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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:
67% (01:58) correct
33%
(02:07)
wrong
based on 421
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Using a combination of algebra and ancient Greek to code her clandestine affairs with women, Anne Lister completed a voluminous diary, which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably Shibden Hall in West Yorkshire, England.
A) which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably
B) covering a range of topics, from her travels such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees and the improvements made to her properties, notably
C) detailing a range of topics, her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees during her travels, and the improvements made to her properties, notably
D) which also detailed a range of topics, from her travels, such as scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, to the improvements made to her properties, notably
E) which covered a range of topics, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees during her travels and also her having made improvements to her properties, notably
03 Aug 2021, 22:49
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
THE PROMPT
Using a combination of algebra and ancient Greek to code her clandestine affairs with women, Anne Lister completed a voluminous diary, which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably Shibden Hall in West Yorkshire, England.
The sentence, shortened:
Anne Lister completed a voluminous diary, which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably Shibden Hall.
• IDIOM: From X To Y, not From X and Y
THE OPTIONS
→ The correct idiom is From X to Y, not From X and Y
X = her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees
Y = the improvements made to her properties
→ This idiom is tested in harder questions, and the writers are sneaky.
Catching the error in this sentence is difficult.
Doing so gets easier when you see Option B, which contains the same error, and then option D, which contains the correct idiom.
If you are not sure what to do, do not get stuck.
Hold the option tentatively and look for a better answer.
ELIMINATE A
• Strategy
If you have a hazy idea that the idiom in options A and B is incorrect, you can eliminate both options now.
The options are nearly identical and cannot both be correct.
ELIMINATE B
→ The sentence is restructured into a list of three items that are not parallel: detailing . . . her scaling . . . the improvements.
• nonsensical modifiers
Okay: detailing a range of topics can definitely describe the diary
Weird: her scaling the mountains, as a modifier for diary? We need a phrase such as including her having scaled the mountains, which would refer back to describing rather than the diary itself
Also weird: the improvements made to her properties. This phrase should be tied to detailing, but as the sentence stands, the improvements is part of a not-parallel list that, in this case, nonsensically modifies diary.
ELIMINATE C
• Correct Idiom: From X to Y
The range of topics extends FROM her travels, such as ABC, TO the improvements made to her properties
KEEP
. . . a range of topics, such as X and [also] Y
X = her scaling [the mountains]
Y = her having made improvements [to her properties]
To maintain parallelism, we need either
her having scaled the mountains . . . and [also] her having made improvements
or
her scaling the mountains . . . and [also] her making improvements
• and also is typically redundant
→ I would advise saving this type of error until the end to use as a tiebreaker if need be.
I would not eliminate an option immediately because it contained and also.
At times the phrase is used for emphasis.
ELIMINATE E
The answer is D.
COMMENTS
thelonghalloween (great username) and HanishaD , welcome to SC Butler.
This question is a bit slippery, and seems so from the beginning.
In such a situation, try to read quickly through all of the options.
No, I do not want you to go cherry picking an option; in this case, the options give you a better sense of the subtle strangeness in the other options.
A couple of these answers need more explanation.
Try to think about a person who is just beginning to be steeped in SC.
The other answers range from very good to outstanding.
HanishaD , I am bumping you to Best Community Reply.
Stay safe, everyone.
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)
THE PROMPT
Quote:
• Shorten this sentence; this one is easy to cut down in your mind.
The sentence, shortened:
Anne Lister completed a voluminous diary, which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably Shibden Hall.
• IDIOM: From X To Y, not From X and Y
THE OPTIONS
Quote:
• Idiom error
→ The correct idiom is From X to Y, not From X and Y
X = her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees
Y = the improvements made to her properties
→ This idiom is tested in harder questions, and the writers are sneaky.
Catching the error in this sentence is difficult.
Doing so gets easier when you see Option B, which contains the same error, and then option D, which contains the correct idiom.
If you are not sure what to do, do not get stuck.
Hold the option tentatively and look for a better answer.
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
• Idiom error: same as that in option A
• Strategy
If you have a hazy idea that the idiom in options A and B is incorrect, you can eliminate both options now.
The options are nearly identical and cannot both be correct.
ELIMINATE B
Quote:
• lack of parallelism
→ The sentence is restructured into a list of three items that are not parallel: detailing . . . her scaling . . . the improvements.
• nonsensical modifiers
Okay: detailing a range of topics can definitely describe the diary
Weird: her scaling the mountains, as a modifier for diary? We need a phrase such as including her having scaled the mountains, which would refer back to describing rather than the diary itself
Also weird: the improvements made to her properties. This phrase should be tied to detailing, but as the sentence stands, the improvements is part of a not-parallel list that, in this case, nonsensically modifies diary.
ELIMINATE C
Quote:
• I do not see any errors
• Correct Idiom: From X to Y
The range of topics extends FROM her travels, such as ABC, TO the improvements made to her properties
KEEP
Quote:
• the examples are not parallel
. . . a range of topics, such as X and [also] Y
X = her scaling [the mountains]
Y = her having made improvements [to her properties]
To maintain parallelism, we need either
her having scaled the mountains . . . and [also] her having made improvements
or
her scaling the mountains . . . and [also] her making improvements
• and also is typically redundant
→ I would advise saving this type of error until the end to use as a tiebreaker if need be.
