Canadian scientists have calculated that one human being should be

Question

Canadian scientists have calculated that  one human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite , while each year sixteen buildings can be expected to sustain damage from such objects.

(A) one human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite

(B) a human being should be struck by a meteorite once in every nine years

(C) a meteorite will strike one human being once in every nine years

(D) every nine years a human being will be struck by a meteorite

(E) every nine years a human being should be struck by a meteorite

https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/10/science/science-watch-beware-a-little-falling-meteorites.html

Worldwide, the Canadian scientists said, one could expect  a human to be struck by a meteorite once in every nine years , while 16 buildings a year would be expected to sustain some meteorite damage.

TommyWallach · Accepted Answer

Hey All,

I think they're playing with how you can use "should." I can say "Based on my calculations, the eclipse should occur in summer 2011." But when we leave out that "based on my calculations" part, it gets confusing.

A) This sounds like the same ONE person will get hit by the meteorite (poor guy!).

B) "once in every nine years" is not a saying. You can say "once every nine years", but you can't have that "in".

C) still sounds like the same one guy, with added weirdness.

D) sounds good.

E) Does sound like a recommendation for this poor man.

Hope that helps!

-t

BKimball · Answer

TehJay,
This is one of those SC areas where our ear leads us astray. We hear people say things like "If my calculations are correct, we should arrive 10 minutes early." In GMAT world, however, "should" implies obligation and can't be used to express probability. This is one of those idiomatic things you just have to memorize, but I think the more important issue with this problem is the split that allows you to narrow your choices down to D and E. 
Great debate on this one!
Brett

topher · Answer

Scientists calculate that a human being  will  be struck, not should be struck. This leaves all but C and D.

I will go with D  even though it uses the passive voice because it is most parallel to the un-underlined portion of the sentence.

"Each year buildings can be expected to sustain damage."
"Every 9 years a human will be struck by a meteorite."

TehJay · Answer

Canadian scientists have calculated that  one human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite , while each year 16 buildings can be expected to sustain damage from such objects.

(A) one human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite
(B) a human being should be struck by a meteorite once in every nine years
(C) a meteorite will strike one human being once in every nine years
(D) every nine years a human being will be struck by a meteorite
(E) every nine years a human being should be struck by a meteorite

I disagree with the OA. The OA is (D), and the explanation is: "What this sentence says is not what it logically intends. The verb  should  implies obligation; in this sentence, it indicates that one human being  ought  to be struck every nine years, as though that person somehow deserved it. The scientists clearly mean that a human being  will  be struck by a meteorite roughly every nine years." I understand this logic, but completely disagree with it. First of all,  "should" does not necessarily imply obligation . It can also refer to something that is  expected but not definite  - "If the scientists are correct, this  should  happen." That's in the dictionary. Secondly, by changing it to "WILL be struck," you are changing the meaning of the sentence to state that the scientists know, without a doubt, that someone will be struck by a meteorite every nine years. However, the second part of the sentence, "while each year 16 buildings  can be expected to sustain damage from such objects ," makes it clear that the scientists do not KNOW that these are definite things, but rather that they are EXPECTED things. "Should" is the correct word to use. You could replace it with some other things, like "will probably" or "most likely will", but not just "will". That changes the inherent meaning to something more definite than actually intended.

Thoughts?

TehJay · Answer

I'm sorry to hammer this point, but I just wanted to reassert the fact that one of the definitions of "should" is exactly to express a probability or expectation. From Mirriam-Webster:

Show Spoiler

Definition of SHOULD
past of shall
1
—used in auxiliary function to express condition <if he should leave his father, his father would die — Gen 44:22(Revised Standard Version)>
2
—used in auxiliary function to express obligation, propriety, or expediency <'tis commanded I should do so — Shakespeare> <this is as it should be — H. L. Savage> <you should brush your teeth after each meal>
3
—used in auxiliary function to express futurity from a point of view in the past <realized that she should have to do most of her farm work before sunrise — Ellen Glasgow>
4
—used in auxiliary function to express what is probable or expected <with an early start, they should be here by noon>
5
—used in auxiliary function to express a request in a polite manner or to soften direct statement <I should suggest that a guide…is the first essential — L. D. Reddick>

