Source: Prep Exam Pack1
According to a 1996 survey by the National Association of College and University Business Officers, more than three times as many independent institutions of higher education charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 a year than those that charge over $16,000.
A. than those that charge
B. than are charging
C. than to charge
D. as charge
E. as those charging
The OA is D.
Hi Ron! Although having learnt "as...as", I chose A...I'm really confused about the usage of "more than" and " as...as", especially in this SC: both of them appear in one sentence. Could you pls. shed light on this point? Thank you!
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- boncourage
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
boncourage Wrote:Source: Prep Exam Pack1
According to a 1996 survey by the National Association of College and University Business Officers, more than three times as many independent institutions of higher education charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 a year than those that charge over $16,000.
A. than those that charge
B. than are charging
C. than to charge
D. as charge
E. as those charging
The OA is D.
Hi Ron! Although having learnt "as...as", I chose A...I'm really confused about the usage of "more than" and " as...as", especially in this SC: both of them appear in one sentence. Could you pls. shed light on this point? Thank you!
There are 2 ways to figure this one out. Make sure you can do both.
1/
Use context.
The comparison is between different numbers of schools. The first part of that comparison is "three times as many...", and you're supposed to fill in the second half.
2/
Just notice what's there and what isn't there.
You already have "more" and "than".
You have "three times as many...", but you don't have the other "as" unless you include it in the underline.
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
Why option E is wrong ?
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
dheeraj787 Wrote:Why option E is wrong ?
Can you point at anything that's parallel to "those charging..."?
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
Hi Ron,
Would you like to explain the difference between D&E more clearly.
IMO, in "as those charging over $16,000.", the word those stands for
independent institutions.
What we compare in choice E is 2 nouns.
Let's look at choice D.
in "as charge", the word charge is a verb. undoubtedly.
So, what we compare in choice D is 2 verbs. I don't think it makes sense.
I am not questioning the OA. I just need someone to tell me why I am wrong.
ARIGATO.
Tadashi.
Would you like to explain the difference between D&E more clearly.
IMO, in "as those charging over $16,000.", the word those stands for
independent institutions.
What we compare in choice E is 2 nouns.
Let's look at choice D.
in "as charge", the word charge is a verb. undoubtedly.
So, what we compare in choice D is 2 verbs. I don't think it makes sense.
I am not questioning the OA. I just need someone to tell me why I am wrong.
ARIGATO.
Tadashi.
- RonPurewal
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
Yes, you can compare verbs.
More people walk than drive in New York.
As long as both actions are performed by the same subject ("people"), we're good.
I have no idea how to analyze this comparison grammatically, nor should either you or I be terribly interested in doing so.
Just notice:
* People do both things.
* The parallelism is perfect.
There you go.
More people walk than drive in New York.
As long as both actions are performed by the same subject ("people"), we're good.
I have no idea how to analyze this comparison grammatically, nor should either you or I be terribly interested in doing so.
Just notice:
* People do both things.
* The parallelism is perfect.
There you go.
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY:
Don't make comparisons more complicated than they need to be. Just use pure parallelism to make this decision.
(A) "Than those that charge" has no counterpart in the first half. Also, "three times ... than" is wrong.
(B) "Than are charging" has no counterpart in the first half. Also, "three times ... than" is wrong.
(C) "Than to charge" has no counterpart in the first half. Also, "three times ... than" is wrong.
(D) "Charge X amount" is perfectly parallel to "charge Y amount" in the first half.
(E) "Those charging" has no counterpart in the first half.
1 choice with parallelism; 4 choices with non-parallelism. Easy decision.
Don't make comparisons more complicated than they need to be. Just use pure parallelism to make this decision.
(A) "Than those that charge" has no counterpart in the first half. Also, "three times ... than" is wrong.
(B) "Than are charging" has no counterpart in the first half. Also, "three times ... than" is wrong.
(C) "Than to charge" has no counterpart in the first half. Also, "three times ... than" is wrong.
(D) "Charge X amount" is perfectly parallel to "charge Y amount" in the first half.
(E) "Those charging" has no counterpart in the first half.
1 choice with parallelism; 4 choices with non-parallelism. Easy decision.
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
Thanks Ron,
One more question.
"More than three times as many independent institutions of higher education charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 a year as those charging over $16,000." [X]
Oh, the reason why I choose "as those charging" is that "three times as XXXX[noun1] do shtn. as XXXX[noun2]".