I would not eliminate an option immediately because it contained and also.
At times the phrase is used for emphasis.
ELIMINATE E
The answer is D.
COMMENTS
thelonghalloween (great username) and HanishaD , welcome to SC Butler.
This question is a bit slippery, and seems so from the beginning.
In such a situation, try to read quickly through all of the options.
No, I do not want you to go cherry picking an option; in this case, the options give you a better sense of the subtle strangeness in the other options.
A couple of these answers need more explanation.
Try to think about a person who is just beginning to be steeped in SC.
The other answers range from very good to outstanding.
HanishaD , I am bumping you to Best Community Reply.
Stay safe, everyone.
HanishaD
Joined: 05 Aug 2021
Last visit: 02 Mar 2022
Posts: 3
Given Kudos: 2
Location: India
Schools: Columbia CBS '24 Harvard '24 Kellogg '24 Kenan-Flagler '24 Marshall '24 Ross '24 Stanford '24 Wharton '24 Yale '24
GMAT 1: 710 Q47 V41
Schools: Columbia CBS '24 Harvard '24 Kellogg '24 Kenan-Flagler '24 Marshall '24 Ross '24 Stanford '24 Wharton '24 Yale '24
GMAT 1: 710 Q47 V41
Posts: 3
05 Aug 2021, 12:23
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The first thing we should do is scan through the options to see the different aspects versus similar aspects. That way, we will have a better idea of what we are looking for as we read the full sentence.
We notice a similarity in the usage of the word 'range' across options, which is usually accompanied by a 'from-to' form to indicate the range of items being talked about. However, with this in mind, remember that the goal is to eliminate four answers and not pick out a right answer.
Similarly, we notice differences in the use of the word 'also' in the beginning and the words that follow after the comma, which range from 'such' to 'from'. (see what I did there?) In terms of 'such', what follows is 'and'. In terms of 'from', what follows is 'to'. With this in mind, let's analyze what the sentence is saying now.
Lets exclude unnecessary words for now to simply get a gist of the sentence.
"Using a combination of x and y to do z, Anne completes a diary," and now we continue to describe other contents of the diary with reference to some sort of range.
With the context in mind, it wouldn't be ridiculous or incorrect to use the word 'also' before the first comma of the underlined portion, so we eliminate that as grounds to decide the correct answer. Usage of 'covering' and 'detailing' are subjectifying 'Anne' and not the diary. So Anne could detail as well as cover, again none of which is out of scope or incorrect.
Therefore, our only option is to look for differences after the comma and pick an answer based on that. Let's start with the Process of Elimination, or PoE.
---
Option A
Usage of 'which' indicates that the diary is the main subject here. Everything fits until we arrive to the second comma, which follows usage of the word 'from'. The sentence says there is a range of topics from her travels, thereby limiting the aforementioned range to travels only.
- Now that we know we are discussing travels, we see 'such as' with an example of a travel, which makes sense. Remember, 'such as' is not our preferred option over 'from' when it comes to describing the 'range' of something, but it is not enough to cancel out the option completely.
- However, 'and the improvements' does not fit in with 'travels'. It is not indicating a travel but instead introducing a different subject. Therefore, we must look for parallelism here between options based on commas to see if we can make sense of the mention of something different from 'travels'.
- Matching up 'from her travels' to 'and the improvements', we already know 'from' is followed by 'to'.
- Matching up 'such as her scaling' to 'and the improvements made', we see that the first gives an action conducted by 'her' in a present tense, whereas the other simply presents a noun followed by a verb + 'made/ed' verb form shows that the action took place in the past.
For instance, 'her improving the properties' would have been synonymous to 'her scaling the'.
Therefore, we eliminate option A
---
Option B
Similar issues: lets rewrite this sentence as range of topics, from xyz, and abc, example of abc.
- 'range of topics', followed by comma and starting with 'from', therefore no other choice but to have 'to' to make sense of the sentence.
- However, we see that 'and' is used. 'And' can never be used, since it does not fully indicate a range. Since, for this option, we are describing a range, we cannot take any other connecting words apart from 'from-to'.
Therefore we eliminate option B
---
Option C
Similar issues:
Rewrite as: range of topics, xyz and abc, example of abc.
- Usage of word range must be followed by 'from-to'
Eliminate option C
---
Option D
rewrite as: which also detailed a range of topics, from xyz, example of xyz, to abc, example of abc.
OR: range of topics, FROM xyz... TO abc.
- correct usage of 'from-to' following the usage of word 'range'
- correct parallelism, comparing 'her travels', which is noun form, to 'the improvements', which is noun form.
- both have mentions of examples (example of zyx, example of abc) that follow after introduction of general topic (in our case, xyz and abc) - parallel
Enough for us to KEEP Option D.