From Oxford:

Show Spoiler

should (should)

Pronunciation:/SHo͝od/
modal verb (3rd sing. should

2. used to indicate what is probable

I'm not just making this up. The second half of the sentence suggests that the study isn't conclusive, but that the scientists EXPECT that something SHOULD happen, so why would the first half be different? That's how I read the sentence - "The scientists believe that x should happen and that y is expected to happen". Changing it to WILL happen changes the original meaning of the sentence - "The scientists KNOW that x will happen and that y MIGHT happen".

kumarashok29 · Answer

IMO - D

Canadian scientists have calculated that  one human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite , while each year sixteen buildings can be expected to sustain damage from such objects.

>> The non-underline portion (in while part) starts with each year .....so, for correct parallelism, we need noun of first part to be some year similar to second part. D & E only has correct noun parallel. However, in E, use of should is implying some moral ground, which is incorrect.

(A)  one human being  should be struck every nine years by a meteorite
(B)  a human being  should be struck by a meteorite once in every nine years
(C)  a meteorite  will strike one human being once in every nine years
(D)  every nine years  a human being will be struck by a meteorite
(E)  every nine years  a human being  should  be struck by a meteorite

daagh · Answer

It is doubtful whether 'will' always means a certainty. For example, take this case: 
Seeing the binge with which Yellen is eager to go, analysts think that FED will raise the rate yet again as early as March this year.

Here, 'will' signifies more speculation or at the most some anticipation or expectation. 'Will' is often used for the futurity of the event rather than for the surety of the event.

The next point. 'Should' is often a kind of suggestion and in some cases even dreaming. For example. I think he should re-take GMAT again ASAP. Here this is a mere suggestion. 
In another case, --- I feel that the erring politician should meet his waterloo this time for hobnobbing with anti-socials. -- here this is a wishful thinking. 
Therefore, 'should' may not always point to compulsion as in the case of 'ought to' or 'must'

Canadian scientists have calculated that  one human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite , while each year 16 buildings can be expected to sustain damage from such objects.

(A) one human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite
(B) a human being should be struck by a meteorite once in every nine years
(C) a meteorite will strike one human being once in every nine years
(D) every nine years a human being will be struck by a meteorite
(E) every nine years a human being should be struck by a meteorite
let's drop A and C for using the unseemly One human being suggesting somewhat oddly that one same human being is struck by a meteorite every nine years once. Let's us eliminate B and E for the wrongful suggestion by using the inapt 'should. D remains

TheRzS · Answer

Hi  RonPurewal

Could I please request a clarification?

- Can  "should"  be used to convey  probability ?
- Can  "will"  be used to convey  probability ? Or, in this context  "will"  is used to convey  certainty ?

What does, in fact, separate D from E?

Best
RzS

egmat · Answer

Hello TheRzS , Since you have a couple of doubts, I would just like to add my two cents here.

The answer is no. The word should is used to present obligation. It is true that the helping verb will is generally used to present an action that is going to happen for sure. However, verb tenses are the trickiest part of the grammar. Their correct usage is completely governed by the context of the sentence. Per the context of the sentence, it is easy to understand that the author wants to present probability. It is not that we see humans getting hit by a meteor as general occurrence. So yes, per the context of this official sentence, usage of will basically shows a calculation. Now let's talk about the difference between Choices D and E. (D) every nine years a human being will be struck by a meteorite: Correct: As explained, will has been used to present a calculation. (E) every nine years a human being should be struck by a meteorite: Incorrect: Usage of should suggests that a person must for sure be struck by a meteorite as if it is the duty/obligation of a man to be struck by a meteorite. Hope this helps.

Thanks. Shraddha

SUNNYRHODE002 · Answer

GMATNinja  Sir ,

Please throw some light here.

Not convinced with the OA

GMATNinja · Answer

I think  TommyWallach  pretty much nailed it with  this post . (D) and (E) are pretty close, but, as explained by  BKimball  in  this post , (D) is the better of the two.

If you still aren't convinced, try to explain what's tripping you up, and we'll do our best to help!

sarphant123 · Answer

The more you will become proficient in pointing every error with an answer choice in the review process, the better you will learn SC and that too in accelerated way.

