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26 Nov 2019, 01:00
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D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
45%
(medium)
Question Stats:
59% (01:14) correct
41%
(01:21)
wrong
based on 453
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
The huge painted temples, the canals and cause-ways, the palaces and markets, the orderliness and cleanliness—everything about Tenochtitlan impressed Cortes so that he compared it favorably with the great cities of Spain.
A) impressed Cortes so that he compared
B) so impressed Cortes to compare
C) were impressive enough to Cortes so that he compared
D) so impressed Cortes that he compared
E) impressed Cortes so as to compare
26 Nov 2019, 01:02
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
The huge painted temples, the canals and cause-ways, the palaces and markets, the orderliness and cleanliness—everything about Tenochtitlan impressed Cortes so that he compared it favorably with the great cities of Spain.
• HIGHLIGHTS
-- Meaning?
This sentence is about cause and consequence/ cause and effect.
A city in ancient Mexico deeply impressed a man; as a result, he compared it favorably with the great cities of Spain.
Because everything about the city of Tenochtitlan impressed Cortes very (so) deeply, he compared it to the great cities of Spain.
-- IDIOM?
Among other concepts, this question tests a fairly common idiom of consequence / result: So X that Y
Some options tempt us with scrambled versions of this idiom and other idioms of consequence or purpose.
I discuss a few similar idioms below.
-- EM DASH?
If the em dash confuses you, just remember that anything set off by an em dash is not essential.
The list gives specific examples of "everything" (about Tenochtitlan), but we can remove the list and the em dash without changing the core meaning of the sentence.
THE PROMPT
A) The huge painted temples, the canals and cause-ways, the palaces and markets, the orderliness and cleanliness—everything about Tenochtitlan impressed Cortes so that he compared it favorably with the great cities of Spain.
• careful - when the words "so that" are in one piece, right next to each other (i.e. NOT so ___ that), on the GMAT the words indicate purpose.
Technically, "so that" can indicate result. See, for example, Mike McGarry's examples in this post, here. (Scroll down to "Clauses of Consequence.")
• I do not recall an official answer in which "so that" led to a result clause.
I recall many in which "so that" expressed purpose.
-- SPOILER ALERT Here is a fairly typical official question in which "so that" expresses purpose.
Generally, "so that" indicates purpose whereas "so [adjective/adverb] that" (So X that Y) indicates consequence.
• this sentence is about consequence, not purpose. The city impressed Cortes. As a result, he compared it favorably to great Spanish cities.
• the phrase so that seems jarring and illogical.
The city did not impress Cortes "for the purpose of" his comparing it to great cities or in order to make him compare cities.
KEEP, but look for better options
-- Everything about P so impressed Cortes to compare it with Qs.
-- That sentence is nonsensical.
• The sentence mangles the So X that Y phrasing.
-- "so X," in which X is an adjective or adverb, should be followed by a [that + full clause] OR
by [AS + infinitive], in another less common idiom of consequence, So X as to Y, which would not work in this option.
-- that is missing, as is a full clause,
• (B) seems to be mashing up idioms: enough to and so X that Y
This way might be correct: The Aztec city impressed him enough to compare the Aztec city to other great cities.
(Enough carries a meaning different from what we need."Enough" is a threshold whereas "so X" deepens the effect of the adjective or adverb)
-- Eliminate B
• Too many mixed up idioms!
-- Correct: Everything was impressive enough to inspire Cortes to compare the city with other great cities.
-- "enough to" is a threshold, whereas "so X" is an extreme. Spoiler alert -- one official question in which "enough to" is correct can be found here.
• The sentence is also nonsensical, and comes very close to using a construction that GMAC dislikes: enough . . . that.
Eliminate C
• although the idiom So X that Y is used, X is neither an adjective nor an adverb.
It's a verb. X = impressed, and not in the adjective/past participle (verbED) sense.
Verb: The city impressed Cortes.
Still a verb: The city so impressed Cortes that he did ABC.
This construction is antiquated but not wrong.
-- A similar example: Andy so feared his tests that he made himself sick with a pile of junk food.
KEEP
• I have never seen a correct official answer in which "so as to" was in one piece (rather than split up as the phrase is in So X as to Y).
