http://gmatclub.com/forum/sc-summarize-vs-summarizing-64941.html
Thursday 21 May 2009
Saturday 9 May 2009
EXAMPLE : At Shiprock, New Mexico, a perennially powerful girls ...
At Shiprock, New Mexico, a perennially powerful girls high school basketball team has become a path to college for some and a source of pride for a community where the household incomes of 49 percent of them are below the poverty level.
C. where 49 percent of the household incomes are
D. which has 49 percent of the household incomes
The difference is one of meaning, not of grammar (choice D is perfectly grammatical). What choice D actually means is that this one little community in N.M. has 49 percent of ALL the household incomes below the poverty level (i.e., in the entire country, or whatever is the whole universe of reference). That's unlikely, to say the least, and, more importantly, it distorts the clear meaning of the original sentence (you're never allowed to do so unless the original is nonsense).
The other thing that doesn't make sense in choice D is '49 percent of the incomes'. It's not 49 percent of a bunch of figures on an Excel spreadsheet; it's supposed to be 49 percent of the households (or of the households' incomes).
C. where 49 percent of the household incomes are
D. which has 49 percent of the household incomes
The difference is one of meaning, not of grammar (choice D is perfectly grammatical). What choice D actually means is that this one little community in N.M. has 49 percent of ALL the household incomes below the poverty level (i.e., in the entire country, or whatever is the whole universe of reference). That's unlikely, to say the least, and, more importantly, it distorts the clear meaning of the original sentence (you're never allowed to do so unless the original is nonsense).
The other thing that doesn't make sense in choice D is '49 percent of the incomes'. It's not 49 percent of a bunch of figures on an Excel spreadsheet; it's supposed to be 49 percent of the households (or of the households' incomes).
Friday 8 May 2009
Monday 4 May 2009
EXAMPLE : The Victoria and Albert Museum ...
Although it was once funded entirely by the government, the Victoria and Albert Museum was one of the first of Britain’s national museums seeking support from corporations and private donors and to increase income by increasing attendance.
(C) among Britain’s first national museums to seek support of
(D) among the first of Britain’s national museums to seek support from
(D) among the first of Britain’s national museums to seek support from
C says that there are many "first national museums ( to seek ...)" and Victoria is one of them. But the intended meaning is unclear.
It should be D.
Notes
TIPS : Similar to VS Just as
Although fruit can no longer grow once it is picked, it continues for some time to respire, taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide, similar to the way human beings breathe.
(A) similar to the way human beings breathe
(B) similarly to human beings who are breathing
(C) just like the breathing of human beings
(D) as human beings when breathing
(E) just as human beings do when they breathe
(A) similar to the way human beings breathe
(B) similarly to human beings who are breathing
(C) just like the breathing of human beings
(D) as human beings when breathing
(E) just as human beings do when they breathe
"Like" and "similar to" mean much the same thing. "Just" before "like" means "exactly". So the difference between "just like" and "similar to" is a matter of degree.
You are similar to your father. You and he have some similarities.
You are just like your father. You and he are exactly the same.
But for this SC item I would not choose "similar to" or "just like". The best response here is E. The sentence is pointing out that fruit respires by taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide and that humans breathe in the same way, so the conjunction "as" is appropriate.
You are similar to your father. You and he have some similarities.
You are just like your father. You and he are exactly the same.
But for this SC item I would not choose "similar to" or "just like". The best response here is E. The sentence is pointing out that fruit respires by taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide and that humans breathe in the same way, so the conjunction "as" is appropriate.
Sunday 3 May 2009
TIPS :Two -ing's in a row is a no-no.
After gradual declension down to about 39 hours in 1970, the workweek in the United States has steadily increased to the point that the average worker now puts in an estimated 164 extra hours of paid labor every year.
D) After graduay declining.
E) Following gradualy declining.
D) After graduay declining.
E) Following gradualy declining.
Manhattan Instructor > As a general rule, avoid short phrases that string together multiple -ing forms - that's always considered awkward and often introduces ambiguity. In this case, E presents us with a participle (following) followed closely by a gerund (declining).
Following can be either a participle or a preposition. In preposition form, it would indeed have the same meaning as "after." In participle form, it would mean that the "declining" dictated that the workweek increase - as though the "declining" somehow told the workweek to increase. That last doesn't make sense.
By contrast, the preposition "after" just introduces a temporal distinction, which is what we want here: one thing happened after another thing happened. Generally, when you want to make a temporal distinction, "after" is preferable to "following."
Following can be either a participle or a preposition. In preposition form, it would indeed have the same meaning as "after." In participle form, it would mean that the "declining" dictated that the workweek increase - as though the "declining" somehow told the workweek to increase. That last doesn't make sense.
By contrast, the preposition "after" just introduces a temporal distinction, which is what we want here: one thing happened after another thing happened. Generally, when you want to make a temporal distinction, "after" is preferable to "following."
Author > One more quick question - 'Following' is a participle but not a preposition here because it is followed by an adverb ('gradually') and not the object of preposition?
Manhattan Instructor > "Following" can be a preposition. If it is used as a preposition, though, it can only be paired with a NOUN or a PRONOUN (no gerunds).
The adverb serves only to modify 'declining,' and, like other descriptive words, is irrelevant to the grammar of the sentence.
The adverb serves only to modify 'declining,' and, like other descriptive words, is irrelevant to the grammar of the sentence.
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