Ramón pointed out that food high in whole-grain fiber creates the ener

Question

Ramón pointed out that food high in whole-grain  fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins .

(A) fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins
(B) fiber in addition to vegetables and lean proteins, create the energy we need to fight illnesses
(C) fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses, along with vegetables and lean proteins
(D) fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins creates the energy we need to fight illnesses
(E) fiber, as vegetables and lean proteins, create the energy we need to fight illnesses

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OG2020 NEW QUESTION

EMPOWERgmatVerbal · Accepted Answer

Hello Everyone!

Let's tackle this question, one issue at a time, and narrow it down to the correct choice quickly! To begin, let's scan over the options and highlight any major differences we can find in  orange :

Ramón pointed out that food high in whole-grain  fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins .

A. fiber  creates  the energy we need to fight illnesses —as do vegetables and lean proteins 
B. fiber  in addition to vegetables and lean proteins ,  create  the energy we need to fight illnesses
C. fiber  creates  the energy we need to fight illnesses , along with vegetables and lean proteins 
D. fiber , vegetables, and lean proteins   creates  the energy we need to fight illnesses
E. fiber,  as vegetables and lean proteins ,  create  the energy we need to fight illnesses

After a quick scan over the options, there are 2 main areas we can focus on:

1. create vs. creates ( Subject-Verb Agreement )
2. How to add in a modifier/details about vegetables and lean proteins ( Modifiers/Meaning/Punctuation )

Let's start with #1 on our list: Subject-Verb Agreement. This will eliminate 2-3 options rather quickly, so it's a good idea to start there.  To figure out if we need a singular or plural verb, let's first find the subject that goes with "create/creates":

Ramón pointed out that  food  high in whole-grain fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins.

We know that the subject "food" is singular, so we need to use a singular verb to go with it - no matter what other stuff is jammed between the subject and verb! Let's see how each example handles this:

A. fiber  creates  the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins
B. fiber in addition to vegetables and lean proteins,  create  the energy we need to fight illnesses
C. fiber  creates  the energy we need to fight illnesses, along with vegetables and lean proteins
D. fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins  creates  the energy we need to fight illnesses
E. fiber, as vegetables and lean proteins,  create  the energy we need to fight illnesses

We can eliminate options B & E because they use the plural verb "create" with the singular subject "food," which doesn't agree.

Now that we have it narrowed down a little, let's tackle #2 on our list: how to handle the vegetables and lean proteins.  We need to make sure that the meaning is clear, concise, and logical. Let's see how each option handles this:

A. fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses —as do vegetables and lean proteins  
This is  CORRECT ! It's clear that the phrase "as do" is a shortcut to say that vegetables and lean proteins ALSO create energy to fight illnesses without having to repeat that entire phrase a second time.

C. fiber creates the energy we need to fight  illnesses, along with vegetables and lean proteins  
This is  INCORRECT  because it changes the meaning to something kind of silly! This sentence says that foods high in fiber create energy to fight illnesses, vegetables, and proteins! High-fiber foods are only supposed to fight illnesses - not fight other foods.

D.  fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins  creates the energy we need to fight illnesses 
This is also  INCORRECT  because it changes the intended meaning. This sentence is telling us that only foods that have all 3 qualities at the same time - fiber, vegetables, and lean protein - can create energy to fight off illnesses. It SHOULD say that each of these 3 distinct food groups - fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins - fight off illnesses.

There you have it - option A was the correct choice!  It's the only one that uses the right subject-verb agreement, and the meaning is clear and logical. By starting with a simple "either/or" grammar issue, you can easily rule out wrong choices and then dive into the more complex issues.

Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.

daagh · Answer

Ramón pointed out that food high in whole-grain  fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins.

(A) fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins ---  The best answer keeping correct SV agreement

(B) fiber in addition to vegetables and lean proteins, create the energy we need to fight illnesses ----  Verb 'create' is an SV error  
(C) fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses, along with vegetables and lean proteins --  along with vegetable is a distortion  
(D) fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins creates the energy we need to fight illnesses---  The list is a compound plural noun comprising three items such as 1. Food high in fiber, 2. vegetables and 3. lean proteins. Hence the verb should also be plural 'create' and not singular 'creates'. 
 
(E) fiber, as vegetables and lean proteins, create the energy we need to fight illnesses --- c reate is an SV error as in B.

ExpertsGlobal5 · Answer

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem: 
Understanding the intended meaning of the sentence is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning is that food high in whole-grain fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses, and vegetables and lean proteins do so as well.

Concepts tested here: Subject-Verb Agreement + Meaning

• “like” is used for comparing nouns; “as” is used for comparing actions/clauses; “such as” is used for giving examples.

A:   Correct.  This answer choice correctly refers to the singular noun “food” with the singular verb “creates”. Further, Option A uses the phrase “as do vegetables and lean proteins”, conveying the intended meaning – that food high in whole-grain fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins all produce the energy we need to fight illness. Additionally, Option A correctly uses “as” to compare the clauses “food high in whole-grain fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses” and “do vegetables and lean proteins”.

B:  This answer choice incorrectly refers to the singular noun “food” with the plural verb “create”.

C:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “along with vegetables and lean proteins“; the construction of this phrase illogically implies that food high in whole-grain fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses and fight vegetables and lean proteins; the intended meaning is that food high in whole-grain fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins all produce the energy we need to fight illness.

D:  This answer choice incorrectly refers to the plural noun phrase “food high in whole-grain fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins” with the singular verb “creates”.

