Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce

Question

Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1) 
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Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, as with wind instruments , hydraulophones make use of flowing water to generate sounds hydraulically.

A) Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, as with wind instruments,

B) Unlike the use of a vibrating membrane to produce sound in percussion instruments, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator in wind instruments,

C) Unlike percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or wind instruments, which require the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,

D) Similar to percussion instruments using a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or wind instruments requiring the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,

E) In contrast to a vibrating membrane used to produce sound in percussion instruments, or wind instruments, which require the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,

generis · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)

THE PROMPT  
  Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, as with wind instruments , hydraulophones make use of flowing water to generate sounds hydraulically. 
The non-underlined part of the sentence starts with hydraulophones, which are a musical instrument. 
The underlined part also needs to focus on musical instruments: percussion instruments and wind instruments.

Finally, the sentence sets up a contrast among the musical instruments. 
Hydraulophones, percussion instruments, and wind instruments make sound in different ways.

THE OPTIONS  
 
• "like" is illogical
→ the word  like  does not create contrast.

• comparisons should be parallel and this one is not
→ this option incorrectly compares  percussion instruments  to  a player who blows into a mouthpiece. 
Not parallel. 
Okay, they are both nouns, but the two  do not serve  the same logical function in the sentence.
 Percussion instruments  are parallel to  hydroaulophones. 
 A player who blows a mouth piece  describes the mechanism by which wind instruments make sound; the phrase is not parallel to hydrolauphones. 
 ELIMINATE A

• not parallel
→ which two things are hydrolauphones similar to? Percussion instruments and wind instruments.

→ what is the focus in this option? The  use of a vibrating membrane  and  the player   directly blowing into a mouthpiece 
In other words, in option B,  musical instruments  should be compared to the  hydrolauphones

ELIMINATE B
 
• I do not see any errors
• this option correctly compares percussion instruments, wind instruments, and hydraulophones (instruments)
KEEP

• the words  similar to  do not show contrast

• comparison error
The phrases  percussion instruments using  something and  wind instruments requiring  something cannot be compared with  hydraulophones make use of .
 Using  and  requiring  are not verbs. Those words anchor adjective phrases that describe their nouns.
To "make use"    is  a compound verb.
The comparison (contrast) is not correct.
ELIMINATE D

• the comparison is not parallel or logical
A  vibrating membrane  cannot be compared with  wind instruments  or with  Hydrolauphones 
ELIMINATE E

The correct answer is C.

COMMENTS

These answers are quite good.

Try to remember the simple details: when you see the words  like  and  unlike  in the same set of options, you will need to decide whether you see similarity or difference.
Once you decide which of the two you see, remember to check every option's overarching logic.
Option D can be gotten rid of because the sentence requires contrast and "similar to" conveys the opposite of contrast.

Kudos to all.

zhanbo · Answer

My answer is  (C) . It took me one minute.

(A) Firstly, ”or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator“ is not parallel with either "Like percussion instruments" or "which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound".
Moreover, hydraulophones is  not  like percussion instruments.

So we can eliminate (D) as it starts with "similar to".

(B) hydraulophones cannot be compared with "the use of a vibrating membrane".

(C) So clear in its meaning without any issues. I can almost choose it without checking the last option (E). (But I still took a look.)

(E) hydraulophones cannot be contrasted with "a vibrating membrane".

swim2109 · Answer

Meaning is the most important aspect of this question which then dictates the parallelism order and comparison issue.

Discard A and D as the 'hydraulophones' use a different technique to either of the two instruments mentioned. The list is percussion instruments and wind instruments.

The hydraulophones must be compared to instruments rather than to 'its usage' or 'the membrane''. Discard B and E.

C is the answer in my opinion as it preserves the meaning while ensuring parallelism in comparison.

TarunKumar1234 · Answer

Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, as with wind instruments, hydraulophones make use of flowing water to generate sounds hydraulically.

The question discusses different types of instruments, which do not have any similarity. So use UNLIKE/ IN CONTRAST TO

A) Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, as with wind instruments,
Use of like/similar to is incorrect.
Also, 'percussion instruments or the player' is compared to hydraulophones
The comparison of player to the hydraulophones is incorrect.

