[Govi]

The GMAT and Related Discussions section is very fragmented in terms of the information available at one's disposal. There are one of reply threads and several other redundant threads that have masked the more important ones.

This is an attempt to make the best of explanations, reasonings, questions etc etc easily available to the junta here. We would be having separate threads for topics such as

Problem Solving (GMAT Problem Solving Discussions) (the existing is renamed)

Data Sufficieny (GMAT Data Sufficiency Discussions)

Sentence Correction

Critical Reasoning (GMAT Critical Reasoning Discussions)

Reading Comprehension. (GMAT Reading Comprehension Discussions)

Please ensure that Q & As are carried out in the repsective threads.

Thread is made sticky

PS:-This post would be edited by the MODS in order to give links to various SCs that would be discussed here. We will try to organise the links for the questions discussed here.
Other relevant posts in the 'one of reply' threads would be moved here

[IT Sucks]

all the standard books say that 'whether' should be used when u have to make a choice or decide between two choices while 'if' should be used in cases where the choices are more than two.
whereas all the notes such as Spidey's, Rajat's or Sahil's say that 'whether' is almost always correct on GMAT.which is infact is the case.
In SC1000 ,I have seen some questions where 'whether' has been preferred over 'if'.one such typical example is Q. 31 in SC1000.there a lot more like these.kindly justfy....

PS-no offense intended against the SC SuperGods Spidey,Rajat and Sahil

[Govi]

Not sure if I have understood your doubt clearly.

@ if/whether

The two are largely interchangeable, but whether is considered to be more precise.

For example, "Tell me whether you see him" is less ambiguous than "Tell me if you see him," which could mean "Tell me whether you can see him now" or "Tell me if you ever see him."

Another way to put it would be - If implies uncertainty while whether implies alternatives ("whether or not").

@ SC 31 reasoning similar to above.

Hope this helps

[aim-wsc]

sorry i did not read the 31SC completely .. will get back to it.. wait a min.

[aim-wsc]

all right if you have already have read my earlier post through email notification i cant help it ...anyway it has no errors so go with it no problem.
SC# 31 in 1000SC has no if/whether issues.... its wrong modification of idiom
in options given...

[nitiman]

It is well known in the supermarket industry that how items are placed on shelves and the frequency of inventory turnovers can be crucial to profits．
(A) the frequency of inventory turnovers can be
(B) the frequency of inventory turnovers is often
(C) the frequency with which the inventory turns over is often
(D) how frequently is the inventory turned over are often
(E) how frequently the inventory turns over can be

[nitiman]

The following question is very easy.

Except for a concert performance that the composer himself staged in 1911，Scott Joplin's ragtime opera＂Treemonisha＂was not produced　until 1972，sixty-one years after its completion．
(A) Except for a concert performance that the composer himself staged
(B) Except for a concert performance with the composer himself staging it
(C) Besides a concert performance being staged by the composer himself
(D) Excepting a concert performance that the composer himself staged
(E) With the exception of a concert performance with the staging done by the composer himself.



Can anyone explain when should EXCEPT be used and when BESIDES?

[o-range]

My answer for the 1st one would be 'E'.
Reasoning: A, B, C are not correct due to incorrect parallel construction.
D uses 'are often' which is not the same as 'can be'
E seems to fit in just right.

[raju_datla_200]

Hi Guys... i have two doubts....

1) usage of infinitive vs participle ..... cud anyone elaborate when to use infinitive and when to use participle when both are present in answer choices.......

2) can anyone elaborate on usage of past participle...

[sandy_venkat]

Originally Posted by nitiman

It is well known in the supermarket industry that how items are placed on shelves and the frequency of inventory turnovers can be crucial to profits．
(A) the frequency of inventory turnovers can be
(B) the frequency of inventory turnovers is often
(C) the frequency with which the inventory turns over is often
(D) how frequently is the inventory turned over are often
(E) how frequently the inventory turns over can be

The answer is E. Its a direct case of violation of the parallelism rule. How items.... should be logically connected with how frequently... In D, we have the 'how..' but the ending is messed up. It goes into a different tense. E puts it correctly. Am i right??