Canadian scientists have calculated that one human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite, while each year sixteen buildings can be expected to sustain damage from such objects.
Should is used to denote Moral Obligation, which is clearly not the case here.

(A) one human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite
Incorrect use of Should
“One human being” sounds awkward right? There will be one particular human being who will get struck once every nine years. – Incorrect due to meaning change.

(B) a human being should be struck by a meteorite once in every nine years
Incorrect use of Should.
Incorrect modifier – “once in every nine years”. This modifier seems to modify meteorite which comes once in every nine years. – Incorrect

(C) a meteorite will strike one human being once in every nine years
“One human being” sounds awkward right? There will be one particular human being who will get struck once every nine years. – Incorrect due to meaning change.
The sentence is of the construction - Canadian scientists have calculated that X while Y.
Y being the non underlined part is in passive voice.So, the X part should also be in the same voice.

(D) every nine years a human being will be struck by a meteorite
Best of all.

(E) every nine years a human being should be struck by a meteorite
Incorrect use of Should

mSKR · Answer

Yes  GMATNinja  sir

have a following query:
In  this post  by  TommyWallach  it is mentioned that

In the question:

I am just trying to figure out : In what such scenarios,  should  would be correct ?
Or We consider  should  as obligation in GMAT World.

Expert comments please  AndrewN   GMATNinja

Thanks!

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  mSKR . I think your query is directed more toward  GMATNinja  than to me. However, I will say that the GMAT™ seems to prefer a definitive stance when it comes to words such as  calculate ,  predict ,  infer ,  forecast , or  project . When these words are used as verbs—e.g.,  Analysts predict that... —I expect a firm  will  to follow, not a more open-ended or wishy-washy  should ,  could , or  would . If you find counterexamples to this general tendency in certain (official) questions, those would be worth analyzing. Otherwise, I would make a note of the tendency and apply it as often as I felt the point was being tested.

- Andrew

GMATNinja · Answer

Interesting question on the use of "should", and I agree with everything AndrewN wrote. My first instinct is that "should" implies some sort of opinion or value judgment. I might tell my toddler that she "should stop licking frozen metal furniture", for example. (This example is based on true events.

) That's not always the case, though. If we say "Based on my calculations, the eclipse should occur in summer 2011", then we're just using "should" to indicate an action that will probably -- but not certainly -- occur. In other words, I don't think that "should" ever implies an obligation, exactly. And AndrewN is spot-on, I think: if there's a forecast or a projection, it seems odd to use "should" instead of "will." Honestly, I'm not sure that the fine nuances of the word "should" are all that crucial to your chances of GMAT success, and it's probably not worth too much of your time. When in doubt, think of "should" as indicating either an opinion ("you should eat more Bar Harbor ice cream bars") or implying some amount of uncertainty ("if my calculations are correct, my weight should reach four digits by 2032"). But if you find any official questions that seem to defy that way of thinking, let us know. I hope that helps a bit!

gmatimothy · Answer

Why does "one" impose that the human being is a particular person vs. "a" human being?

NarayanaGupta007 · Answer

30 Seconds sol

Should means probability so A, B & E Reject 
One human being means particular person so C out 
D is your answere 
I hate the people who instead of giving logic says.....ohh this is awkward or this sounds good....unscientific basis

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

It's not really the use of "one" that causes the sentence to convey that the same person gets struck every year. Rather, choice (A) as a whole conveys that meaning.

Let's take a look at choice (A).

(A) one human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite

It conveys that some person should be "struck every nine years," as if some randomly selected person be struck once every nine years.

Notice that, if we used "a" rather than "one," it would still convey an illogical meaning.

a human being should be struck every nine years by a meteorite

It still tends to convey that a person should be "struck every nine years," though in this form it could also be read as conveying that every person should be struck every nine years by a meteorite.

ExpertsGlobal5 · Answer

Hello  gmatimothy ,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, in this context, "a human being" and "one human being" actually convey the same meaning; the error in Option A is actually that the use of "should" incorrectly implies that it is  desirable  or  necessary  that one human being be struck every nine years by a meteorite; please remember, the use of "should" conveys a sense of desirability or necessity.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team.

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