---
Option E
Rewrite as: which covered a range of topics, SUCH AS xyz AND ALSO abc, example of abc
- Using 'and' and 'also' together is redundant; when you say x and y, you are already including both as part of your sentence. Adding also, making it x and also y doesn't do anything to change the meaning of the sentence. Instead, one could very well say your sentence basically means x and and y. . In GMAT, our goal is to keep it concise and to the point, so redundancy is an absolute no.
- Other issues are similar - 'range' followed by 'such as-and'. While 'such as-and' could be correct usage in terms of comparing two things or placing two things side by side, we cannot use this to indicate a range.
- While 'her scaling' and 'her having made improvements' are both parallel (VERB FORM), notice how 'her having made' is a mouthful. In light of keeping it concise and looking at all other issues found with the sentence, this parallelism in verb form does little to confirm this answer as correct for us.
Eliminate Option E
-------
Therefore, after PoE, we can correct confirm our answer is D.
We notice a similarity in the usage of the word 'range' across options, which is usually accompanied by a 'from-to' form to indicate the range of items being talked about. However, with this in mind, remember that the goal is to eliminate four answers and not pick out a right answer.
Similarly, we notice differences in the use of the word 'also' in the beginning and the words that follow after the comma, which range from 'such' to 'from'. (see what I did there?) In terms of 'such', what follows is 'and'. In terms of 'from', what follows is 'to'. With this in mind, let's analyze what the sentence is saying now.
Lets exclude unnecessary words for now to simply get a gist of the sentence.
"Using a combination of x and y to do z, Anne completes a diary," and now we continue to describe other contents of the diary with reference to some sort of range.
With the context in mind, it wouldn't be ridiculous or incorrect to use the word 'also' before the first comma of the underlined portion, so we eliminate that as grounds to decide the correct answer. Usage of 'covering' and 'detailing' are subjectifying 'Anne' and not the diary. So Anne could detail as well as cover, again none of which is out of scope or incorrect.
Therefore, our only option is to look for differences after the comma and pick an answer based on that. Let's start with the Process of Elimination, or PoE.
---
Option A
Usage of 'which' indicates that the diary is the main subject here. Everything fits until we arrive to the second comma, which follows usage of the word 'from'. The sentence says there is a range of topics from her travels, thereby limiting the aforementioned range to travels only.
- Now that we know we are discussing travels, we see 'such as' with an example of a travel, which makes sense. Remember, 'such as' is not our preferred option over 'from' when it comes to describing the 'range' of something, but it is not enough to cancel out the option completely.
- However, 'and the improvements' does not fit in with 'travels'. It is not indicating a travel but instead introducing a different subject. Therefore, we must look for parallelism here between options based on commas to see if we can make sense of the mention of something different from 'travels'.
- Matching up 'from her travels' to 'and the improvements', we already know 'from' is followed by 'to'.
- Matching up 'such as her scaling' to 'and the improvements made', we see that the first gives an action conducted by 'her' in a present tense, whereas the other simply presents a noun followed by a verb + 'made/ed' verb form shows that the action took place in the past.
For instance, 'her improving the properties' would have been synonymous to 'her scaling the'.
Therefore, we eliminate option A
---
Option B
Similar issues: lets rewrite this sentence as range of topics, from xyz, and abc, example of abc.
- 'range of topics', followed by comma and starting with 'from', therefore no other choice but to have 'to' to make sense of the sentence.
- However, we see that 'and' is used. 'And' can never be used, since it does not fully indicate a range. Since, for this option, we are describing a range, we cannot take any other connecting words apart from 'from-to'.
Therefore we eliminate option B
---
Option C
Similar issues:
Rewrite as: range of topics, xyz and abc, example of abc.
- Usage of word range must be followed by 'from-to'
Eliminate option C
---
Option D
rewrite as: which also detailed a range of topics, from xyz, example of xyz, to abc, example of abc.
OR: range of topics, FROM xyz... TO abc.
- correct usage of 'from-to' following the usage of word 'range'
- correct parallelism, comparing 'her travels', which is noun form, to 'the improvements', which is noun form.
- both have mentions of examples (example of zyx, example of abc) that follow after introduction of general topic (in our case, xyz and abc) - parallel
Enough for us to KEEP Option D.
---
Option E
Rewrite as: which covered a range of topics, SUCH AS xyz AND ALSO abc, example of abc
- Using 'and' and 'also' together is redundant; when you say x and y, you are already including both as part of your sentence. Adding also, making it x and also y doesn't do anything to change the meaning of the sentence. Instead, one could very well say your sentence basically means x and and y. . In GMAT, our goal is to keep it concise and to the point, so redundancy is an absolute no.
- Other issues are similar - 'range' followed by 'such as-and'. While 'such as-and' could be correct usage in terms of comparing two things or placing two things side by side, we cannot use this to indicate a range.
- While 'her scaling' and 'her having made improvements' are both parallel (VERB FORM), notice how 'her having made' is a mouthful. In light of keeping it concise and looking at all other issues found with the sentence, this parallelism in verb form does little to confirm this answer as correct for us.
Eliminate Option E
-------
Therefore, after PoE, we can correct confirm our answer is D.
