collectors to take listed plants from the wild if in doing so they comply with state laws.
A) to take listed plants from the wild if in doing so they comply with state laws
B) from taking listed plants from the wild if they are so doing in compliance with state laws
C) from taking listed plants from the wild if in doing so they comply with state laws
D) who take listed plants from the wild should they be in compliance with state laws
E) that take listed plants from the wild so long as they are doing so by being in compliance with state laws
20 Sep 2020, 00:03
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
→ People can remove endangered plants from the wild if those people comply with state law.
• Issues tested
→ IDIOM - one of the most commonly tested on the GMAT (see below)
→ diction and style
Diction means choice of words especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness, defined here.
-- almost always, chose the option whose verb voice matches the verb voice in the non-underlined portion (if that latter portion contains such a verb)
If the non-underlined portion is in active voice, choose the option whose verb is also written in active voice.
If the non-underlined portion is in passive voice, choose the option whose verb is also written in passive voice.
-- check pronouns and pronoun placement: which option conveys the antecedent most clearly?
Style is much harder to define, but generally means "writing that follows established norms of Standard Written English."
-- concision is an issue of style: if you can say exactly the same thing in fewer words, you should do so
-- as a general rule, an active verb (comply) is preferred to an action noun (compliance).
-- although aspirants can get a decent sense of "style" by studying published official questions, I believe that reading well-written prose (including novels) is the best way to learn style.
• Split #1 - The correct idiom is Prohibit X from Y
Prohibit X from Y is among the most common idioms that GMAC tests.
Magoosh, for example, includes Prohibit X from Y in its Top Ten GMAT Idioms List, which you can find here. That post was updated on September 14, 2020.
Because that list seems to shift around on the Magoosh GMAT Blog, I have uploaded the list for you.
At the bottom of the post is the attachment.
I occasionally have issues with uploads. I will see whether I can insert the upload immediately below. If not, it will still be at the bottom of the page. I'd take a look if I were you.
In other words, when you see the word "prohibit," start looking for the word from.
In addition, look for the structure that follows Prohibit X (collectors) From Y (taking listed plants from the wild).
Options A, D, and E do not use the idiom properly.
Those three options do not use the word from.
A) wrong: prohibit . . . TO take
D) wrong: prohibit . . . should they be
E) wrong: prohibit . . . so long as they are doing so by being
Eliminate A, D, and E
→ D and E contain other errors.
In D, "should they be in compliance" is stilted and not as good as the simple "if they comply" in option C.
-- although should is common in British English, in U.S. English, should connotes obligation, not condition.
-- as far as I can recall, no correct answer to an official question contained the word should in a conditional or subjunctive context
In E, so long as they are doing so by being in compliance should give you pause. That long string of words means "if they comply." Choose the short version.
• Split #2: Diction and Style
→ Here are the remaining options, B and C, in a shortened sentence:
B) [T]he Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of endangered plants does not prohibit collectors from taking listed plants from the wild if they are so doing in compliance with state laws.
C) [T]he Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of endangered plants does not prohibit collectors from taking listed plants from the wild if in doing so they comply with state laws.
→ Compare differences
B) if they are doing so in compliance
C) if in doing so they comply
(1) concision: options B and C say the same thing, but (C) is shorter
(2) the verb voice in C is better than that in B
→ the active verb comply in (C)
-- matches the prompt's active voice (active: P does not prohibit Q; passive: Q is not prohibited by P), and
-- is crisper, punchier, and more concise than the passive verb phrase structure in (B), are . . . in compliance
As a general rule, if the non-underlined portion is written in active voice, as is the case here, then pick the verb that is also in active voice.
If the non-underlined portion is in passive voice, pick the verb that is written in passive voice.
(3) Verbs usually trump action nouns
A verb (comply) is typically preferred to an action noun (compliance).
Verbs are the drivers of good English prose.
(4) clarity: the placement of the pronoun they is better in (C) than in (B)
→ They must refer to collectors.
Theoretically, we have two antecedents: collectors and plants.
Logically, we have only one antecedent: collectors.
Plants cannot comply with state laws.
Nor are plants in compliance with state laws.
We are not confused. They refers to collectors. Option B does not contain pronoun ambiguity.
But the placement in B makes us work harder than we work in C.
In option B, they is separated from are in compliance with. The latter phrase is the clearest sign that they means collectors.
Although Option B does not contain pronoun ambiguity, option C, by placing they and the verb comply together, immediately signals that they means collectors.
As noted, plants cannot comply.
Option C's use of they, in other words, is clearer than that in option B.
Eliminate B.
The correct answer is C
Notes
Takeaway: Do not get distracted by esoteric turns of phrase. Look for other issues.
In so doing v. In doing so is a distraction and a waste of your time.
Learn to ignore distractions.
