When shown boards for just a few seconds from previous chess games

Question

When shown boards  for just a few seconds from previous chess games, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when shown a board with randomly placed pieces, the average person performs just as well as grandmasters at this task .

A. for just a few seconds from previous chess games, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when shown a board with randomly placed pieces, the average person performs just as well as grandmasters at this task

B. for just a few seconds from previous chess games, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when shown a board with randomly placed pieces, grandmasters perform just as well as the average person does at this task

C. from previous chess games for just a few seconds, grandmaster chess players display an ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board that is impressive, but when shown a board with randomly placed pieces, average people perform just as well as grandmasters do at this task

D. from previous chess games for just a few seconds, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when they are shown boards with randomly placed pieces, grandmasters perform no better at this task than the average person

E. from previous chess games for just a few seconds, grandmaster chess players display an ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board that is impressive, but when they are shown boards with randomly placed pieces, grandmasters perform just as well at this task as does the average person

daagh · Accepted Answer

1. In D, the comparison is between how Grandmasters perform Vis-a-Vis how the average person performs. Don't we require another verb, preferably a synonym such as 'does' after the average person?

2. in the same choice, isn't the expansion 'when they were shown' wordy compared to ''when shown?'
Probably are they trivial?

dabaobao · Answer

Official Solution (Credit: Manhattan Prep)

(1) Take a First Glance (5 seconds)

The for just a few seconds vs. from previous board games split indicates that this question is testing Modifiers.

(2) Read for Meaning

The sentence discusses two contrasting facts: (1) grandmasters can expertly recall layouts of previous chess games and (2) grandmasters are only average at remembering a board with randomly placed pieces. The modifier for just a few seconds describes how long the grandmasters are shown boards, but not just any boards. It is essential to specify that the boards are from previous games, so this modifier should come first. The modifier for just a few seconds cannot describe the entire boards … from previous games if placed in the middle of that whole phrase. In addition, the structure when shown boards … , grandmaster chess players display … , but when shown a board … , the average person performs … creates a contrast that is not Parallel. The subject of the second part should also be grandmasters. Eliminate answer choice (A) and any other choices that make any of these mistakes.

(3) Find a Starting Point

Start with any difference that seems easiest to you, then move to the next easiest issue, and so on. Stop when you have one answer or you aren’t sure how to address the remaining differences. All errors for each choice are detailed in the next section.

(4) Eliminate (and Repeat)

(A) The modifier for just a few seconds describes how long the grandmasters are shown boards … from previous games, so it ought to be placed after from previous games rather than in the middle of the phrase it is describing. In addition, the structure when shown boards … , grandmaster chess players display … , but when shown a board … , the average person performs … creates a contrast that is not parallel. The subject of the second part should also be grandmasters.

(B) The modifier for just a few seconds describes how long the grandmasters are shown boards … from previous games, so it ought to be placed after from previous games rather than in the middle of the phrase it is describing.

(C) The modifier that is impressive should be placed closer to what it is describing: the grandmaster’s ability. As written, it’s unclear whether the ability, the position, or the board is impressive. In addition, the structure when shown boards … , grandmaster chess players display … , but when shown a board … , average people perform … creates a contrast that is not parallel. The subject of the second part should also be grandmasters.

(D) CORRECT. The modifier for just a few seconds is properly placed to describe boards from previous chess games. The structure when shown boards … , grandmaster chess players display … , but when they are shown boards … , grandmasters perform is parallel and clearly conveys the meaning of the intended contrast.

(E) The modifier that is impressive should be placed closer to what it is describing: the grandmaster’s ability. As written, it’s unclear whether the ability, the position, or the board is impressive.

GURUCHANAKYA · Answer

Presence of "BUT", that is a coordinating conjunction, check for parallelism errors.
 The best suited answer choice is D.

SonalSinha803 · Answer

B changes the intended meaning. When we compare an expert player with an average player, what language would one use(in the given situation).... the one in B or that in D ?? Obviously D.

