Data analysts predict that customers will be equally likely

Question

Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2) 
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Data analysts predict that customers will be  equally likely to purchase the new product as  the current one.

A) equally likely to purchase the new product as

B) equally likely to purchase the new product as they are

C) equally likely that they will purchase the new product as

D) as likely to purchase the new product as they are

E) as likely that they will purchase the new produce as

generis · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2) THE PROMPT • An important idiomatic construction: AS ... AS → to compare equal or nearly equal things or clauses, always use AS . . . AS He dances with his partner as fiercely as a matador does with the cape and bull. I am as likely to trust domestic terrorists as I am likely to jump over the moon. (Actually, the moon is looking pretty good.) → If you see a comparison and one correct word is AS, you need to find another AS in the sentence. Not the phrase "equally likely." You need another "as." THE OPTIONS • idiom error → See above. You need AS . . . AS. Correct: . . . AS LIKELY TO X AS TO Y → Wrong : Equally likely to X ... as to Y

• comparison error → read closely. Without the words "they are," the word AS could imply that the new product IS the old one. ". . .to purchase the new product as the old one." ELIMINATE A • idiom error → equally likely to . . . as is not idiomatic ELIMINATE B • idiom error Wrong: Equally likely that . . . AS Correct: AS . . . AS • construction error Wrong: customers will be ... likely that they will purchase How is it that people will be "likely that they will purchase"? It can be likely that customers (they) will purchase. Or people will be likely TO purchase. But not . . . people will be likely that they will purchase. Will be is a linking verb. We are describing customers. Whatever comes on the other side of that linking verb is called a subject complement and must be a noun, adjective, or adverb or time or place. Likely that they will purchase is not a noun, an adjective, or an adverb of time or place. If this part does not make sense, stay with the AS . . . AS error. ELIMINATE C • I do not see any errors. • Correct idiom, AS . . . AS . → We have AS likely to purchase . . . AS they are • No strange or nonsensical phrasing. People will not be likely that they will purchase (because they cannot be, given the way that verbs function). IT can be likely that X will do Y. KEEP • comparison error → In this construction, they will purchase is compared to the current one . • construction error - We need as likely TO purchase , not as likely that they will purchase → subject/verb: customers will be Will be what? As likely THAT they WILL purchase? No. Customers will be as likely TO purchase .. . Customers themselves cannot themselves "be likely that they will purchase." The last part of that sentence should make absolutely no sense to native speakers. We could have an empty IT, this way: It is as likely that the customers will purchase X as Y. ELIMINATE E The answer is D. COMMENTS Shikhar22 , sivatx2 , SohGMAT2020 , and 100mitra , welcome to SC Butler. TarunKumar1234 (whose smiley face at the end of posts is cheery and thoughtful), I am glad to see this explanation for the correct answer: I got this option by POE. Good! We cannot always explain why the "least bad" answer is correct. I do not stop to think about why the correct option is correct. I eliminate four and check the last one standing to see whether it contains an error I did not catch. No error? I pick that one. Later, I can investigate why the correct answer is correct, but not while the clock is running. These answers range from good to outstanding. As is the case in the other question for this day, I have a few answers that I could bump to Best Community Reply. And as is the case in the other question, I have bumped or will have bumped the others already. So 100mitra , I am bumping you to Best Community Reply. Stay safe, everyone.

100mitra · Answer

Correct Option : D

Sentence exam on :
1. Comparison
2. Idioms
3. Usuage of "that"
4. Pronoun

Original sentence:
Data analysts predict that customers will be equally likely to purchase the new product as the current one.

A) equally likely to purchase the new product as
  Flaw : 
1. Wrong comparison - "equally" customer compared with purchase
2. Correct idiom needed : as X as Y
3. New product =   of what?, is not indicated?

B) equally likely to purchase the new product as they are
  Flaw:  
1. Wrong comparison - "equally" customer compared with purchase
2. Correct idiom needed : as X as Y
3. They usage and location is correct - they : purchase

C) equally likely that they will purchase the new product as
  Flaw : 
1. Wrong comparison - "equally" customer compared with purchase
2. Correct idiom needed : as X as Y
3.   of Who, is not indicated? 
4. That "customer", that "They" - customer compared with himself
5. Likely "That" ?

