Clear communication is one of the key ingredients that are often lacki

Question

Clear communication is one of the key ingredients that  are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is, however, rare for people from disparate backgrounds to spend their lives together.

(A) are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is, however, rare for people from disparate backgrounds to spend their lives together.

(B) are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is rare that people from disparate backgrounds to spend their lives together.

(C) is often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is rare for people from disparate backgrounds to spend their lives together.

(D) are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is, however, rare that people backgrounds spend their lives together.

(E) are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is rare for people from disparate backgrounds to share their lives together.

sukanyar · Answer

This is because the subject is actually "key ingredients", which is plural.

The intended meaning is: There are many key ingredients that are often lacking in romantic relationships; Clear communication is one of them.

kuttingchai · Answer

why is "one of the key ingredients" not the subject?

consider example:

One of the apples in the basket has fallen down.

Here "One of the apples" is subject which is singular and "has fallen" is correct

sukanyar · Answer

These are not the same sentences. In fact, our instructor discussed this in great detail in S-V class. So, here is the thing:

Statement: Clear communication is one of the key ingredients that are often lacking in romantic relationships

This has two clauses:

1st clause: Clear communication is one of the key ingredients 
2nd clause: that are often lacking in romantic relationships

Statement: One of the apples in the basket has fallen down.

This has only one clause.

In other words, if I had to change this sentence as:

One of the apples that are in the basket has fallen down.

Now, there are two clauses:

1st clause: One of the apples has fallen down
2nd clause: that are in the basket

Again, meaning is the same: There are many apples that "are" in the basket; one of them has fallen down:).

reto · Answer

I think one should analyse what "that" is modifying and then it becomes clear that it refers to "ingredients" which are key - this is a "one of x that" construction! Very important to internalize! check this please https://gmat.economist.com/blog/verbal/ ... ent-trap-1

daagh · Answer

Question to Kuttingchai

Clear communication is one of the key ingredients that  are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is, however, rare for people from disparate backgrounds to spend their lives together.

Is this properly transcribed? Something is amiss, I feel ; ‘although positive intent between partners is a given’ ---is a given what; the subordinate clause seems to be incomplete

sukanyar · Answer

Actually from what I understand, "is a given" is a phrase that means: can be taken for granted.

Please refer here:  https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080716222527AAMjqMm

kanigmat011 · Answer

Can somebody explain why "it is rare that people " construction is better than " it is, however, rare for people "

However in the original sentence brings contrast/conflict and that idea needs to be kept that ways.
By using that we lose the original meaning.

Please post OE also

daagh · Answer

Thanks and kudos to sukanyar for the elucidation; I admit my knowledge is poor in the language of romantic relationship; But all them same, I have my reservations about the OA.   
 
A) are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is, however, rare for people from disparate backgrounds to spend their lives together. ---  although and however are redundant.

(B) are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is rare that people from disparate backgrounds to spend their lives together. -- -Where is the verb in the relative clause that follows the main clause ‘it is rare’? To spend is not a verb; it is simply a verbal. This sentence is, in part, a fragment.

(C) is often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is rare for people from disparate backgrounds to spend their lives together. ---  SV mismatch; the right verb should be ‘are’

(D) are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is, however, rare that people backgrounds spend their lives together. –  although and however are redundant

(E) are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is rare for people from disparate backgrounds to share their lives together. –  E looks like the best of the lot with no redundancy and fragmentation. But one curious thing? What is the difference between ‘to spend lives together’ as in original and ‘to share lives together’ as in choice E?

tvrs09 · Answer

Hi,

I am really astonished with the official answer.
How can it be B.
It is rare for people to spend life together is correct.The usage of "to" in place of "for" makes this sentence a train-wreck.
Am I missing something here.

Please clarify.

kuttingchai · Answer

Efforts to increase recycling among consumers, a major goal of many American communities throughout the past decade,  has not abundantly reduced the number of plastic water bottles being discarded annually into landfills.

A. has not abundantly reduced the number of plastic water bottles being discarded annually into landfills.

B. has not been abundant in reducing the number of plastic water bottles that have been discarded annually into landfills.

C. has not made an abundant reduction in the number of plastic water bottles that has been dsicarded annually into landfills.

D. have not reduced the abundant number of plastic water bottles that has been discarded annually into landfills.

E. have not reducted the abundant in the number of plastic bottles that have been discarded annually into landfills.

OA - D

daagh · Answer

Kuttingchai
Hi
I hope you are aware of the distortion in your examples. Let me point out. I am putting the example you gave originally and the one that you have given now next to next. 
Your first example:
Efforts to increase recycling among consumers, a major goal of many American communities throughout the past decade, have not reduced the abundant number of plastic water bottles that has been discarded annually into landfills.

Your second example: 
Efforts to increase recycling among consumers, a major goal of many American communities throughout the past decade, has not abundantly reduced the number of plastic water bottles being discarded annually into landfills.

The second example is tatoally different from the first. The first says - have not reduced the abundant number – while the second says – have not abundantly reduced—'Have not reduced' is not even underlined in the first case.

Assuming that you wrongly gave one of the choices as the stem, let me reiterate that D, which according to author is the OA, is awfully wrong . As I said it is the bottles that have been discarded and not the abundant number

Choice E is also a testimony to the very poor quality in saying that --- have not reduced the abundant in—

Something tells me, this is not a professional example. If one is going to depend upon such stuff for his GMAT Prep, we should leave it to him or her to ponder. 
 
Incidentally, I am curious to know where this example has come from.

nisha lamba · Answer

in option (B) 
are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is rare that people from disparate backgrounds to spend their lives together.

isn't it wrong to use 'to' before spend their lives together.
this sentence without 'to' would have been correct

please explain

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

Yeah, I think there was a mistake in the transcription. We need to say either "it is rare  that people spend  their lives together" or "it is rare  for people to spend  their lives together." There should also be a comma before "and although."

As for the is/are split that originally grabbed everyone's attention, it just isn't well done. You can make a logical case for both "is" or "are," depending on how you choose to read the sentence. However, since none of the other key ingredients are discussed in the sentence, the whole thing should be said differently. I can't imagine seeing something like this on the GMAT.

somesh86 · Answer

Can someone please explain how the highlighted words in the below option are grammatically correct ? Looking at these words, immediately rejected this option.

are often lacking in romantic relationships and although positive intent between partners is a given, it is rare  that  people from disparate backgrounds  to spend  their lives together.

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

Don't worry,  somesh86 , that definitely isn't correct. As we've discussed above, the "official" answer is flawed.

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Clear communication is one of the key ingredients that are often lacki

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