Poor people, who already purchase the cheapest food

Question

Poor people, who already purchase the cheapest food items-starches , frankfurters , beans and the like- have no items  that they can economize when there is a rise in the overall price of food .

A) that they can economize when there is a rise in the overall price of food.

B) on which there can be economizing when there is a rise in the overall price of food

C)for economizing if there will be an overall rise in the price of food

D) on which to economize when overall prices of food rise

E) that can be economical when overall prices of food rise

judokan · Answer

Rewrite the sentence:
Poor people can economize no items. (no need any preposition after “economize”

A) that they can economize when there is a rise in the overall price of food.

B) on which there can be economizing when there is a rise in the overall price of food
== WRONG: no “on”

C)for economizing if there will be an overall rise in the price of food
Missing object from economizing
== WRONG: no “for”

D) on which to economize when overall prices of food rise
== WRONG: no “on”

E) that can be economical when overall prices of food rise
== WRONG: changed the meaning

Ans is (A)

sanjay_gmat · Answer

one doesn't economize an item, he/she economize on an item.

D is the answer.

icandy · Answer

Direct from NY Times. I have seen Quite some questions that are a free lift from NYT and are turned into SC. These Q's are not close to the actual GMAT Q's

Some one tried to tweak the original sentence from NYT.

Poor people, already purchasing the cheapest food items - starches, frankfurters, chicken necks and the like - have no place to economize when overall prices of food rise.

I am not sure how any answer is correct. on which in D sounds awkward to me.

humtum0 · Answer

D--- Poor people (blah blah...) have no items   on which to economize when overall prices of food rise 
E--- Poor people (blah blah...) have no items   that can be economical when overall prices of food rise 
D looks more connected in both parts. I Pick D
 What's the Source of this SC?

spriya · Answer

Oops i did not read the stem properly

Poor people, who already purchase the cheapest food items-starches , frankfurters , beans and the like- have no items  that they can economize when there is a rise in the overall price of food . 
subject is poor people 
object is items c
context is : to economize the items during inflation.

Hence B and C out as discussed in the prev. post ,and E is gione since we say noo items which are economical,but alredy these are cheapest items so meaning is distorted hence eliminate E

Among A and D ,D is rejected since on which to economize is wrong.
A is correct in the lot .BUT theres still a question of they which remains?
waiting for OE for this question.

TNTGMAT · Answer

OA is D.

spriya · Answer

Thanks
So where is the OE for the same.
in (D)  on which to economize  is quite different construct and appears unidiomatic too

rigger · Answer

economize: To practice economy, as by avoiding waste or reducing expenditures.

A) wrong. People can't economize food
B) wrong. awkward
C) wrong. awkward
D) good. people can economize per definition above
E) wrong. food can't make itself economical.

GMAT TIGER · Answer

Though I chose wrong one, D should be ok.

B/C are straight wrong.
A is incorrect for "there is" construction.
E is passive. 
D is left.

Poor people, who already purchase the cheapest food

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