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Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
85%
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Question Stats:
47% (02:00) correct
53%
(02:06)
wrong
based on 11488
sessions
History
Date
Time
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Officials at the United States Mint believe that the Sacagawea dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than four quarters, which weigh 5.67 grams each.
(A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than
(B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than
(C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than
(D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for
(E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for
SC69440.02
(A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than
(B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than
(C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than
(D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for
(E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for
SC69440.02
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'Idiomatic usage' of comparison markers
Is 'idiomatic usage' of comparison markers a good way to eliminate options in questions that test comparisons?
My answer: not so much. The problem with focusing on idiomatic usage to analyze options is that our understanding of ‘typically’ correct idioms interferes with our understanding of the meaning that the option conveys. You need to be particularly careful about understanding the intended logic of the sentence when it makes a comparison.
Let's look at this official question to illustrate this point. I'd especially like to focus on why we can't argue that the correct answer is not 'really' correct because it doesn't use the "more X than Y" construction.
Officials at the United States Mint believe that the Sacagawea dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than four quarters, which weigh 5.67 grams each.
A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than
B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than
C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than
D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for
E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for
A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than
B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than
C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than
D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for
E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for
Here’s how I would go about understanding this question. The original sentence contains a comparison that is expressed using the comparison marker ‘more than’. Okay, so my focus needs to be on whether the comparison makes logical sense in the original sentence. If it does, I know I need a correct answer that doesn’t change the intended logic. But if it doesn’t make sense in the original sentence, then I need to infer the correct logic from the original sentence, and then look for an answer that also uses the correct intended meaning.
So far so good. Let’s do the meaning analysis.
Meaning Analysis
Since we're looking at the use of ‘more than’, I’m going to focus only on the comparison in this meaning analysis.
Officials at the United States Mint believe that the Sacagawea dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than four quarters, which weigh 5.67 grams each.
So the original sentence has two comparisons:
1. the Sacagawea dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill => Comparison between ‘four quarters’ and ‘the dollar bill’
2. its weight… is far less than four quarters => Comparison between ‘its weight’ and ‘four quarters’
While the first comparison is logically correct, the second clearly isn’t. ‘Weight’ can’t be compared to ‘quarters’. The weight of something can logically be compared only with the weight of something else.
Error Analysis
Comparison errors in this sentence:
1. the Sacagawea dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill => ‘More’ can’t be followed by ‘rather than’. ‘More’ indicates a comparison while ‘rather than’ is used to show contrast. Note that in the case of option A, it is perfectly fine to eliminate the option based on the usage of ‘more than’ compared to the usage of ‘rather than’. This is because the two phrases are used for different purposes. We already know from our meaning analysis that this sentence is making a comparison, not a contrast. So ‘rather than’ is out.
2. its weight… is far less than four quarters => Illogical comparison between ‘its weight’ and ‘four quarters’.
Process of Elimination:
As I've done above, I’m going to focus on the comparison issue to eliminate choices.
Option A: INCORRECT as discussed.
Option B: INCORRECT.
1. Comparison Error: ‘More as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill’ => This comparison is ambiguous. It could mean one of two things:
i) The dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill WILL. => Comparison between the dollar coin and the dollar bill.
ii) The dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters than FOR the dollar bill. => Comparison between four quarters and the dollar bill.
So you can see, there’s no justification for applying the ‘more X than Y’ logic here. In fact, I would say it’s a misconception that this use is ‘idiomatic’. Saying so implies that this structure is always correct, whereas really, it’s correct only when it conveys the intended logic correctly.
Option C: CORRECT
This choice says that the dollar coin will be used as a substitute for four quarters more than FOR the dollar bill. So, it clearly resolves the ambiguity present in option B.
Option D: INCORRECT
1. Comparison Error: ‘For’ is missing, leading to ambiguity.
Option E: INCORRECT
1. Comparison Error: ‘More’ is followed by ‘rather than’.
So, as you can see, going by idiomatic usage is unlikely to be the best way to solve a comparison question. Focusing on the logic behind the comparison is the way to go.
