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21 Aug 2020, 00:28
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Difficulty:
15%
(low)
Question Stats:
76% (01:14) correct
24%
(01:33)
wrong
based on 276
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
At a conference on the origins of language, the complexity of tools 1.75 million years old were said to suggest a level of human development inconceivable unless they had language.
A) were said to suggest a level of human development inconceivable unless they had language
B) were said to suggest that without language their level of human development was not conceivable
C) was said to be suggestive of a level of human development not conceivable without language
D) was said to suggest a level of human development inconceivable unless they had language
E) was said to suggest a level of human development inconceivable without language
21 Aug 2020, 00:32
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
GMAC frequently traps aspirants by "hiding the subject" in a long noun phrase.
The subject is complexity, singular—not tools, plural.
In options A and B, the plural verb were does not match the singular subject, complexity
ELIMINATE OPTIONS A AND B
• Split #2 - the case of the Missing Noun
Options A, B, and D all use pronouns that have no antecedent nouns.
Options A and D incorrectly use they. Who are they?
Option B incorrectly uses their. Same problem: no noun could be the antecedent of their.
Eliminate D. (Options A and B are already eliminated.)
• Split #3: meaning and comparing style
Suggestive of v. suggest
If X is suggestive of Y, then X makes you think about Y.
Suggestive of in option C means reminiscent of.
By contrast, to suggest in (D) means to show indirectly or to indicate (something).
This difference is slight, and not one that I would use as a basis for elimination unless I were down to two answers, as is the case now.
Not conceivable without vs. inconceivable without
The phrase not conceivable without language in option C does not flow as well as the phrase inconceivable without language in (E).
→ Although both contain double negatives, option E avoids using not and without in the same phrase.
→→ In general, inconceivable without or impenetrable without or unbearable without are much less "jerky" than
not conceivable without or not penetrable without or not bearable without.
That distinction does not hold all of the time, but "not" and "without" in the same phrase is usually not great phrasing.
Ultimately, we compare C and E and decide which one is better.
The strong, accurate verb in E (suggest) is better than the not quite accurate adjective (suggestive of) in C.
And option E's avoidance of not and without in the same phrase is better than the construction in C in which not ___ without is awkward.
Eliminate C.
The answer is E.
COMMENTS
gauri123456 , welcome to SC Butler.
You all seem to have trusted your good instincts when choosing between C and E.
Nicely done all around. Kudos to all.
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
Quote:
• Split #1: subject verb agreement
GMAC frequently traps aspirants by "hiding the subject" in a long noun phrase.
The subject is complexity, singular—not tools, plural.
In options A and B, the plural verb were does not match the singular subject, complexity
ELIMINATE OPTIONS A AND B
• Split #2 - the case of the Missing Noun
Options A, B, and D all use pronouns that have no antecedent nouns.
Options A and D incorrectly use they. Who are they?
Option B incorrectly uses their. Same problem: no noun could be the antecedent of their.
Eliminate D. (Options A and B are already eliminated.)
• Split #3: meaning and comparing style
Suggestive of v. suggest
If X is suggestive of Y, then X makes you think about Y.
Suggestive of in option C means reminiscent of.
By contrast, to suggest in (D) means to show indirectly or to indicate (something).
This difference is slight, and not one that I would use as a basis for elimination unless I were down to two answers, as is the case now.
Not conceivable without vs. inconceivable without
The phrase not conceivable without language in option C does not flow as well as the phrase inconceivable without language in (E).
→ Although both contain double negatives, option E avoids using not and without in the same phrase.
→→ In general, inconceivable without or impenetrable without or unbearable without are much less "jerky" than
not conceivable without or not penetrable without or not bearable without.
That distinction does not hold all of the time, but "not" and "without" in the same phrase is usually not great phrasing.
Ultimately, we compare C and E and decide which one is better.
The strong, accurate verb in E (suggest) is better than the not quite accurate adjective (suggestive of) in C.
And option E's avoidance of not and without in the same phrase is better than the construction in C in which not ___ without is awkward.
Eliminate C.
The answer is E.
COMMENTS
gauri123456 , welcome to SC Butler.
You all seem to have trusted your good instincts when choosing between C and E.
Nicely done all around. Kudos to all.
21 Aug 2020, 00:53
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At a conference on the origins of language, the complexity of tools 1.75 million years old were said to suggest a level of human development, inconceivable unless they had language.
A) were said to suggest a level of human development inconceivable unless they had language // "were" is wrong.
B) were said to suggest that without language their level of human development was not conceivable // "were" is wrong. "their" does not have a logical antecedent.
C) was said to be suggestive of a level of human development not conceivable without language // "suggest" is more direct. E is better.
D) was said to suggest a level of human development inconceivable unless they had language // "they" does not have a logical antecedent.
E) was said to suggest a level of human development inconceivable without language // best
Posted from my mobile device
A) were said to suggest a level of human development inconceivable unless they had language // "were" is wrong.
B) were said to suggest that without language their level of human development was not conceivable // "were" is wrong. "their" does not have a logical antecedent.
C) was said to be suggestive of a level of human development not conceivable without language // "suggest" is more direct. E is better.
D) was said to suggest a level of human development inconceivable unless they had language // "they" does not have a logical antecedent.
E) was said to suggest a level of human development inconceivable without language // best
Posted from my mobile device