Signs that you face a distraction include rarely seen phrasing, meanings that seem the same, and an unusually hard struggle to parse the meaning.
You may have seen in so doing, though the phrase is stodgy and mostly used in legal briefs. (Just ask me).
If you have been reading even 20 minutes a day of prose in English, you will have seen the second phrase, in doing so.
Whether those two phrases mean the same thing or not is: 1) too hard to decide quickly and 2) too hard to decide, full stop.
At some point, you must start gaming this GMAT game.
Learn what GMAC uses to distract and ignore the bait.
Ignore in so doing versus in doing so.
Takeaway: Learn to Identify Distractions
How would you know that in so doing and in doing so are phrases that will take you down a rabbit hole?
→ Notice that "in so doing" is either unfamiliar or uncommon.
→ Think about how infrequently you see these phrases and conclude that if these two phrases were indeed an idiomatic split, GMAC would be pushing the envelope of what is fair.
→ Notice that you have little to no idea whether they mean the same thing and that trying to parse the meaning is getting you nowhere.
→ Decide quickly that this pair is too hard.
Then look for other errors. We found four differences between options B and C.
Under time pressure, the first reason, concision, would be enough to make a decision.
If the phrases are unusual or their difference is not apparent, let go, move on, and look for other errors.
Be a strategist.
Concision and verb voice are real factors.
Option C is more concise than B.
Option C preserves the active voice contained in the non-underlined portion.
Concision and verb voice consistency are or should be familiar concepts. Use what is familiar.
vijk , I am glad that you asked a question about whether (C) changes the meaning.
I'm sure that others are wondering the same thing.
Answer? No.
C) . . . the Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of endangered plants does not prohibit collectors from taking listed plants from the wild if in doing so they comply with state laws.
in doing so is a substitution for taking listed plants from the wild.
We use in doing so in order to avoid repetition.
Replace in doing so with taking listed plants from the wild, which is the phrase that in doing so stands in for.
The sentence is bulky and clunky but neither ungrammatical nor incorrect in meaning.
COMMENTS
Rajat8 and Fdambro294 , welcome to SC Butler.
(Rajat8 , I may have welcomed you before, perhaps a few months ago. If so, you get a second welcome.)
I am extremely pleased with these answers.
For the most part they display thoughtful consideration rather than knee-jerk rule invocation; conscientious and helpful explanations; and good critical reasoning skills.
Nicely done.
--
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
Quote:
• Meaning?
→ People can remove endangered plants from the wild if those people comply with state law.
• Issues tested
→ IDIOM - one of the most commonly tested on the GMAT (see below)
→ diction and style
Diction means choice of words especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness, defined here.
-- almost always, chose the option whose verb voice matches the verb voice in the non-underlined portion (if that latter portion contains such a verb)
If the non-underlined portion is in active voice, choose the option whose verb is also written in active voice.
If the non-underlined portion is in passive voice, choose the option whose verb is also written in passive voice.
-- check pronouns and pronoun placement: which option conveys the antecedent most clearly?
Style is much harder to define, but generally means "writing that follows established norms of Standard Written English."
-- concision is an issue of style: if you can say exactly the same thing in fewer words, you should do so
-- as a general rule, an active verb (comply) is preferred to an action noun (compliance).
-- although aspirants can get a decent sense of "style" by studying published official questions, I believe that reading well-written prose (including novels) is the best way to learn style.
• Split #1 - The correct idiom is Prohibit X from Y
Prohibit X from Y is among the most common idioms that GMAC tests.
Magoosh, for example, includes Prohibit X from Y in its Top Ten GMAT Idioms List, which you can find here. That post was updated on September 14, 2020.
Because that list seems to shift around on the Magoosh GMAT Blog, I have uploaded the list for you.
At the bottom of the post is the attachment.
I occasionally have issues with uploads. I will see whether I can insert the upload immediately below. If not, it will still be at the bottom of the page. I'd take a look if I were you.
Attachment:
The attachment TOP 10 IDIOMS ON THE GMAT - MAGOOSH BLOG.pdf is no longer available
In other words, when you see the word "prohibit," start looking for the word from.
In addition, look for the structure that follows Prohibit X (collectors) From Y (taking listed plants from the wild).
Options A, D, and E do not use the idiom properly.
Those three options do not use the word from.
A) wrong: prohibit . . . TO take
D) wrong: prohibit . . . should they be
E) wrong: prohibit . . . so long as they are doing so by being
Eliminate A, D, and E
→ D and E contain other errors.
In D, "should they be in compliance" is stilted and not as good as the simple "if they comply" in option C.
-- although should is common in British English, in U.S. English, should connotes obligation, not condition.
-- as far as I can recall, no correct answer to an official question contained the word should in a conditional or subjunctive context
In E, so long as they are doing so by being in compliance should give you pause. That long string of words means "if they comply." Choose the short version.