I hope these observations help.
Meghna
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Well, the first thing I notice here is the pronouns, "its" and "it." I really want to say that the pronoun is ambiguous, because it could refer back to "dollar bill" (which is the closest singular noun) or the Sacagawea dollar coin.
But we can't do anything about the "it" or "its" -- it's in all five answer choices, so it can't really be much of an issue. Plus, pronoun ambiguity is NOT an absolute rule on the GMAT. We'll say more about that in an upcoming Topic of the Week.
I guess I can't get any quick eliminations from the pronouns, so let's take these guys in order:
The bigger issue is that the final comparison in the sentence doesn't make sense: "its weight... is far less than four quarters." We could say that the weight of the coin is less than the weight of the quarters, but it doesn't make sense to say that the weight of the coin is less than the quarters themselves. (A) is gone.
More importantly: at the end of the sentence, it's saying that the coin "weighs 8.1 grams, far lighter than four quarters." You could say "the coin IS far lighter than four quarters" or "it weighs less than four quarters", but not "it weighs lighter than four quarters." Eliminate (B).
Either way, (C) is clearly better than (D), so (D) is gone.
(C) is our winner.
_________________
But we can't do anything about the "it" or "its" -- it's in all five answer choices, so it can't really be much of an issue. Plus, pronoun ambiguity is NOT an absolute rule on the GMAT. We'll say more about that in an upcoming Topic of the Week.
I guess I can't get any quick eliminations from the pronouns, so let's take these guys in order:
Quote:
I don't like the comparison idiom here: "more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for..." But if you're not sure about the idiom, look for other stuff. (Check out this thread for more on idioms.)
The bigger issue is that the final comparison in the sentence doesn't make sense: "its weight... is far less than four quarters." We could say that the weight of the coin is less than the weight of the quarters, but it doesn't make sense to say that the weight of the coin is less than the quarters themselves. (A) is gone.
Quote:
I think I would be a little bit happier if the first comparison said "more as a substitute for four quarters than FOR the dollar bill" -- the second "for" is missing, and that bugs me a little bit. But I'm not 100% sure that it's wrong.
More importantly: at the end of the sentence, it's saying that the coin "weighs 8.1 grams, far lighter than four quarters." You could say "the coin IS far lighter than four quarters" or "it weighs less than four quarters", but not "it weighs lighter than four quarters." Eliminate (B).
Quote:
I like that first comparison: "as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill" -- nice parallelism in the comparison, much better than in (A) or (B). More importantly, the last part makes sense now: "it weighs... far less than..." Keep (C).
Quote:
As in (A) and (B), I think the first comparison idiom would be much stronger if "for" was included before "the dollar bill." But the last part of the sentence is a bigger problem: "(the coin's) weight is far lighter than it is for four quarters..."?? At the very least, this is a wordy mess compared with (C). You could also argue that it's nonsense: if "it" refer's back to "the coin's weight", then the sentence becomes illogical ("the coin's weight is lighter than the coin's weight is for four quarters").
Either way, (C) is clearly better than (D), so (D) is gone.
Quote:
First part of the underlined portion suffers from the same idiom issue as in (A). The second part of the underlined portion is similar to (D): "the coin's weight... is far less than it is for four quarters." Again, at the very least, this is wordier and inferior to (C); at worst, it's illogical.
(C) is our winner.
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Officials at the United States Mint believe that the Sacagawea dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than four quarters, which weigh 5.67 grams each.
A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than
--as mustdoit pointed out, the word "rather" does not belong here.
But even if you did not catch this, the phrase "its weight...is far less than four quarters" does not make sense.
It should be "its weight...is far less than that of four quarters."
Additionally, because of the positioning of the word "more" early in the sentence, this sentence is structurally should be saying "more as a SUBSTITUTE...than as a [Blank]"
So A is wrong.