Moreover, even without "does", the meaning is clear. "Grandmasters perform no better than the average person..."..I don't think it is wrong.

Thus, I would go with D.

Sent from my Lenovo K53a48 using  GMAT Club Forum mobile app

arvind910619 · Answer

I think the reason for D to be correct is the meaning.

The emphasis has to be on the Grand-masters. The meaning should be when the Grand-masters are shown randomly placed pieces they are no better than the average person at this task.

But A is totally different at the end.

B is not good at all as it suggest that the average people perform much better otherwise.

C is incorrect as it places impressive in wrong position.

D correct

E repeats the error of C

Can any expert validate my reasoning

abhik1502 · Answer

WOuld somebody pls clarify me out here ,

1. In option D what "They" refers to ? There are nouns such as "games" , "pieces" & "players". So doesn't usage of they out here create an ambiguity.

2. Also from parallelism prospective, B do maintain it better where phrase is followed by both instances of "When". In option B both of them are phrase modifier modifying "grandmasters", whereas in option D, it do have clause modifier in underlined part of sentence. SO doesn't option B sound more consistent from parallelism prospective.

3. Again as Daagh sir mentioned earlier in option D it looks to have "do" is missing, because we are performing verb comparison out here, so there should be do at the end.

Pls suggest !

SWAT09 · Answer

The split here is,

When boards shown from previous chess games for just few seconds... sounds right. Boards modify previous chess games with no intruder of "just few seconds" in between as mentioned in Choice A & B
Among options C,D,E , C & E with " that is impressive" is wordy. Leaves D as right choice.

Helium · Answer

When shown boards.....but...when shown board

Not parallel

A) and B) out

board that is impressive...

C) and E) out

Ans : D

Posted from my mobile device

Prateek176 · Answer

gmatexam439  ,  MartyMurray

I believe B is wrong because of misplaced "for just a few seconds".

However in option "D", do we require "they"?? I am all confused now with the POE

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

D. from previous chess games for just a few seconds, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when  they  are shown boards with randomly placed pieces, grandmasters perform no better at this task than the average person

"they" in D is fine. The sentence works with or without "they" in that spot. With "they" you get "when they are shown ...," a subordinate clause. Without "they" you get an adverb phrase, "when shown boards." Either structure works.

Perhaps the sentence would be better without "they," but there isn't really any ambiguity to the connection between "they" and its referent, "grandmasters," as chess pieces would not be "shown boards."

hongg7 · Answer

What is the standard to omit words in the second part of a comparison? In Manhattan GMAT, it says that as long as there is no ambiguity, words can be omitted, but I'm not completely sure what the standard for ambiguity is here.. In some questions it is required to include words such as does and I am aware of when it is required but it's difficult when choosing whether words can be omitted or not.

Please help GMATNinja

Please help  GMATNinja

GMATNinja · Answer

Good question! And it's difficult to come up with a super-clean rule for it. Check out this post: https://gmatclub.com/forum/unlike-most- ... l#p2117367. It's on a different thread, but it should give you a sense of how to think about omitted words in comparisons. And we also did two videos on comparisons last year -- part 1 is here , part 2 is here . I hope this helps!

rahul16singh28 · Answer

I feel between B & D, there is a subtle meaning difference.

In B, its written as "just as well as" and in D its written as "no better". "no better" conveys better meaning when comparing the ability of Grandmasters & average person.

aniket16c · Answer

Dear experts,
 mikemcgarry   IanStewart   VeritasKarishma   daagh   DmitryFarber   GMATNinjaTwo   GMATNinja

When shown boards for just a few seconds from previous chess games, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when shown a board with randomly placed pieces, the average person performs just as well as grandmasters at this task.