So, I think I should choose "three times as noun1 as noun2" because of parallelism.
Maybe I don't fully understand the parallelism rules in the structure "as...as..."
Please shed more light.
Thanks for your effort in advance.
Tadashi.
One more question.
"More than three times as many independent institutions of higher education charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 a year as those charging over $16,000." [X]
Oh, the reason why I choose "as those charging" is that "three times as XXXX[noun1] do shtn. as XXXX[noun2]".
So, I think I should choose "three times as noun1 as noun2" because of parallelism.
Maybe I don't fully understand the parallelism rules in the structure "as...as..."
Please shed more light.
Thanks for your effort in advance.
Tadashi.
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
More than five times as many people walk as drive in New York.
Really really weird.
a noun is following the first as and a verb is following the second as.
Break the parallelism , ah ?
More than five times as many people walk as (people) drive in New York. There I go?
But wait, do you mean the word "people" and the "(people)" refer to the exactly same group of people?
How can that be? People can only choose to walk or drive.
Hope I make myself understood.
Please help me .
Tadashi.
Really really weird.
a noun is following the first as and a verb is following the second as.
Break the parallelism , ah ?
More than five times as many people walk as (people) drive in New York. There I go?
But wait, do you mean the word "people" and the "(people)" refer to the exactly same group of people?
How can that be? People can only choose to walk or drive.
Hope I make myself understood.
Please help me .
Tadashi.
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
Tadashi Wrote:More than five times as many people walk as drive in New York.
Really really weird.
It does look somewhat weird, but there's no other way to write it without completely re-structuring it.
a noun is following the first as and a verb is following the second as.
Break the parallelism , ah ?
The parallel components are "walk" and "drive".
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
More than five times as many people walk as (people) drive in New York. There I go?
No, that doesn't work, but the reasons are not relevant to this exam; GMAC has never tested this sort of thing.
You don't need to learn to write the sentences yourself"”you just need to see the parallel components when they are there.
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
no quite sure about whether I am correct in eliminating choice E
in choice E
as those charging over $16,000
→ so we are talking about independent institutions of higher education that specifically charge over $16,000
but when we look at the comparison
more than three times as many independent institutions of higher education charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 a year as those charging (charge) over $16,000. (charge is omitted in the latter part)
which is neither logical or parallel
in choice E
as those charging over $16,000
→ so we are talking about independent institutions of higher education that specifically charge over $16,000
but when we look at the comparison
more than three times as many independent institutions of higher education charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 a year as those charging (charge) over $16,000. (charge is omitted in the latter part)
which is neither logical or parallel
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
remember that parallelism is a "beauty contest"--a relative judgment. (this is why the problems are multiple-choice!)
choice E is definitely a loser in that contest: you have "charge"||"charging...", versus "charge"||"charge" in other choices.
it's unwise to complicate the issue any further. when things are simple, keep them simple!
choice E is definitely a loser in that contest: you have "charge"||"charging...", versus "charge"||"charge" in other choices.
it's unwise to complicate the issue any further. when things are simple, keep them simple!
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
it is possible to construct a correct sentence with the structure appearing in choice E.
e.g.,
Schools charging less than $8000 per year provide the same liberal education as those charging over $16,000 per year.
...but then you're not making the same type of comparison.
e.g.,
Schools charging less than $8000 per year provide the same liberal education as those charging over $16,000 per year.
...but then you're not making the same type of comparison.
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Re: According to a 1996 survey by the National
hi, ron
it is weird that the second verb is without a subject. But the comparison is between the number of institutions that charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 and the number of institution that charge over $16,000. Clearly, the institution that charge over $16,000 is the subject.
could i rephrase the sentence as follows:
more than three times as many independent institutions of higher education charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 a year than those charge over $16,000.
OR
more than three times as many independent institutions of higher education charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 a year than institutions of high education charge over $16,000.
the rephrased sentence seems more clear in meaning.
thank you very much for your kindly reply
it is weird that the second verb is without a subject. But the comparison is between the number of institutions that charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 and the number of institution that charge over $16,000. Clearly, the institution that charge over $16,000 is the subject.
could i rephrase the sentence as follows:
more than three times as many independent institutions of higher education charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 a year than those charge over $16,000.
OR
more than three times as many independent institutions of higher education charge tuition and fees of under $8,000 a year than institutions of high education charge over $16,000.
the rephrased sentence seems more clear in meaning.
thank you very much for your kindly reply