B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than
Because of the positioning of the word "more" early in the sentence, this sentence is structurally should be saying "more as a SUBSTITUTE...than as a [Blank]"
Since this structure is violated, we know B is wrong. If you want to compare the four quarters and the dollar bill, you'll have to move the position of the word "more."
C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than
This is what we want! The position of the word "more" is further into the sentence so structurally, we are correctly comparing "four quarters" and the "dollar bill."
D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for
The phrase should be "the weight...is far LESS than" --this is preferred.
You can say "it weighs lighter than XYZ" --just like you can say "I weigh heavier than him." ---But when you begin with the form "its weight is" then you should finish it off with "LESS THAN" rather than "LIGHTER THAN." Likewise, you wouldn't say "my weight is heavier than his"---you would say "my weight is more than his"
And as previously mentioned, you also need the word "for" before "the dollar bill"
So either way, D is wrong.
E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for
Again, you don't want the word "rather" in "rather than" here. E is wrong.
The phrase "is far less than it is for"--is chunky. Other answer choices offer something that is simpler and more concise--like answer choice C.
Hope that helps!
A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than
--as mustdoit pointed out, the word "rather" does not belong here.
But even if you did not catch this, the phrase "its weight...is far less than four quarters" does not make sense.
It should be "its weight...is far less than that of four quarters."
Additionally, because of the positioning of the word "more" early in the sentence, this sentence is structurally should be saying "more as a SUBSTITUTE...than as a [Blank]"
So A is wrong.
B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than
Because of the positioning of the word "more" early in the sentence, this sentence is structurally should be saying "more as a SUBSTITUTE...than as a [Blank]"
Since this structure is violated, we know B is wrong. If you want to compare the four quarters and the dollar bill, you'll have to move the position of the word "more."
C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than
This is what we want! The position of the word "more" is further into the sentence so structurally, we are correctly comparing "four quarters" and the "dollar bill."
D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for
The phrase should be "the weight...is far LESS than" --this is preferred.
You can say "it weighs lighter than XYZ" --just like you can say "I weigh heavier than him." ---But when you begin with the form "its weight is" then you should finish it off with "LESS THAN" rather than "LIGHTER THAN." Likewise, you wouldn't say "my weight is heavier than his"---you would say "my weight is more than his"
And as previously mentioned, you also need the word "for" before "the dollar bill"
So either way, D is wrong.
E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for
Again, you don't want the word "rather" in "rather than" here. E is wrong.
The phrase "is far less than it is for"--is chunky. Other answer choices offer something that is simpler and more concise--like answer choice C.
Hope that helps!
Posts: 4,849
Officials at the United States Mint believe that the Sacagawea dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than four quarters, which weigh 5.67 grams each.
(A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than “More as…rather than” is incorrect usage.
(B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than The correct comparison is “more for x than for y” In this case, the second “for” is missing. Not parallel.
(C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than The correct comparison is “used for x than for y” In this case, the comparison is parallel.
(D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for The correct comparison is “used for x than for y” In this case, the second “for” is missing. Not parallel.
(E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for “More for…rather than” is incorrect usage.
- Nitha
(A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than “More as…rather than” is incorrect usage.
(B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than The correct comparison is “more for x than for y” In this case, the second “for” is missing. Not parallel.
(C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than The correct comparison is “used for x than for y” In this case, the comparison is parallel.
(D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for The correct comparison is “used for x than for y” In this case, the second “for” is missing. Not parallel.
(E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for “More for…rather than” is incorrect usage.
- Nitha
Posts: 6,486
Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
Concepts tested here: Comparison + Pronouns + Idioms + Awkwardness/Redundancy
• Comparison must always be made between similar elements.
• "more" and "less" must have a logical sequence with "than"; in a comparison, "more/less...than" is the idiomatic construction.
• A pronoun and its derivatives can only refer to one noun in a sentence.
