GMAT Sentence Correction Discussions

[sandy_venkat]

Originally Posted by sandy_venkat

These are a few more questions:

1) Presenters at the seminar, one who is blind, will

demonstrate adaptive equipment that allows visually impaired people to use computers.
(A) one who
(B) one of them who
(C) and one of them who
(D) one of whom
(E) one of which

2) Because of the enormous research and

development expenditures required to survive in the electronics industry, an industry marked by rapid
innovation and volatile demand, such firms tend to be very large.
(A) to survive
(B) of firms to survive
(C) for surviving
(D) for survival

(E) for firms' survival

These too are from the OG 10. These are the OA

1) D

The subject,

presenters, must be followed by a limiting appositive _ such as one of whom, that identifies an

192

individual from among a larger group. Choice D is best:

one of whom best serves an appositive to the subject,

presenters,

because the phrase means "one from among several or many." Choice A, one who, is
unacceptable because one who cannot refer to the plural presenters. Choices B and C are ungrammatical
because who competes with one as the subject of is. Choice E employs which, a relative pronoun that does not
refer to people (presenters), but only to things.

2) B

The subject of the main clause

(such firms) presumes a prior reference to the firms in question. Furthermore,
the logical subject of to survive and the logical complement of required should be made explicit. All three
demands are met by B, the best choice. Choices A, C, and D, with no reference to the firms in question, meet
none of these demands. In choice E, the illogical and awkward use of a prepositional phrase (for firms' survival)

buries the needed initial reference

to firms in a possessive modifier.

[sandy_venkat]

These are some questions for today. Get crackin' boyz.....

1) The Federal Reserve Board's reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions is both an

acknowledgment of past economic trends and an effort to influence their future direction.
(A) reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions is both an acknowledgment of past
economic trends and an effort
(B) reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions is an acknowledgment both of past
economic trends as well as an effort
(C) reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions both acknowledge past economic trends and
attempt
(D) reducing interest rates on loans to financial institutions is an acknowledgment both of past economic
trends and an effort
(E) reducing interest rates on loans to financial institutions both acknowledge past economic trends as well
as attempt

2) Using a Doppler ultrasound device, fetal heartbeats can be detected by the twelfth week of pregnancy.
(A) Using a Doppler ultrasound device, fetal heart-beats can be detected by the twelfth week of pregnancy.
(B) Fetal heartbeats can be detected by the twelfth week of pregnancy, using a Doppler ultrasound device.
(C) Detecting fetal heartbeats by the twelfth week of pregnancy, a physician can use a Doppler ultrasound
device.
(D) By the twelfth week of pregnancy, fetal heartbeats can be detected using a Doppler ultrasound device
by a physician.
(E) Using a Doppler ultrasound device, a physician can detect fetal heartbeats by the twelfth week of
pregnancy.

[mailsatk]

Originally Posted by sandy_venkat

These are some questions for today. Get crackin' boyz.....

1) The Federal Reserve Board's reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions is both an

acknowledgment of past economic trends and an effort to influence their future direction.
(A) reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions is both an acknowledgment of past
economic trends and an effort
(B) reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions is an acknowledgment both of past
economic trends as well as an effort
(C) reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions both acknowledge past economic trends and
attempt
(D) reducing interest rates on loans to financial institutions is an acknowledgment both of past economic
trends and an effort
(E) reducing interest rates on loans to financial institutions both acknowledge past economic trends as well
as attempt

My tries again
I would go with A. Only A clearly uses the word "both". Both: an acknowledgement and effort to (blah blah). C is out because it uses reducing. Same with E.

2) Using a Doppler ultrasound device, fetal heartbeats can be detected by the twelfth week of pregnancy.
(A) Using a Doppler ultrasound device, fetal heart-beats can be detected by the twelfth week of pregnancy.
(B) Fetal heartbeats can be detected by the twelfth week of pregnancy, using a Doppler ultrasound device.
(C) Detecting fetal heartbeats by the twelfth week of pregnancy, a physician can use a Doppler ultrasound
device.
(D) By the twelfth week of pregnancy, fetal heartbeats can be detected using a Doppler ultrasound device
by a physician.
(E) Using a Doppler ultrasound device, a physician can detect fetal heartbeats by the twelfth week of
pregnancy.

Will go for E. Sounds more crisp. Uses Active voice. C is out without doubt. After lot of convincing myself, I think, A does not make it clear who detects fetal heartbeats. I couldn't find any other flaw in A. Using something, someone <verb> I think is a better construction.

Cheers!
Satish

[sandy_venkat]

Guys, can someone explain when to use, double instead of twice or two times..what is the difference between them? I get pretty confused when i encounter questions with these.

[Govi]

Originally Posted by sandy_venkat

Guys, can someone explain when to use, double instead of twice or two times..what is the difference between them? I get pretty confused when i encounter questions with these.

Use of Double V/s Twice

Double - It can be used with a Noun / Verb / Adjective / Adverb

e.g.: Noun: 36 is the double of 18
Verb: The population doubled within 50 years.
Adjective: An egg with a double yolk
Adverb: His eyes were double bright.

Twice is always an adverb. It's usage depends upon the structure of the sentence.

In GMAT twice as much....as, twice as many....as are frequently tested.

Hope this helps

~S

[mailsatk]

@ Sandy - can u pls post the answers to the post #22? I hope at least these ones are correct!

[sandy_venkat]

Originally Posted by sandy_venkat

These are some questions for today. Get crackin' boyz.....

1) The Federal Reserve Board's reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions is both an

acknowledgment of past economic trends and an effort to influence their future direction.
(A) reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions is both an acknowledgment of past
economic trends and an effort
(B) reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions is an acknowledgment both of past
economic trends as well as an effort
(C) reduction of interest rates on loans to financial institutions both acknowledge past economic trends and
attempt
(D) reducing interest rates on loans to financial institutions is an acknowledgment both of past economic
trends and an effort
(E) reducing interest rates on loans to financial institutions both acknowledge past economic trends as well
as attempt

2) Using a Doppler ultrasound device, fetal heartbeats can be detected by the twelfth week of pregnancy.
(A) Using a Doppler ultrasound device, fetal heart-beats can be detected by the twelfth week of pregnancy.
(B) Fetal heartbeats can be detected by the twelfth week of pregnancy, using a Doppler ultrasound device.
(C) Detecting fetal heartbeats by the twelfth week of pregnancy, a physician can use a Doppler ultrasound
device.
(D) By the twelfth week of pregnancy, fetal heartbeats can be detected using a Doppler ultrasound device
by a physician.
(E) Using a Doppler ultrasound device, a physician can detect fetal heartbeats by the twelfth week of
pregnancy.

1) OA is A. This is the OE (official expln)

Choice A is best. In B,

both must come before acknowledgment if it is to link acknowledgment and effort; as

misplaced here, it creates the unfulfilled expectation that the reduction of interest rates will be an acknowledgment
of two different things. Moreover, both... as well as ... is redundant: the correct idiom is both x and y. In C, the plural
verbs acknowledge and attempt do not agree with their singular subject, reduction; also, it is imprecise to
characterize a reduction as performing actions such as acknowledging or attempting. In both D and E, the use of the
participle reducing rather than the noun reduction is awkward. Like B, D misplaces both, while E repeats both the
redundancy of B and the agreement error of C.

2) OA is E. The OE is

Choice A presents a dangling modifier. The phrase beginning the sentence has no noun that it can logically
modify and hence cannot fit anywhere in the sentence and make sense. Coming first, it modifies heartbeats, the
nearest free noun in the main clause; that is, choice A says that the heartbeats are using the Doppler ultrasound
device. Choice B contains the same main clause and dangling modifier, now at the end. Contrary to intent, the
wording in choice C suggests that physicians can use a Doppler ultrasound device after they detect fetal
heartbeats. In choice D the phrase using ... device should follow physician, the noun it modifies. Choice E is
best.

[nitiman]

Based on accounts of various ancient writers, scholars have painted a sketchy picture of the activities of an
all-female cult that, perhaps as early as the sixth century B.C., worshipped a goddess known in Latin as
Bona Dea, "the good goddess."
(A) Based on accounts of various ancient writers
(B) Basing it on various ancient writers' accounts
(C) With accounts of various ancient writers used for a basis
(D) By the accounts of various ancient writers they used
(E) Using accounts of various ancient writers

A patient accusing a doctor of malpractice will find it difficult to prove damage if there is a lack of some other doctor to testify about proper medical procedures． (A) if there is a lack of some other doctor to testify
(B) unless there will be another doctor to testify
(C) without another doctor's testimony
(D) should there be no testimony from some other doctor
(E) lacking another doctor to testify

[o-range]

Originally Posted by nitiman

Based on accounts of various ancient writers, scholars have painted a sketchy picture of the activities of an
all-female cult that, perhaps as early as the sixth century B.C., worshipped a goddess known in Latin as
Bona Dea, "the good goddess."
(A) Based on accounts of various ancient writers
(B) Basing it on various ancient writers' accounts
(C) With accounts of various ancient writers used for a basis
(D) By the accounts of various ancient writers they used
(E) Using accounts of various ancient writers

A patient accusing a doctor of malpractice will find it difficult to prove damage if there is a lack of some other doctor to testify about proper medical procedures． (A) if there is a lack of some other doctor to testify
(B) unless there will be another doctor to testify
(C) without another doctor's testimony
(D) should there be no testimony from some other doctor
(E) lacking another doctor to testify

Answer for the 1st one: E
A has a dangling modifier. Only the sketchy picture is based on the accounts and not the scholars. B, C, D constructions are roundabout and not right.

For the 2nd question: C
choice B is close, but I think it is incorrect because 'will be' changes the sentence to future tense.

[sandy_venkat]

Originally Posted by nitiman

Based on accounts of various ancient writers, scholars have painted a sketchy picture of the activities of an
all-female cult that, perhaps as early as the sixth century B.C., worshipped a goddess known in Latin as
Bona Dea, "the good goddess."
(A) Based on accounts of various ancient writers
(B) Basing it on various ancient writers' accounts
(C) With accounts of various ancient writers used for a basis
(D) By the accounts of various ancient writers they used
(E) Using accounts of various ancient writers

A patient accusing a doctor of malpractice will find it difficult to prove damage if there is a lack of some other doctor to testify about proper medical procedures． (A) if there is a lack of some other doctor to testify
(B) unless there will be another doctor to testify
(C) without another doctor's testimony
(D) should there be no testimony from some other doctor
(E) lacking another doctor to testify

The answers are :

1) E. As o-range put it, A suffers from dangling modifier. The others are way out of league.

2) C. In A, 'lack of' doesnt sound idiomatic. In B, the use of future tense disrutps the tense formation. D sounds very formal..(btw is D going into the subjunctive????). In E, lacking disrupts the idiomatic formation.