E:  This answer choice incorrectly refers to the singular noun “food” with the plural verb “create”. Further, Option E incorrectly uses “as” to compare the noun phrases “food high in whole-grain fiber” and “vegetables and lean proteins”; please remember, “like” is used for comparing nouns; “as” is used for comparing actions/clauses; “such as” is used for giving examples.

Hence, A is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Like" vs "As" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdZvkt-QNf4

All the best!
Experts' Global Team

amShikhar · Answer

Could anyone explain why not C?

AjiteshArun · Answer

... food high in whole-grain fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses, along with vegetables and lean proteins. This is like saying "food creates the energy we need to fight X, along with Y and Z". That is, the energy to fight vegetables and lean proteins. And while many people may feel the need to fight vegetables, that is not the intended meaning.

Archit3110 · Answer

I do not understand why option B is wrong?

in the construction of A ; i did not understand the highlighted part? fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses — as do vegetables and lean proteins why and where all do '-' usage is done , ? what does it emphasise?

daagh  ; in option B ; fiber in addition to vegetables and lean proteins, create the energy we need to fight illnesses ; the verb 'create' is plural but the subject which we have 
 food  is singular , my question is isnt that the inclusion of the sentence  in addition to vegetables and lean proteins  makes subject plural?

manu11 · Answer

Hi  Archit3110

Fibre isn't the subject. "Food" is the subject which is also singular as its a collective noun

Only "AND" converts a subject to plural and any other conjunctions like "together with", "In addition to", "Along with" don't alter modularity of the subject

Archit3110 · Answer

i did a typo while mentioning fiber , edited...
i understand your point , but can you highlight or share your opinion on the usage of '-' in a sentence?
 manu11

daagh · Answer

Archit
The word 'in addition to' is an additive. (other additives are with, along with, as well as, together with, added with,) Additives do not change the number of the subject. Therefore 'creates' is the correct verb.

adkikani · Answer

daagh

With due respect to your analysis of PoE, in D  the subtle intent of comparison is lost.

Ramón   pointed  out 
that 
 food  high in whole-grain fiber  creates  the energy we need to fight illnesses—as  do   vegetables and lean proteins.
 
The sentence compares the energy we derive from food high in whole-grain fiber
to one created from vegetables and lean proteins.

I can safely take  do  as a sort of pronoun, but it refers back to action verb- creates.
Since after dash, we have - as: we need a clause. Since we have vegetables and proteins as plural subjects,
this clause takes plural verb- do.

generis   AjiteshArun   GMATNinja   VeritasKarishma

AjiteshArun · Answer

You're right. The  do  is plural because its subject ( vegetables and lean proteins ) is plural.

Maybe  this post  could be useful.

ballest127 · Answer

Hi Expert,

I have a question.

In D, can I interpret "fiber , vegetables and protein" as a list of three components.
That is, food high in fiber ,(high in) vegetables , and (high in) protein.

If this is the case, D is correct?

Please explain.

Thank you very much.

janadipesh · Answer

Sir, in B, isnt ' in addition to' changing the intended meaning

EducationAisle · Answer

Hi  ballest127 , of course  this  is the meaning that D conveys. So, D conveys that the energy we need to fight illnesses, is created by food that is high in  three  things  simultaneously :
i) whole-grain fiber
ii) vegetables and 
iii) lean proteins

However, this completely  changes  the meaning of the original sentence. The original sentence conveys that food high in whole-grain fiber  alone  creates the energy we need to fight illnesses; similarly, vegetables  alone  and lean proteins  alone  also create the energy we need to fight illnesses.

daagh · Answer

jana

In B, there is a lurking SV error. Considering the meaning aspect in such clear - cut cases is a colossal waste of time during the pressure -cooker heat of the hall. Meaning does have a place in GMAT but not in this case. This view is from a GMAT SC tutor and not from an English tutor.

analeonnnn · Answer

I was between A & B. Could anyone explain the comparison we have between food / vegetables and lean protein in option A? I didn't mark it because I thought the comparison was between nouns (food vs. vegetables & lean protein) and would therefore require a "like" instead of "as". Can anyone clarify?

AjiteshArun · Answer

This is the sentence that option B leads to:

Ramón pointed out that   food  high in whole-grain fiber   in addition to vegetables and lean proteins,    create   the energy we need to fight illnesses.

Let's ignore the comma after  proteins  for now. When we see  X in addition to Y +   , the  Y  has no effect on the subject ( X ), so the verb needs to be singular if  X  is singular, and it needs to be be plural if  X  is plural. In this option,  food  (the subject) is singular, but its verb  create  is plural.

The  as  in A is used to show us a similarity between the part before the dash and the part after the dash. For example:

She studies mathematics every evening, as does her brother.

This means that they both study mathematics every evening.

Setback · Answer

daagh  Sir, Why aren't we considering the verb "pointed" instead of "creates" that can fill the place for the verb, "do" in "as do vegetables and lean proteins"?
Although the ellipse I have mentioned above does not make sense, is it the same reason that we are not talking about ambiguity here?

daagh · Answer

Setback wrote

Ramon of course being a human being 'pointed out' something. To match that past tense, can we say the vegetable and lean proteins pointed out something. Can these two items point out anything at all? 
In addition, if you want to match the past tense 'pointed', then you may have to say 'as did' vegetables and lean proteins. Can we denote ever- occurring ubiquitous things in past tense?

Ramón pointed out that food high in whole-grain fiber creates the ener

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Ramón pointed out that food high in whole-grain fiber creates the ener

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