A: This answer choice incorrectly compares "its weight" to "four quarters" rather than with the weight of the quarters; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar elements. Further, Option A incorrectly follows "more" with "rather than" instead of "than"; please remember, "more" and "less" must have a logical sequence with "than"; in a comparison, "more/less...than" is the idiomatic construction. Additionally, Option A uses the needlessly wordy construction "its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
B: This answer choice incorrectly compares "a substitute for four quarters" to "the dollar bill"; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar elements.
C: Correct. This answer choice correctly compares "a substitute for four quarters" with "(a substitute) for the dollar bill" and correctly compares "it (the Sacagawea dollar coin)" with "four quarters". Further, Option C correctly uses "it" to refer solely to "the Sacagawea dollar coin". Additionally, Option C correctly follows "more" with "than", maintaining the idiomatic construction "more...than". Besides, Option C is free of any awkwardness and redundancy.
D: This answer choice incorrectly compares "a substitute for four quarters" to "the dollar bill"; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar elements. Further, Option D incorrectly uses "it" and the possessive form of the pronoun, "its" to refer to both "the Sacagawea dollar coin" and "weight" respectively; please remember, a pronoun and its derivatives can only refer to one noun in a sentence. Additionally, Option D uses the needlessly wordy construction "its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
E: This answer choice incorrectly follows "more" with "rather than" instead of "than"; please remember, "more" and "less" must have a logical sequence with "than"; in a comparison, "more/less...than" is the idiomatic construction. Further, Option E incorrectly uses "it" and the possessive form of the pronoun, "its" to refer to both "the Sacagawea dollar coin" and "weight" respectively; please remember, a pronoun and its derivatives can only refer to one noun in a sentence. Additionally, Option E uses the needlessly wordy construction "its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
Hence, C is the best answer choice.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
_________________
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
pi10t
Concepts tested here: Comparison + Pronouns + Idioms + Awkwardness/Redundancy
• Comparison must always be made between similar elements.
• "more" and "less" must have a logical sequence with "than"; in a comparison, "more/less...than" is the idiomatic construction.
• A pronoun and its derivatives can only refer to one noun in a sentence.
A: This answer choice incorrectly compares "its weight" to "four quarters" rather than with the weight of the quarters; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar elements. Further, Option A incorrectly follows "more" with "rather than" instead of "than"; please remember, "more" and "less" must have a logical sequence with "than"; in a comparison, "more/less...than" is the idiomatic construction. Additionally, Option A uses the needlessly wordy construction "its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
B: This answer choice incorrectly compares "a substitute for four quarters" to "the dollar bill"; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar elements.
C: Correct. This answer choice correctly compares "a substitute for four quarters" with "(a substitute) for the dollar bill" and correctly compares "it (the Sacagawea dollar coin)" with "four quarters". Further, Option C correctly uses "it" to refer solely to "the Sacagawea dollar coin". Additionally, Option C correctly follows "more" with "than", maintaining the idiomatic construction "more...than". Besides, Option C is free of any awkwardness and redundancy.
D: This answer choice incorrectly compares "a substitute for four quarters" to "the dollar bill"; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar elements. Further, Option D incorrectly uses "it" and the possessive form of the pronoun, "its" to refer to both "the Sacagawea dollar coin" and "weight" respectively; please remember, a pronoun and its derivatives can only refer to one noun in a sentence. Additionally, Option D uses the needlessly wordy construction "its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
E: This answer choice incorrectly follows "more" with "rather than" instead of "than"; please remember, "more" and "less" must have a logical sequence with "than"; in a comparison, "more/less...than" is the idiomatic construction. Further, Option E incorrectly uses "it" and the possessive form of the pronoun, "its" to refer to both "the Sacagawea dollar coin" and "weight" respectively; please remember, a pronoun and its derivatives can only refer to one noun in a sentence. Additionally, Option E uses the needlessly wordy construction "its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
Hence, C is the best answer choice.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
_________________
General Discussion
GMAT 1: 740 Q48 V42
Posts: 339
pi10t
The main point to consider here is what is being substituted.
