OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
THE PROMPTQuote:
With only seven percent of the jobs, finance, insurance, and real estate comprise the largest sector of today’s economy.
Meaning? We have contrast.
On one hand, finance, insurance, and real estate account for only seven percent of the jobs in today's economy.
On the other hand, finance, insurance, and real estate constitute ("account for") the largest sector of the economy.
THE OPTIONSQuote:
A) With only seven percent of the jobs
• "with" means that finance, insurance, and real estate themselves have or
possess "only seven percent of jobs." Nonsense.
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
B) As only seven percent of jobs
• AS is misused
→ if no verb follows the word
as, then
as often means
in the role of, this way:
She works as a writer, editor, and professor.See Notes.
→ are finance, insurance, and real estate playing the role of seven percent of jobs?
→ NO. The sentence is nonsensical.
ELIMINATE B
Quote:
C) Being only seven percent of the jobs
• Pretend that you have not read options A or B and look at (C) in the sentence:
Being only seven percent of the jobs, finance, insurance, and real estate comprise the largest sector of today’s economy.→ That sentence is illogical.
It seems to suggest that
because finance, insurance, and real estate account for only seven percent of the jobs, those three areas comprise the largest sector of today's economy.
Huh? Because three industries account for a
small percentage of all jobs, those industries make up the
largest sector?
No.
• How on earth can "being only seven percent of jobs" sensibly modify
finance, insurance, and
real estate?
Being does not mean
accounting for.• in a strict sense, a sector cannot BE a percentage of total jobs
• a sector can
constitute or
account for seven percent of the jobs in an economy
• No true contrast word exists. "Only" gives a hint but is not itself a contrast word. Place
nonetheless after
real estate. That sentence is still horrible, but at least it contains a contrast word.
• GMAC does not like
being when it is used as a modifier
→ I would memorize this guideline:
(1)
being should not be automatically dismissed
(2)
being can be correct when it is used as a noun (gerund) or as part of a verb, but
(3) when "being XYZ" is used as a
modifier,
being is almost always incorrect on the GMAT. See Notes
If you have doubts, keep this option and look for a better answer.
ELIMINATE C
Quote:
D) Despite having only seven percent of jobs
•
to have in this context means to own or possess. ("Have" can also mean to experience or undergo.)
• finance, insurance, and real estate do not themselves possess (have) only seven percent of jobs.
This meaning problem is similar to the one in (A).
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
E) Although accounting for only seven percent of the jobs
• See my "Meaning" above. This option comports most closely with that meaning.
•
(E) is logical and uses an unmistakable contrast word. • (E) does contain a detail that might confuse people: the word
although is not followed by a clause.
-- Many people are taught that
although and other subordinating conjunctions must
always be followed by a clause that contains a subject and verb.
Not true. -- In fact, in the last decade, in at least a dozen official questions, the correct answer contains
although or a similar word (though, if, after) that is
not followed by a clause.
→
Although accounting for actually means
Although they account for. See Notes.
• We reached answer E by process of elimination. Trust that process.
-- Option E is not logically shaky or absurd as are options A, B, C and D.
-- Option E uses an unmistakable contrast word.
The correct answer is E.Notes"As" in (B) - more possibilitiesWhen
as is not followed by a clause, in addition to signaling "in the role of,"
as can also mean:
(1) "equals"
--
I think of him as my brother, though we are not related.and
(2) "during the stage"
--
As a teenager, he was shy."Being" in option CGMAC does not like "being" when it is used as a modifier.
The word
being can be correct when it is used as a noun or a verb.
INSTANCES in which "BEING" is acceptable on the GMAT
→ Noun #1 (gerund, verbING): as a
subject connected to a
verb:
Being a law professor does not appeal to him.→ Noun #2: as an
object (in this case, of the preposition "on")
The adult literacy program focuses more on reading than on
writing.→ Part of a verb
He has been learning how to surf.These constructions are not common on the GMAT, but they are not considered awkward or ineffective.
By contrast,
being as a modifier is almost never correct. (I cannot think of an example. One may exist: if so, it's not worth worrying about.)
In (E), "although" is not followed by a clause→ Contrary to a myth that still persists, the word
although does not automatically require a clause.
→ In this case,
although is followed by an adjective phrase that describes the nouns
finance, insurance, and
real estate. The __ING adjective is a sort of shorthand.
→ That is, in some
although constructions, an anticipatory pronoun and a verb are implied.
Simple case #1:
-- Although besieged by hateful tweets, the senator maintained her calm, wicked sense of humor.
-- Meaning/implied: Although [she was] besieged by hateful tweets, the senator ...
Slightly difficult case:
-- Although accounting for only four percent of the world's population, the U.S. has 25 percent of the world's COVID-19 cases.
-- Meaning: Although it accounts for only four percent of the world's population, the U.S. has ...
-- Some experts believe that the implied pronoun and verb in (E) should be phrased "they are accounting."
Other experts believe that the implied verb takes the tense of the main verb and can be phrased "they account for."
That debate will not be settled any time soon.
For strategic purposes, just remember that
although placed at the beginning of the sentence can be followed by a modifier or a clause.
I say "beginning" because Ron Purewal believes that when
although is placed at the end of a sentence, it must be followed by a clause.
I'll take his word for it until I have time to review official questions with that pattern in mind.
agar , yet again, you asked a good question.
I hope that I cleared up for you why D is wrong.
Finance, insurance, and real estate do not
possess or own ("have") only seven percent of the jobs.
They
account for that seven percent.
COMMENTSSoumyanath , welcome to SC Butler.
Most of these answers are good and two are stellar.
Kudos if you
explained what the problems with the options were.