Zarrolou wrote:
HumptyDumpty wrote:
This is contrary to the truth.
"It seems remarkable" is preferred to "It seems to be remarkable".
The use of idiom "as remarkable as" is fully correct in this sentence. The sentence is wrong for other reason:
What seemed as remarkable as the medieval invention of playing cards are the thousands upon thousands of unique games that are shared by a worldwide audience.
This sentence would be correct if "seemed" were "seems".
Hi HumptyDumpty,
the correct usage of "seem" requires the following form "seem + infinite". The problem is not the past tense, but in the sentence "What
seemed as remarkable as the medieval invention of playing cards" seem has no infinite form that completes the idiom.
You may wanna take a look
here it's a list of idioms by GmatPill. I've found also these lists (
1 2 ) on our forum.
Just a quick example that you can find there "seem + infinitive : Ambulance expenses seem to discourage patients from calling 911".
Zarrolou,
Zarrolou wrote:
the correct usage of "seem" requires the following form "seem + infinite".
"Seem" calls for infinitive always when it is followed by verb. However, it would be very limiting to the language to constrain "seem" to precede only verbs. This is a correct but not the only one idiom. In A) we see "seem" followed by comparison that is indeed correct. Moreover, "to be" between "seem" and adjective is not welcome.
GMAT idiom lists cannot be "more true" than dictionaries issued by Oxford or Cambridge. These lists are somehow handy for memorizing most common GMAT idioms. However, they are extracted from full dictionary entries and compiled just by smart students, not by English language authorities who regulate the language. If you look deeper, you will find out that such lists are not all too reliable.