The meaning of the passage is "The Sacagawea dollar will be used as a substitute for four quarters more than the Sacagawea dollar will be used as a substitute for the dollar bill".
A and B fall because of wrong comparison "more as a substitute"
D is gone, since there is no "for" before the dollar bill
E is too wordy, and hence follows D
Only C makes the correct comparison and maintains grammar.
Anand
anandsebastin
OA is C.
I agree with you. However, the comparision "far less" in C, seems to be between Sacagawea dollar coin's weight and four quarters (which is incorrect since it would be four quarters' weight).
Could anybody clarify?
Thanks,
nusmavrik
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Schools: Chicago Booth - Class of 2015
Posts: 467
C for perfection LOL
As a substitute for x more than for y because blah blah
as for x
as for y
As a substitute for x more than for y because blah blah
as for x
as for y
noboru
Nobody is going to elaborate on this?
I would like to see a "that" after the second "than" in C, in order to compare Sacagawea dollar coin's weight and four quarters' coin.
please clarify
noboru -- "I would like to see a "that" after the second "than" in C, in order to compare Sacagawea dollar coin's weight and four quarters' coin."
No, this is not right.
(C) says: "...because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than"
It weighs far less than four quarters. --this is correct.
Think: "I weigh more than him."--this is also correct. You do not need the word "that"---you DO need "that" if you say:
"Its weight is far less than that of four quarters." --Notice the difference between "it weighs" and "its weight"---one uses the word "weighs" as a VERB and the other uses "weight" as a NOUN.
seekmba--no I do not find anything wrong with "its" in A, D, and E.
No, this is not right.
(C) says: "...because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than"
It weighs far less than four quarters. --this is correct.
Think: "I weigh more than him."--this is also correct. You do not need the word "that"---you DO need "that" if you say:
"Its weight is far less than that of four quarters." --Notice the difference between "it weighs" and "its weight"---one uses the word "weighs" as a VERB and the other uses "weight" as a NOUN.
seekmba--no I do not find anything wrong with "its" in A, D, and E.
eGMAT- Great question indeed! Kudos 
Please share more 700+ questions of this kind...
Just a quick check - both the statements below are right I think,
1. more as a substitute for four quarters than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than
comparison between four quarters and bill
2. as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than
comparison between coin and bill
Correct me please, if I'm wrong.
Please share more 700+ questions of this kind...
Just a quick check - both the statements below are right I think,
1. more as a substitute for four quarters than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than
comparison between four quarters and bill
2. as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than
comparison between coin and bill
Correct me please, if I'm wrong.
Hi @bagdbmba,
Thanks for the appreciation.
As explained above, "for" is required so that the comparison has no ambiguity. Given the context of the sentence, I think it's ideal to place "as a substitute" before "more". However, I wouldn't say the second version is correct since it doesn't have "for" before "the dollar bill" and hence contains ambiguity.
Hope this helps!
Meghna
_________________
Thanks for the appreciation.
As explained above, "for" is required so that the comparison has no ambiguity. Given the context of the sentence, I think it's ideal to place "as a substitute" before "more". However, I wouldn't say the second version is correct since it doesn't have "for" before "the dollar bill" and hence contains ambiguity.
Hope this helps!
Meghna
_________________
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Officials at the United States Mint believe that the Sacagawea dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than four quarters, which weigh 5.67 grams each.
A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than
B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than
C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than
D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for
E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for
It is not necessary to get into unnecessary considerations regarding this question. This is a comparison issue and you must look forward to an orange-to-orange comparison or an apple-to-apple comparison. If you are considering the dollar coin, then you must compare it with the four quarters coin. On the other hand, if you are comparing the weight of the dollar coin, the corresponding comparison also should involve the weight of the four quarters on the other side.
As per this basic tenet, it is clear that A is out and that only B and C survive. We can get rid of D and E because it is not clear whether the pronoun 'it' stands for the coin or for the weight.