D) as likely to purchase the new product as they are
  Improvement :
1. Comparison customer new purchase as customer purchase as current one.
2. Correct idiom : as X as Y
3. Likely to - corrected
4. "They" refer to Purchase

E) as likely that they will purchase the new produce as
Flaw : 
1. Idiom - "likely that"
2. Wrong refer of "They" here it's customer, we need purchase comparison with purchase 
3. Wrong Will usage

Correct Option: D

Data analysts predict that customers  as likely to purchase the new product as they are  the current one

Shikhar22 · Answer

D.

Correct idiomatic structure and comparison. 
As likely as.

Posted from my mobile device

zhanbo · Answer

My answer is  (D) . It took me 38 seconds.

(A) "as...as" is idiomatic. ”equally likely to purchase the new product.“ should be fine if it used without "as".
(B) See (A)
(C) See (A)
(E) "customers will be that they will purchase the new produce" is not a sensible sentence.

aarkay87 · Answer

POE:
A: Correct idiomatic construction is AS…AS…
B: same as A
C: same as A
D: correct usage of both idioms: 1) AS…AS… 2) LIKELY TO 
E: LIKELY THAT is unidiomatic

sumitkrocks · Answer

(D) is correct IMO

Data analysts predict that customers will be  equally likely to purchase the new product as  the current one.

Equally is unidiomatic and we can eliminate A/B and C for using an unidiomatic construction 
 
Left with D and E

D) as likely to purchase the new product as they are

Comparison is clear because of verb "are"

E) as likely that they will purchase the new produce as

comparison is ambiguous

TarunKumar1234 · Answer

Data analysts predict that customers will be equally likely to purchase the new product as the current one.

A) equally likely to purchase the new product as -> except equally x as Y is incorrect idiom form. We need as x as y. Incorrect. generis, I have question here. For a moment, if we replace "equally" with "as", can we say, we have a better option A than option B or Option D. I hope, I am comparing Apple to Apple. And, if I am not, can you help me to figure out my understanding gap.

B) equally likely to purchase the new product as they are -> Idiom error. Incorrect.

C) equally likely that they will purchase the new product as -> Same as A. Incorrect.

D) as likely to purchase the new product as they are -> I got this option by POE.

E) as likely that they will purchase the new produce as -> As likely that is incorrect.

So, I think D.

sivatx2 · Answer

Data analysts predict that 
  customers will be equally likely to purchase the new product 
 as 
 the current one.
 
Meaning of the sentence is that the data analysts predict: Like how customers purchased the current product, customers will be equally likely to purchase the new product.

one refers to product.
But if you notice the answers choices with the as usage, there is a parallel comparison that the author is trying to use in the sentence.
This means we have to use as...as idiom comparison. Also there is another idiom "likely to" is in the mix.

A) equally likely to purchase the new product  as  
 This compares incorrectly,  purchase  of new product to current product

B)  equally  likely to purchase the new product as they are 
 To make ellipsis in comparison as....as is needed, as the second part is missing the verb "to purchase"

C) equally  likely that  they will purchase the new product  as  
 likely to  is the idiom not, likely that. Also the "as...as" idiom also not right as explained earlier.

D) as likely to purchase the new product as they are 
 This is a case of ellipsis in comparison, where some words(noun & verb) omitted from the sentence to make it concise & implicit. The same form should be maintained in the second part of sentence as first part. Here the sentence correctly removes the verb,  to purchase 
Data analysts predict that customers will be as likely to purchase the new product as they are (to purchase) the current one(product).
So the correct answer choice is D.
 
 E) as likely  that they will purchase the new produce  as 
 wrong parallel comparison. In this choice, the clause, "they will purchase the new product", is compared with the noun phrase, "current one"

SohGMAT2020 · Answer

D is the correct answer as it is idiomatic in structure

As likely as is correct not as likely that and the other structures

Posted from my mobile device

thelonghalloween · Answer

Not 100% sure about this.  My answer is D

Notable differences
1. Equally likely vs as likely 
2. to vs that they 
3. As they are vs as

For #2, that they is not necessary "will be.. that they'' this does not make sense. I don't know what rule applies here thought --> Eliminate C, E
For #3, Need a proper referent here. Just 'as' wont work. Eliminate A
For #1, Not sure about this. Trusted my ear and eliminated 'Equally likely'
 
So answer is D

generis · Answer

The official explanation is  here .

Data analysts predict that customers will be equally likely

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Data analysts predict that customers will be equally likely

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