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19 May 2022, 20:55
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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:
35%
(medium)
Question Stats:
68% (01:51) correct
32%
(01:54)
wrong
based on 265
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Despite recent events, many economists stand by their belief that capital allocation decisions made solely by individuals and firms are superior than those influenced by governments—present circumstances are considered exceptional and most unique.
A) capital allocation decisions made solely by individuals and firms are superior than those influenced by governments—present circumstances are considered exceptional and most unique
B) capital allocation decisions made solely by individuals and firms are superior to those influenced by governments—present circumstances are considered exceptional and most unique
C) capital allocation decisions made solely by individuals and firms are superior than those influenced by governments—present circumstances are considered exceptional and unique
D) capital allocation decisions made solely by individuals and firms are superior to those influenced by governments—present circumstances are considered exceptional and unique
E) capital allocated by decisions made solely by individuals and firms are superior to those influenced by governments—present circumstances are considered exceptional and unique
19 May 2022, 20:59
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
THE PROMPT
• Superior
→ Superior TO is correct.
Superior THAN is incorrect. And incoherent.
→ You will just have to memorize this one: Superior to = better than
• Unique does NOT take modifiers.
→ Do not say "very" unique or "quite" unique or "most" unique.
→ Unique means "one of a kind" and is something called an "absolute" adjective.
The jargon does not matter. The idea does matter.
This rule is very formal and may fade away soon but remains in force for now.
→ In formal writing and on the GMAT, words such as unique, perfect, complete, essential, pregnant, and dead are binary and should not be modified as if the words possess degrees. They do not.
You are either dead or you are not.
You are either pregnant or you are not.
Something is either complete or it is not.
So, too, with the word unique: if something is one of a kind, it is not "very" one of a kind, just as a mummy from Egypt is not "very" dead.
Unique should not be modified with words such as most, quite, very, or extremely.
Alternatively, you could focus on concision and conclude, as kungfury42 writes, "most unique wastes an extra word whereas just unique conveys the same meaning."
THE OPTIONS
• most unique is incorrect. Something is unique or it is not; the quality is binary, does not admit of degree, and should not be preceded by adverbs.
ELIMINATE A
ELIMINATE B (if you want to be conservative, keep this option and dump it when you come upon the correct (and better) option
ELIMINATE C
• decisions . . . are superior TO [decisions] influenced by governments ← ← superior "to" is correct
• unique is written correctly without a "most" in front of it
KEEP
• subject/verb disagreement
The subject of this sentence is capital. (Read carefully. The other four use a different subject. It is not an accident that this new subject shows up in (E). The test writers want your eyes to gloss over the new subject and in fact miss it.
The singular noun capital does not agree with the plural verb are
• "those," plural, cannot refer to capital, singular
• the meaning is nonsensical—capital itself cannot be "influenced by governments."
(The allocation of capital can certainly be influenced by governments; these economists, apparently disciples of von Mises or Friedman and almost certainly not themselves poor, do not like government-influenced decisions about the allocation of capital. )
ELIMINATE E
The answer is D.
THE PROMPT
Quote:
• Superior
→ Superior TO is correct.
Superior THAN is incorrect. And incoherent.
→ You will just have to memorize this one: Superior to = better than
• Unique does NOT take modifiers.
→ Do not say "very" unique or "quite" unique or "most" unique.
→ Unique means "one of a kind" and is something called an "absolute" adjective.
The jargon does not matter. The idea does matter.
This rule is very formal and may fade away soon but remains in force for now.
→ In formal writing and on the GMAT, words such as unique, perfect, complete, essential, pregnant, and dead are binary and should not be modified as if the words possess degrees. They do not.
You are either dead or you are not.
You are either pregnant or you are not.
Something is either complete or it is not.
So, too, with the word unique: if something is one of a kind, it is not "very" one of a kind, just as a mummy from Egypt is not "very" dead.
Unique should not be modified with words such as most, quite, very, or extremely.
Alternatively, you could focus on concision and conclude, as kungfury42 writes, "most unique wastes an extra word whereas just unique conveys the same meaning."
THE OPTIONS
Quote:
• superior to is correct, not superior than
• most unique is incorrect. Something is unique or it is not; the quality is binary, does not admit of degree, and should not be preceded by adverbs.
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
• most unique is incorrect as discussed just below the prompt and in option A
ELIMINATE B (if you want to be conservative, keep this option and dump it when you come upon the correct (and better) option
Quote:
• as is the case in option A, superior to is correct, not superior than
ELIMINATE C
Quote:
• I see no errors
• decisions . . . are superior TO [decisions] influenced by governments ← ← superior "to" is correct
• unique is written correctly without a "most" in front of it
KEEP
Quote:
[/quote]
• subject/verb disagreement
The subject of this sentence is capital. (Read carefully. The other four use a different subject. It is not an accident that this new subject shows up in (E). The test writers want your eyes to gloss over the new subject and in fact miss it.
The singular noun capital does not agree with the plural verb are
• "those," plural, cannot refer to capital, singular
• the meaning is nonsensical—capital itself cannot be "influenced by governments."
(The allocation of capital can certainly be influenced by governments; these economists, apparently disciples of von Mises or Friedman and almost certainly not themselves poor, do not like government-influenced decisions about the allocation of capital. )
ELIMINATE E
The answer is D.
General Discussion
kungfury42
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19 May 2022, 21:17
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At the outset, we can eliminate option E as it fails in the subject-verb agreement. Capital allocated (singular) does not match with are (plural verb)
Amongst other options, there are 2 decision points:
• superior than vs superior to
• most unique vs unique
I believe superior to is correct in its usage. I also believe that most unique wastes an extra word whereas just unique conveys the same meaning.
Hence, option D should be correct imo.
Posted from my mobile device
Amongst other options, there are 2 decision points:
• superior than vs superior to
• most unique vs unique
I believe superior to is correct in its usage. I also believe that most unique wastes an extra word whereas just unique conveys the same meaning.
Hence, option D should be correct imo.
Posted from my mobile device