• Split #2: Diction and Style
→ Here are the remaining options, B and C, in a shortened sentence:
B) [T]he Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of endangered plants does not prohibit collectors from taking listed plants from the wild if they are so doing in compliance with state laws.
C) [T]he Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of endangered plants does not prohibit collectors from taking listed plants from the wild if in doing so they comply with state laws.
→ Compare differences
B) if they are doing so in compliance
C) if in doing so they comply
(1) concision: options B and C say the same thing, but (C) is shorter
(2) the verb voice in C is better than that in B
→ the active verb comply in (C)
-- matches the prompt's active voice (active: P does not prohibit Q; passive: Q is not prohibited by P), and
-- is crisper, punchier, and more concise than the passive verb phrase structure in (B), are . . . in compliance
As a general rule, if the non-underlined portion is written in active voice, as is the case here, then pick the verb that is also in active voice.
If the non-underlined portion is in passive voice, pick the verb that is written in passive voice.
(3) Verbs usually trump action nouns
A verb (comply) is typically preferred to an action noun (compliance).
Verbs are the drivers of good English prose.
(4) clarity: the placement of the pronoun they is better in (C) than in (B)
→ They must refer to collectors.
Theoretically, we have two antecedents: collectors and plants.
Logically, we have only one antecedent: collectors.
Plants cannot comply with state laws.
Nor are plants in compliance with state laws.
We are not confused. They refers to collectors. Option B does not contain pronoun ambiguity.
But the placement in B makes us work harder than we work in C.
In option B, they is separated from are in compliance with. The latter phrase is the clearest sign that they means collectors.
Although Option B does not contain pronoun ambiguity, option C, by placing they and the verb comply together, immediately signals that they means collectors.
As noted, plants cannot comply.
Option C's use of they, in other words, is clearer than that in option B.
Eliminate B.
The correct answer is C
Notes
Takeaway: Do not get distracted by esoteric turns of phrase. Look for other issues.
In so doing v. In doing so is a distraction and a waste of your time.
Learn to ignore distractions.
Signs that you face a distraction include rarely seen phrasing, meanings that seem the same, and an unusually hard struggle to parse the meaning.
You may have seen in so doing, though the phrase is stodgy and mostly used in legal briefs. (Just ask me).
If you have been reading even 20 minutes a day of prose in English, you will have seen the second phrase, in doing so.
Whether those two phrases mean the same thing or not is: 1) too hard to decide quickly and 2) too hard to decide, full stop.
At some point, you must start gaming this GMAT game.
Learn what GMAC uses to distract and ignore the bait.
Ignore in so doing versus in doing so.
Takeaway: Learn to Identify Distractions
How would you know that in so doing and in doing so are phrases that will take you down a rabbit hole?
→ Notice that "in so doing" is either unfamiliar or uncommon.
→ Think about how infrequently you see these phrases and conclude that if these two phrases were indeed an idiomatic split, GMAC would be pushing the envelope of what is fair.
→ Notice that you have little to no idea whether they mean the same thing and that trying to parse the meaning is getting you nowhere.
→ Decide quickly that this pair is too hard.
Then look for other errors. We found four differences between options B and C.
Under time pressure, the first reason, concision, would be enough to make a decision.
If the phrases are unusual or their difference is not apparent, let go, move on, and look for other errors.
Be a strategist.
Concision and verb voice are real factors.
Option C is more concise than B.
Option C preserves the active voice contained in the non-underlined portion.
Concision and verb voice consistency are or should be familiar concepts. Use what is familiar.
vijk , I am glad that you asked a question about whether (C) changes the meaning.
I'm sure that others are wondering the same thing.
Answer? No.
C) . . . the Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of endangered plants does not prohibit collectors from taking listed plants from the wild if in doing so they comply with state laws.
in doing so is a substitution for taking listed plants from the wild.
We use in doing so in order to avoid repetition.
Replace in doing so with taking listed plants from the wild, which is the phrase that in doing so stands in for.
The sentence is bulky and clunky but neither ungrammatical nor incorrect in meaning.
COMMENTS
Rajat8 and Fdambro294 , welcome to SC Butler.
(Rajat8 , I may have welcomed you before, perhaps a few months ago. If so, you get a second welcome.)
I am extremely pleased with these answers.
For the most part they display thoughtful consideration rather than knee-jerk rule invocation; conscientious and helpful explanations; and good critical reasoning skills.
Nicely done.
--
Attachments
TOP 10 IDIOMS ON THE GMAT - MAGOOSH BLOG.pdf [113.72 KiB]
Downloaded 136 times
20 Sep 2020, 00:04
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Quote:
We are left with B and C.
Quote:
So doing is a bad construct
Quote:
Yes this is what we need.
