Unlike the Washington Monument the structure of the San Jacinto Memor

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION





• Split #1: compare similar things

The word unlike is a preposition and acts in the same way as the word like does.
In the idiom Unlike X, Y, the X- and Y-element must be parallel.
Unlike signals a comparison (a contrast) whose elements must be parallel.

In this case, on three occasions, the Washington Monument is compared to the structure of the San Jacinto Monument.

Options A, B, and D incorrectly compare the Washington Monument to the structure of the San Jacinto Memorial Monument.
→ we can compare monument to monument or structure to structure, but not one of each.

Eliminate A, B, and D

• Split #2: the transition word should show contrast

We need a contrasting "shift" word after "the S.J. Monument is not comprised entirely of stone."
In addition to is a long way to say and.
The point of the sentence is to show contrast: unlike is one of GMAT writers' favorite ways to signal contrast.
Eliminate E.

The correct answer is C.

NOTES

This sentence does not strike me as terribly logical.
The Washington Monument is composed entirely of stone.
The S.J. Monument is not composed entirely of stone, although the S.U. Monument is taller. (?)
Does being made of stone typically make a building taller?

→ the although part is tenuous
→ I am not a civil engineer. At all. But why would something not made of stone be shorter than (not be taller than) something that IS made entirely of stone?

If you found yourself stuck between C and E and unable to decide which logic should carry the day, perhaps you remembered that concision is an issue.
The phrase in addition to is unnecessarily long.

COMMENTS

neelanjan ,welcome to SC Butler.

These answers, whether ultimately correct, are well-reasoned.

jessiemjx and TarunKumar1234 , I am bumping you both to Best Community Reply.

Nicely done, everyone.

Comparison shall be between the Washington Monument and the San Jacinto Memorial Monument: Eliminate A, B & D

Between C & E, we have to choose constrast. that eliminates E

IMO C

It was between C and E for me.

I took out A, B, and D since you want to compare 2 different monuments, not a monument and a 'structure'.

The reason why I chose E over C was that I did not like the pronoun 'it', which could refer to either the Washington Monument or the San Jacinto Memorial Monument.

IMO E.

It's between C and D, rest are crossed off because of Noun modifier issue. We can't compare Washington monument to a structure.

IMO it's C because, it correctly refers to the singular noun, the San Jacinto Memorial Monument, and the phrasing in E, in addition to being taller, sounds fishy to my ears. Maybe not the correct Idiom.

Unlike the Washington Monument, the structure of the San Jacinto Memorial Monument is not comprised entirely of stone, in spite of being taller.


A) the structure of the San Jacinto Memorial Monument is not comprised entirely of stone, in spite of being taller Incorrect

comparison error - Monument compare with structure

B) the San Jacinto Memorial Monument’s structure is not comprised entirely of stone, despite being taller Incorrect

comparison error - Monument compare with structure

C) the San Jacinto Memorial Monument is not comprised entirely of stone, although it is taller Correct

D) the structure of the San Jacinto Memorial Monument is not comprised entirely of stone, although it is taller Incorrect

comparison error - Monument compare with structure

E) the San Jacinto Memorial Monument is not comprised entirely of stone, in addition to being taller Incorrect

in addition to - changes meaning, 'although' is closer to 'in spite of'

The official explanation is here.

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