Although it is grammatical to use "so as to" in order to express purpose, GMAC does not like the construction.
• By contrast, GMAC occasionally uses So X as to Y—the words are split up.
-- So X as to Y is very similar to So X that Y
-- So X as to Y expresses consequence: attribute X is so extreme is this particular case as to cause Y.
-- Doer01 gave one good example of an official sentence in which So X as to Y was used to express result, here. Another official question is HERE
-- so as to in option E connotes purpose or intent, but the city did not have the intent to impress Cortes
Eliminate E
• Option A or D?
-- Option A is not as good as (D), even though (D) uses a fairly "quaint" construction that does not quite fit the template So [adjective] that _____.
-- Option A does not convey the extreme nature of the characteristics of the city, characteristics that were SO impressive they led Cortes to compare the city favorable to great cities in Spain.
The word "so" is in the wrong place.
A) Everything impressed Cortes so that he compared the city to ABCs. (Eh. Boring, and does not contain the sense that Cortes was deeply impressed.)
D) Everything SO impressed Cortes that he compared the city to ABCs. (Much better.)
The best answer is D
• NOTES
Recap: the idioms
SO THAT
So that expresses purposes or intent.
-- She goes to physical therapy so that she can avoid an operation. (purpose, intent)
-- Correct answer frequency? High.
To express purpose, GMAC likes so that. (Warning: do not use SO by itself to express purpose.)
SO AS TO
So as to also expresses purpose or intent. GMAC dislikes this idiom.
-- He slowly offered a treat to the frightened puppy so as to reassure the animal.
-- Correct answer frequency? So far, zero.
In other words, so as to is legitimate but GMAC rejects it.
-- See Mike McGarry's posts here and here; and Ron Purewal's post, here
I cannot find a single official question in which so as to is correct.
SO X THAT Y
So X that Y indicates results. Attribute X is so extreme in this case that Y results.
-- mykrasovski , your example was so vivid that I felt a little green myself.
-- Correct answer frequency? Medium high
SO X AS TO Y
So X as to Y also indicates results that are caused by an extreme characteristic.
-- The professor's description was so esoteric as to be incomprehensible.
-- Correct answer frequency? Medium low.
• If "so as to" is correct (legitimate), why doesn't GMAC use the construction?
Answer:
(1) to a native ear, the phrase sounds very stilted. I don't think I have let a sentence with "so as to" go out my editing door.
I certainly do not recall ever having written the phrase in anything professional.
(2) GMAC likes so that to express purpose. "So that" is straightforward.
EDIT: I deleted the material in which I wrote that GMAC had been inconsistent about "so as to."
Not true. Wrong idiom. GMAC had allegedly been inconsistent about So X as to Y.
Some authors assert that GMAC has been inconsistent about So X as to Y.
Some people will not choose So X as to Y because MGMAT Sentence Correction 6th edition calls the idiom "suspect."
I would rethink that position.
At this point, I think it's safe to say that the controversy was created by a tired OE writer.
You can read about the seeming inconsistency here.
The idiom is intact.
In fact, So X as to Y is the correct answer for SC87460.01 in OG 2020.
SPOILER I describe the question with three words beneath the spoiler so that if you've taken the question, you'll recognize it.
COMMENTS
Who the h#ll is Andrew? Or Andy?
I am teasing. I am glad to see dialogue: learning is not a spectator sport.
One way that I assess answers is to see whether a person has reasoned their way to an answer—and how well.
You do not have to be correct all the time.
You do have to think all the time.
I am very pleased to see critical and creative thinking on my Butler threads.
These idioms are hard. (I've tried to simplify them in "Notes.") If you took a wrong turn in your reasoning—well, now you know.
It's the eve of a holiday in my country, one that celebrates abundance.
Even more than courage, I respect generosity.
Kudos to all. To people in the U.S. and anyone else who wants to join in: Happy Thanksgiving.
Project SC Butler: Day 196: Sentence Correction (SC2)
The huge painted temples, the canals and cause-ways, the palaces and markets, the orderliness and cleanliness—everything about Tenochtitlan impressed Cortes so that he compared it favorably with the great cities of Spain.
