It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk

Question

It is often better  to try repairing an old car than to junk it .

A. to try repairing an old car than to junk it.
B. to repair an old car than to have it junked.
C. to try repairing an old car than to junking it.
D. to try and repair an old car than to junk it.
E. to try to repair an old car than to junk it.

Source:   Nova GMAT  
Difficulty Level:   600

jitbec · Answer

The question is as it is. Nothing more to explain

akbism · Answer

to try to repair an old car || to junk it --> better choice
to try repairing an old car || to junk it --> I feel this choice is inferior than the above one.
Hence +1 E

jitbec · Answer

Thats the OA. Is there any standard rule for this?

akbism · Answer

I think Fluke or Gurpreet Singh can help us.

jassiinpublic · Answer

It is often better  to try repairing an old car than to junk it .
Answer Choices:

My choice is E. The process of elimination I used is below.

A. to try repairing an old car than to junk it.  (Awkward parallelism between "repairing" and "junk") 
B. to repair an old car than to have it junked.  (The word "try" is gone. IMO, it changes the meaning of the sentence) 
C. to try repairing an old car than to junking it.  ("than  to  junking it" - No need for the "to") 
D. to try and repair an old car than to junk it.  ("to try and repair" - Too much change due to the "and") 
E. to try to repair an old car than to junk it.  (Best option IMO)

viks4gmat · Answer

yup.. E...

this sentence tests paralellism... to repair or to junk.. detailed explanation is already provided by jassi

gjayachandra · Answer

A --> Missing Parellelism
B --> try is missing and its looking passive
c --> to junking it is a wrong way of usage (to goes with simple present verb form)
D --> to try and TO repair could be correct but it will make it wordy 
E --> correct parellelism

gmatopoeia · Answer

Answer: E

gurpreetsingh · Answer

what is wrong with A?

It is often better to   try  repairing an old car  than to   junk  it .

It is better to X than to Y.

Don't you think the bolded part are parallel? and to try  than  to junk are parallel too?

kuttingchai · Answer

Will Go with E

"to junk" should be parallel to "to repair"

arzad · Answer

I picked E...I was tempted by A too.

ksp · Answer

E sounds good.

But what is wrong with A.

Parallelism ???? to try.... than...... to junk. Parallel rite.

arzad · Answer

ksp

"try to" is the correct idiom...see page 170 on the SC Mgmat

ksp · Answer

Hey i have read some where that infinitive + infinitive + noun is error.

please clarify

Nayimoni · Answer

gurpreetsingh, "try repairing" as for every form " Try + gerund" means experimenting with something. However try + infinitive conveys intent and purpose.

For example: 
 -"I will try learning this concept" = I will get my hands dirty to learn this concept (not sure will succeed, though)
- "I will try to learn this concept" = I will purposefully strive to learn this concept

In the sentence, I doubt the sentence is "experimenting". Rather, the author's intent is to repair and really do that, rather than junk the car.

The other issues in the sentence are parallelism-related. Only Infinitives are parallel to each other. We should not mix simple gerunds with working verbs, nor with infinitives.

In "try repairing..have it junked" - besides any concision issue, we are paralleling here gerund (repairing) with a noun modified by a past participle (noun modifier). Again this is not structurally parallel.

arzad · Answer

https://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm Scroll down to point 6

ksp · Answer

Hey u picked E rite.

According to the link try must be followed by a gerund and it must be A rite.

arzad · Answer

I picked E.

From my link read below:

"Verbs that take other verb forms as objects are called catenatives (from a word that means to link, as in a chain). Catenatives can be found at the head of a series of linked constructions, as in "We agreed to try to decide to stop eating between meals." Catenatives are also characterized by their tendency to describe mental processes and resolutions. "

ksp · Answer

Oooh..... !!

There is a table of verbs that follow gerunds. I saw try in that table. And thats why.

It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

It is often better to try repairing an old car than to junk

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