Between B and C, In B, 'it' weighs far lighter than is unidiomatic. Something can weigh far less than some other thing. Therefore, C remains in the final.
This much may be sufficient to solve this daunting question.
_________________
A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than
B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than
C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than
D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for
E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for
It is not necessary to get into unnecessary considerations regarding this question. This is a comparison issue and you must look forward to an orange-to-orange comparison or an apple-to-apple comparison. If you are considering the dollar coin, then you must compare it with the four quarters coin. On the other hand, if you are comparing the weight of the dollar coin, the corresponding comparison also should involve the weight of the four quarters on the other side.
As per this basic tenet, it is clear that A is out and that only B and C survive. We can get rid of D and E because it is not clear whether the pronoun 'it' stands for the coin or for the weight.
Between B and C, In B, 'it' weighs far lighter than is unidiomatic. Something can weigh far less than some other thing. Therefore, C remains in the final.
This much may be sufficient to solve this daunting question.
_________________
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Your work will remain a great tribute to you here on GMAT Club!
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gmatexam439
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Updated on: 16 Jun 2017, 11:09
Originally posted by gmatexam439 on 16 Jun 2017, 08:41.
Last edited by gmatexam439 on 16 Jun 2017, 11:09, edited 2 times in total.
Last edited by gmatexam439 on 16 Jun 2017, 11:09, edited 2 times in total.
Officials at the United States Mint believe that the Sacagawea dollar coin will be used more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than four quarters, which weigh 5.67 grams each.
A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than -Incorrect. The comparison here is between dollar coin's weight and quarter, which is wrong. "less than THAT OF" would have been correct
B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than -Incorrect comparision.
C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than -CORRECT. Comparing dollar coin with the quarter.
D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for -Incorrect comparision
E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for -Incorrect. Usage of "more" is inappropriate. "it" pronoun is dangling.
A) more as a substitute for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than -Incorrect. The comparison here is between dollar coin's weight and quarter, which is wrong. "less than THAT OF" would have been correct
B) more as a substitute for four quarters than the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far lighter than -Incorrect comparision.
C) as a substitute for four quarters more than for the dollar bill because it weighs only 8.1 grams, far less than -CORRECT. Comparing dollar coin with the quarter.
D) as a substitute for four quarters more than the dollar bill because its weight of only 8.1 grams is far lighter than it is for -Incorrect comparision
E) as a substitute more for four quarters rather than for the dollar bill because its weight, only 8.1 grams, is far less than it is for -Incorrect. Usage of "more" is inappropriate. "it" pronoun is dangling.
Ashokshiva
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i think it is A.
only option A seems to compare 4 quarters with dollar.
Awaiting expert reply.
only option A seems to compare 4 quarters with dollar.
Awaiting expert reply.
Ashokshiva
Hello Ashokshiva,
I would be glad to help you with this query.
Choice A is incorrect because the comparison has not been presented in grammatically parallel list.
The original sentence uses the phrase more X than Y in which X and Y should be parallel. But per choice A, X = as a substitute for four quarters and Y = for the dollar bill. Clearly, the two entities are not parallel. Also, use of rather with this comparison idiom is incorrect.
Choice C corrects this parallelism by changing the structure of the comparison idiom to X more than Y in which X = for four quarters and Y = for the dollar bill.
Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha
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Posts: 103
is the conjunction rather than incorrect in option A?
haardiksharma
Hi haardiksharma, you are right. The issue is the following incorrect usage:
more...rather than
The correct idiom is: more...than (or less...than).
p.s. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses this usage as part of idioms. Have attached the corresponding section of the book, for your reference.
Attachments
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Ashish
MBA-ISB Hyderabad, GMAT-99th percentile
www.EducationAisle.com
MBA-ISB Hyderabad, GMAT-99th percentile
www.EducationAisle.com
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In C, is far less than correct? Shouldn't it be far lighter than?
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