• HIGHLIGHTS
-- Meaning?
This sentence is about cause and consequence/ cause and effect.
A city in ancient Mexico deeply impressed a man; as a result, he compared it favorably with the great cities of Spain.
Because everything about the city of Tenochtitlan impressed Cortes very (so) deeply, he compared it to the great cities of Spain.
-- IDIOM?
Among other concepts, this question tests a fairly common idiom of consequence / result: So X that Y
Some options tempt us with scrambled versions of this idiom and other idioms of consequence or purpose.
I discuss a few similar idioms below.
-- EM DASH?
If the em dash confuses you, just remember that anything set off by an em dash is not essential.
The list gives specific examples of "everything" (about Tenochtitlan), but we can remove the list and the em dash without changing the core meaning of the sentence.
THE PROMPT
Quote:
A) The huge painted temples, the canals and cause-ways, the palaces and markets, the orderliness and cleanliness—everything about Tenochtitlan impressed Cortes so that he compared it favorably with the great cities of Spain.
• careful - when the words "so that" are in one piece, right next to each other (i.e. NOT so ___ that), on the GMAT the words indicate purpose.
Technically, "so that" can indicate result. See, for example, Mike McGarry's examples in this post, here. (Scroll down to "Clauses of Consequence.")
• I do not recall an official answer in which "so that" led to a result clause.
I recall many in which "so that" expressed purpose.
-- SPOILER ALERT Here is a fairly typical official question in which "so that" expresses purpose.
Generally, "so that" indicates purpose whereas "so [adjective/adverb] that" (So X that Y) indicates consequence.
• this sentence is about consequence, not purpose. The city impressed Cortes. As a result, he compared it favorably to great Spanish cities.
• the phrase so that seems jarring and illogical.
The city did not impress Cortes "for the purpose of" his comparing it to great cities or in order to make him compare cities.
KEEP, but look for better options
Quote:
• even without the idiom problems, the sentence makes no sense. Read a stripped version:
-- Everything about P so impressed Cortes to compare it with Qs.
-- That sentence is nonsensical.
• The sentence mangles the So X that Y phrasing.
-- "so X," in which X is an adjective or adverb, should be followed by a [that + full clause] OR
by [AS + infinitive], in another less common idiom of consequence, So X as to Y, which would not work in this option.
-- that is missing, as is a full clause,
• (B) seems to be mashing up idioms: enough to and so X that Y
This way might be correct: The Aztec city impressed him enough to compare the Aztec city to other great cities.
(Enough carries a meaning different from what we need."Enough" is a threshold whereas "so X" deepens the effect of the adjective or adverb)
-- Eliminate B
Quote:
• the easiest split: subject/verb agreement. The singular noun everything does not agree with the plural verb were
• Too many mixed up idioms!
-- Correct: Everything was impressive enough to inspire Cortes to compare the city with other great cities.
-- "enough to" is a threshold, whereas "so X" is an extreme. Spoiler alert -- one official question in which "enough to" is correct can be found here.
• The sentence is also nonsensical, and comes very close to using a construction that GMAC dislikes: enough . . . that.
Eliminate C
Quote:
• this sentence conveys the correct meaning with the correct words.
• although the idiom So X that Y is used, X is neither an adjective nor an adverb.
It's a verb. X = impressed, and not in the adjective/past participle (verbED) sense.
Verb: The city impressed Cortes.
Still a verb: The city so impressed Cortes that he did ABC.
This construction is antiquated but not wrong.
-- A similar example: Andy so feared his tests that he made himself sick with a pile of junk food.
KEEP
Quote:
• So as to in one piece indicates purpose.
• I have never seen a correct official answer in which "so as to" was in one piece (rather than split up as the phrase is in So X as to Y).
Although it is grammatical to use "so as to" in order to express purpose, GMAC does not like the construction.
• By contrast, GMAC occasionally uses So X as to Y—the words are split up.
-- So X as to Y is very similar to So X that Y
-- So X as to Y expresses consequence: attribute X is so extreme is this particular case as to cause Y.