B. for just a few seconds from previous chess games, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when shown a board with randomly placed pieces, grandmasters perform just as well as the average person does at this task

D. from previous chess games for just a few seconds, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when they are shown boards with randomly placed pieces, grandmasters perform no better at this task than the average person

In the above two options,
1. I could not understand the change in the meaning of the sentence because of change in placement of "from previous chess games". In the phrase there isn't a mention of anything that could refer to boards resulting in a meaning ambiguity or meaning change. So can you please explain the difference?

2. I selected "B" as the modifier "but when shown a board with randomly placed pieces" is parallel in clauses before and after "but". Why is it wrong?

3. IMO, the comparison between grandmasters and players sounds a bit better in option D than in option B. Use of "just as well" gives a perception of as though in other cases players were better than grandmasters. Thus use of "no better" SOUNDS better. Ofcourse, this is not the correct way to select any answer. However, can you please shed some light on these concerns.

Thank you!

IanStewart · Answer

It's the 'boards' that are 'from previous chess games', not the 'seconds', so that modifier needs to follow 'boards'. As for your 3rd question, parts of answers to GMAT SC questions often differ in inconsequential ways; either of those two wordings would have been fine if the surrounding language had been correct.

Ranasaymon · Answer

1. 'boards for just a few seconds from previous games' vs 'boards from previous games for just a few seconds'

=> 'boards for just a few seconds from previous games' is incorrect. It says that 'a few seconds from previous games'. Actually, boards are from previous games.
 Eliminate option A and B.

2.  Eliminate option C  for incorrect comparison.

=> 'when shown boards,grandmasters...but when show a board, avg people' is a comparison error. The comparison should be between grandmasters and grandmasters.

3. 'an ability' vs 'an impressive ability'

=> Per the original question, we need to use 'an impressive ability'
 Eliminate option C and E.

Option D is the correct answer.

Posted from my mobile device

ajaygaur319 · Answer

As per this logic, In (D), if we change places of the modifiers to :

"When shown boards from previous chess games for just a few seconds"

Now  for just a few seconds  modifies "chess games" which also doesn't make sense. Honestly, I didn't feel there is anything wrong with  (B)  in this regard. I found a little meaning change at the end where in (B), it is written that  grandmasters perform just as well as the average person does at this task  but we want to show a transition where grandmasters didn't perform the task well. So,  grandmasters perform no better at this task than the average person  makes more sense.

Crytiocanalyst · Answer

A. for just a few seconds from previous chess games, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when shown a board with randomly placed pieces, the average person performs just as well as grandmasters at this task
Theaverage person has a potential to be in par with grandmasters excellency , however the intended meaning is that grandmasters are not performing in accordance with their class therefore out

B. for just a few seconds from previous chess games, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when shown a board with randomly placed pieces, grandmasters perform just as well as the average person does at this task
The final comparison in the end is causing all the trouble average person and grandmaster , masters are part of top echelons and their perfomance can never be acceptable if it's in same strata of a mediocore average person therefore out

C. from previous chess games for just a few seconds, grandmaster chess players display an ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board that is impressive, but when shown a board with randomly placed pieces, average people perform just as well as grandmasters do at this task
that is impressive , what does it mean , the grandmasters only recognise only the intended pieces towards the comparison is between the ability of grandmasters as though they are inferior goods to the average person which is not the intended meaninig therefore out

D. from previous chess games for just a few seconds, grandmaster chess players display an impressive ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board, but when they are shown boards with randomly placed pieces, grandmasters perform no better at this task than the average person
The contrast is displsyed that the granndmasters are no better than other players is the intended meaning therefore let us hang on to it

E. from previous chess games for just a few seconds, grandmaster chess players display an ability to recall the exact position of all of the pieces on the board that is impressive, but when they are shown boards with randomly placed pieces, grandmasters perform just as well at this task as does the average person
Similar reasoning as C

THerefore IMO D

VerbalBot · Answer

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.

When shown boards for just a few seconds from previous chess games

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

When shown boards for just a few seconds from previous chess games

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards