GMAT Sentence Correction Discussions

[deepakraam]

I am posting some questions from OG , (59,62,67,6, just in case there is a typo error , I have some confusion on the same which I have mentioned below the question.

My ans for the SC
1.In which great ice sheets had existed in what are now temperate areas
2.Reduces the phosphate amount municipalities have been allowed to dump
3.If some food allergy is attributed as the cause of criminal or delinquent behavior.
4.Many people, willing to admit that they lack computer skills or other technical skills, are disinclined to recognize that their analytical skills are weak.

-Deepak.

[abchekstylo]

Originally Posted by fattu

In the same question I have another doubt. 1972 agreement happened in past. Phosphate was dumped in lake before 1972 .(past of past) so had been looks OK ?why the answer with *are* is the correct choice

well, the story goes like this.

Municipalities were allowed to dump a certain amount of phosphates.They are still allowed to dump them even now.
The 1972 agreement just reduced the maximum amount of phosphates that municipalities can dump.

So "are" is the correct choice.

hope this helps.

[fattu]

Thanks .. that looks a good explaination

[checkinnn]

A siple one from Princeton.. m confusin myself badly

Fire alarms will fail to detect a fire if they haven't been cleaned recently

My doubt is that since the sentenc is in simple future.. shouldn't it be like:

Fire alarms will fail to detect a fire if they wouldn't have been cleaned recently...

to keep the trense consistent as mentioned by princeton...
lemme know ur thoughts

[abchekstylo]

Originally Posted by checkinnn

A siple one from Princeton.. m confusin myself badly

Fire alarms will fail to detect a fire if they haven't been cleaned recently

My doubt is that since the sentenc is in simple future.. shouldn't it be like:

Fire alarms will fail to detect a fire if they wouldn't have been cleaned recently...

to keep the trense consistent as mentioned by princeton...
lemme know ur thoughts

hi checkinnn,
it's easy to have such doubts if u have just finished reading all the rules of SC but relax.
" Fire alarms will fail to detect a fire if they haven't been cleaned recently" is correct.
All the tenses do not have to be in the same tense.

Both the events are not taking place in the future and they dont occur together.
The cleaning is done first and depending on whether it has been done or not, the fire alarms detect fire.See the flow?

[checkinnn]

Originally Posted by abchekstylo

hi checkinnn,
it's easy to have such doubts if u have just finished reading all the rules of SC but relax.
" Fire alarms will fail to detect a fire if they haven't been cleaned recently" is correct.
All the tenses do not have to be in the same tense.

Both the events are not taking place in the future and they dont occur together.
The cleaning is done first and depending on whether it has been done or not, the fire alarms detect fire.See the flow?

But Princeton clearly says that the the verb tense of a sentence should be consistent??? So is this an exception?? How do u realise that this case is an exception... anwhere any such rules are mentioned?? where did u get this explanation from??

I guess the way I have framed it is also right... comments??

[checkinnn]

one of the Princeton sc's has this as the final answer:

His temperament fueled by a distrust of technology, Stanley did his best to insulate himself from what he termed "the pains of modern living"

the first part kinda looks incomplete to me...

I feel that a much bettr way is

Having had his temperament fueled by a distrust of technology, Stanley did his best to insulate himself from what he termed "the pains of modern living"

but Princeton says that this gives the impression thats he had his temperament fueled on purpose...

comments??? somehow I had elimimnated the first one straightaway coz it feels incomplete to me...

[abchekstylo]

Originally Posted by checkinnn

But Princeton clearly says that the the verb tense of a sentence should be consistent??? So is this an exception?? How do u realise that this case is an exception... anwhere any such rules are mentioned?? where did u get this explanation from??

I guess the way I have framed it is also right... comments??

i havent gone through the princeton verbal so im not sure which part u r referring to.yes, verb tense should be consistent.U have to check when the events are taking place and that makes the tense consistent actually.this is not an exception.
consistency doesnt mean that both tenses must be same.it just means that the tenses must be ordered logically.
i didnt get this explanation from anywhere.i saw ur question and answered it.
hope this helps!

Originally Posted by checkinnn

one of the Princeton sc's has this as the final answer:

His temperament fueled by a distrust of technology, Stanley did his best to insulate himself from what he termed "the pains of modern living"

the first part kinda looks incomplete to me...

I feel that a much bettr way is

Having had his temperament fueled by a distrust of technology, Stanley did his best to insulate himself from what he termed "the pains of modern living"

but Princeton says that this gives the impression thats he had his temperament fueled on purpose...

comments??? somehow I had elimimnated the first one straightaway coz it feels incomplete to me...

this one is better
both sentences are grammatically correct and complete.so that makes the job a bit tougher.the 2nd one is quite tempting but it does feel like Stanley first had his temperament fuelled by ..... and then he did his best to...
However, in reality, he did not do anything to have his temperament fueled by distrust of technology.it just happened to him.the 1st sentence presents this idea in a better way.hence the 1st choice.

[fattu]

Hi .
I was not clear with the explanations given in OG for following questions.
Any light on these will b very helpful.

107. In his research paper, Dr. Frosh, medical director of the Payne Whitney Clinic, distinguishes mood swings, which may be violent without their being grounded in mental disease, from genuine manic-depressive psychosis.
(A) mood swings, which may be violent without their being grounded in mental disease, from genuine manic-depressive psychosis
(B) mood swings, perhaps violent without being grounded in mental disease, and genuine manic-depressive psychosis
(C) between mood swings, which may be violent without being grounded in mental disease, and genuine manic-depressive psychosis
(D) between mood swings, perhaps violent without being grounded in mental disease, from genuine manic-depressive psychosis
(E) genuine manic-depressive psychosis and mood swings, which may be violent without being grounded in mental disease

My doubt: distinguish A from B and distinguish between A and B both are correct idiom. Why does OG bluntly reject distinguish A from B


122.More than 30 years ago Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner, reported that genes can “jump,” as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another.
(A) as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(B) like pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(C) as pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others
(D) like pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others
(E) as do pearls that move mysteriously from one necklace to some other one
My doubt: Isn't here genes jumping (an action) compared with pearls movement. Did not understand why like is prefered here

Any help would be very much appreciated

[checkinnn]

Princeton Pg 31, Q14 :

1) In contrast to smaller apartment buildings that contain fewer than four residential units, each room within any residential complex must be equipped with a sprinkler system

It says that 1 is incorrect because it is a misplaced modiifier... My understanding is that ..[start]In contrast to smaller apartment buildings[end] is a modifier of the sentence after the comma and [start]that contain fewer than four residential units[end] is a modifier of [start]Incontrast to smaller apartment buildings[end]....

please correct me if I am wrong... if that is the case I agree that this is a case of misplaced modifier

2) Excluding those apartment buildings that have fewer than four residential units in them, each room within any residential complex must be equipped with a sprinkler system

Now here... [start]that have fewer than four residential units in them[end] is it a modifier of [start]Excluding those apartment buildings[end]....

is the first sentence before comma a phrase or a clause... like the first sentence isnt this also a case of misplaced modifier since we are talkin of apartmnet buildings and after comma it starts off with a room...