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04 Aug 2020, 23:17
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E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
15%
(low)
Question Stats:
67% (00:51) correct
33%
(00:57)
wrong
based on 421
sessions
History
Date
Time
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Not Attempted Yet
With only seven percent of the jobs, finance, insurance, and real estate comprise the largest sector of the today’s economy.
A) With only seven percent of the jobs
B) As only seven percent of jobs
C) Being only seven percent of the jobs
D) Despite having only seven percent of jobs
E) Although accounting for only seven percent of the jobs
04 Aug 2020, 23:17
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
THE PROMPT
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 OPTIONS
• "with" means that finance, insurance, and real estate themselves have or possess "only seven percent of jobs." Nonsense.
ELIMINATE A
→ 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
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
• 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
• (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 possibilities
When 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 C
GMAC 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.
COMMENTS
Soumyanath , 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.
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
THE PROMPT
Quote:
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 OPTIONS
Quote:
• "with" means that finance, insurance, and real estate themselves have or possess "only seven percent of jobs." Nonsense.
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
• 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:
• 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:
• 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:
• 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 possibilities
When 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 C
GMAC 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.
COMMENTS
Soumyanath , 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.
General Discussion
04 Aug 2020, 23:41
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generis
Best Guess