B) Unlike the use of a vibrating membrane to produce sound in percussion instruments, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator in wind instruments,
'the use' is compared to the 'hydraulophones'. Incorrect comparison.

C) Unlike percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or wind instruments, which require the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,
'percussion instruments or wind instruments' are comapred with 'hydraulophones'
Correct

D) Similar to percussion instruments using a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or wind instruments requiring the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,
Same as A

E) In contrast to a vibrating membrane used to produce sound in percussion instruments, or wind instruments, which require the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,
'vibrating membrane' or 'wind instruments' is compared to the 'hydraulophones'.
'vibrating membrane' or 'wind instruments' are not parallel and two different things to begin comparison with 'hydraulophones'

Choice C is the answer.

carouselambra · Answer

IMO C

Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, as with wind instruments, hydraulophones make use of flowing water to generate sounds hydraulically.

Skeleton of the sentence : Unlike X,which..OR Y,which...,Z make...
Keep in mind, the list should be parallel.

A) Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,  as with wind instruments ,

B) Unlike the  use of a vibrating membrane  to produce sound in percussion instruments, or  the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece  connected to a resonator in wind instruments,
Incorrect comparison : Use of a vibrating membrane is compared with player directly blowing into a mouthpiece

C)  Unlike  percussion instruments,  which  use a vibrating membrane to produce sound,  or  wind instruments,  which  require the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,
 Correct  : Verb, Parallelism,Idioms

D)  Similar to  percussion instruments using a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or wind instruments requiring the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,
Per the sentence, we need a contrast marker.

E)  In contrast to a vibrating membrane  used to produce sound in percussion instruments, or wind instruments, which require the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,
Changes the meaning of a sentence.

winterschool · Answer

Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, as with wind instruments, hydraulophones make use of flowing water to generate sounds hydraulically.

A) Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound,  or the player directly  blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, as with wind instruments,  Incorrect

it has parallelism error - ........percussion instruments......or the player...........

B) Unlike  the use of a vibrating membrane  to produce sound in percussion instruments, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator in wind instruments,  Incorrect

comparison error - hydraulophones compare with the use of a vibrating membrane

C)  Unlike percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or wind instruments, which require the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,   Correct

D) Similar to percussion instruments using  a vibrating membrane to produce sound , or wind instruments requiring  the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator ,  Incorrect

working principals of percussion instruments and wind instruments are different from hydraulophones, so similar uses wrong
 
E) In contrast to  a vibrating membrane  used to produce sound in percussion instruments, or wind instruments, which require the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,  Incorrect

comparison error - hydraulophones compare with a vibrating membrane

jhavyom · Answer

Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, as with wind instruments,  hydraulophones make use of flowing water to generate sounds hydraulically.

The question discusses different types of instruments, which do not have any similarity. So use UNLIKE/ IN CONTRAST TO

A) Like  percussion instruments , which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound,  or the player  directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, as with wind instruments,
Use of like/similar to is incorrect.
Also, 'percussion instruments or the player' is compared to hydraulophones
The comparison of player to the hydraulophones is incorrect.

B) Unlike  the use  of a vibrating membrane to produce sound in percussion instruments, or the player directly blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator in wind instruments,
'the use' is compared to the 'hydraulophones'. Incorrect comparison.

C) Unlike  percussion instruments , which use a vibrating membrane to produce sound,  or wind instruments , which require the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,
'percussion instruments or wind instruments' are comapred with 'hydraulophones'
Correct

D) Similar to  percussion instruments  using a vibrating membrane to produce sound,  or wind instruments  requiring the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator,
Same as A

E) In contrast to  a vibrating membrane  used to produce sound in percussion instruments,  or wind instruments , which require the player to blow directly into a mouthpiece connected to a resonator, 
'vibrating membrane' or 'wind instruments' is compared to the 'hydraulophones'. 
'vibrating membrane' or 'wind instruments' are not parallel and two different things to begin comparison with 'hydraulophones'

Choice C is the answer.

generis · Answer

The official explanation is  here .

Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Like percussion instruments, which use a vibrating membrane to produce

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