-- Doer01 gave one good example of an official sentence in which So X as to Y was used to express result, here. Another official question is HERE
-- so as to in option E connotes purpose or intent, but the city did not have the intent to impress Cortes
Eliminate E
• Option A or D?
-- Option A is not as good as (D), even though (D) uses a fairly "quaint" construction that does not quite fit the template So [adjective] that _____.
-- Option A does not convey the extreme nature of the characteristics of the city, characteristics that were SO impressive they led Cortes to compare the city favorable to great cities in Spain.
The word "so" is in the wrong place.
A) Everything impressed Cortes so that he compared the city to ABCs. (Eh. Boring, and does not contain the sense that Cortes was deeply impressed.)
D) Everything SO impressed Cortes that he compared the city to ABCs. (Much better.)
The best answer is D
• NOTES
Recap: the idioms
SO THAT
So that expresses purposes or intent.
-- She goes to physical therapy so that she can avoid an operation. (purpose, intent)
-- Correct answer frequency? High.
To express purpose, GMAC likes so that. (Warning: do not use SO by itself to express purpose.)
SO AS TO
So as to also expresses purpose or intent. GMAC dislikes this idiom.
-- He slowly offered a treat to the frightened puppy so as to reassure the animal.
-- Correct answer frequency? So far, zero.
In other words, so as to is legitimate but GMAC rejects it.
-- See Mike McGarry's posts here and here; and Ron Purewal's post, here
I cannot find a single official question in which so as to is correct.
SO X THAT Y
So X that Y indicates results. Attribute X is so extreme in this case that Y results.
-- mykrasovski , your example was so vivid that I felt a little green myself.
-- Correct answer frequency? Medium high
SO X AS TO Y
So X as to Y also indicates results that are caused by an extreme characteristic.
-- The professor's description was so esoteric as to be incomprehensible.
-- Correct answer frequency? Medium low.
• If "so as to" is correct (legitimate), why doesn't GMAC use the construction?
Answer:
(1) to a native ear, the phrase sounds very stilted. I don't think I have let a sentence with "so as to" go out my editing door.
I certainly do not recall ever having written the phrase in anything professional.
(2) GMAC likes so that to express purpose. "So that" is straightforward.
EDIT: I deleted the material in which I wrote that GMAC had been inconsistent about "so as to."
Not true. Wrong idiom. GMAC had allegedly been inconsistent about So X as to Y.
Some authors assert that GMAC has been inconsistent about So X as to Y.
Some people will not choose So X as to Y because MGMAT Sentence Correction 6th edition calls the idiom "suspect."
I would rethink that position.
At this point, I think it's safe to say that the controversy was created by a tired OE writer.
You can read about the seeming inconsistency here.
The idiom is intact.
In fact, So X as to Y is the correct answer for SC87460.01 in OG 2020.
SPOILER I describe the question with three words beneath the spoiler so that if you've taken the question, you'll recognize it.
That OG 2020 question is about gradual economic shifts.
COMMENTS
Who the h#ll is Andrew? Or Andy?
I am teasing. I am glad to see dialogue: learning is not a spectator sport.
One way that I assess answers is to see whether a person has reasoned their way to an answer—and how well.
You do not have to be correct all the time.
You do have to think all the time.
I am very pleased to see critical and creative thinking on my Butler threads.
These idioms are hard. (I've tried to simplify them in "Notes.") If you took a wrong turn in your reasoning—well, now you know.
It's the eve of a holiday in my country, one that celebrates abundance.
Even more than courage, I respect generosity.
Kudos to all. To people in the U.S. and anyone else who wants to join in: Happy Thanksgiving.
General Discussion
26 Nov 2019, 07:48
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generis
MEANING
Everything about the city so impressed C that he compared it [the city] favorably with other cities of Spain.
Idiom: "So + [adjective] + THAT"
A) "so that" is used to indicate the purpose or intention of some action - this means that "everything about the city impressed him with the intention/purpose that he compared it to other cities", unintended;
B) "so…to" is unidiomatic, the correct form would be "so + [adj] + as to";
C) "everything [sing]…were [plural]" sva; "so that" unintended;
E) "so as to" like "so that" is used to indicate purpose/intention of some action, unintended;
Ans (D)
