RonPurewal Wrote:Only seven people this century have been killled by GWS, fewer than those have been killed by bee stings. -> Is it considered parallel?
Still wrong. You can't say "Things are fewer than other things", ever, about any things (or people or animals or whatever).
I don't have a solid explanation for you -- think of it as an idiom, if you want to -- but you can't.
In New York City, men are fewer than women. No.
In New York City, there are fewer men than women. Yes.
New York City has fewer men than women. Yes.
By the way, this will likely have zero importance on the GMAT, because, as stated above, all you need to do is look at the parallelism of the things in the comparison. But, if nothing else, it will help you become a better writer of English.
Most importantly,
do not create your own versions of GMAC's sentences.Don't do it.
Ever.
It's a complete waste of your time.
In 99% of cases when students "tweak" GMAC's sentences, their versions are wrong,
for reasons that GMAC does not test. (The range of things tested on SC is a very, very small fraction of all issues in English.)
So, we end up with a situation that's like "No, that's wrong, but you don't have to know why."
Like this one.
Don't do it.
Hi Ron,
1// I find this question.
In 2000 the lack coal reduced US energy production to 21 Billion Watts, nearly 25% less than those of the 1990 energy output.
a) less than those of the 1990 energy output
b) less than the 1990 energy output
c) less than 1990
d) fewer than 1990
e) fewer than that of US' 1990 energy output
OA is B
In 2000 the lack coal reduced US energy production to 21 Billion Watts, nearly 25% less than the 1990 energy output.It seems that the OA of this question compares two things directly.
I am confused, please help!
2//
IMO,
Only seven people this century have been killed by GWS, fewer than those have been killed by bee stings is wrong because
fewer than is followed by a whole clause.
Can switching the phrase to
fewer than those killed by bee stings makes the sentence right? (Here, killed by bee stings serves as a noun modifier).
PS： I know it is not better than OA，but I want to know whether it is grammatically wrong？and why？
3//
RonPurewal Wrote:2. How about?
Three guys on the bb team are very tall, fewer than are on the soccer team.
the meaning of this sentence would be the following:
* there are three very tall guys on the basketball team
* more than three of the guys on the basketball team are also on the soccer team
that's the only proper interpretation of this wording, because the second half of the comparison is a verb ("... are on the soccer team"). that verb would have to be in parallel to the other verb, which is "are very tall" -- creating a comparison between (a) basketball players who are really tall and (b) basketball players who are on the soccer team.
this is probably not the meaning that you intend here, so this wording is incorrect.
I don't know why the meaning of the sentence would be the following:
* there are three very tall guys on the basketball team
* more than three of the guys on the basketball team are also on the soccer team
Since you said "
the second half of the comparison is a verb ("... are on the soccer team"). that verb would have to be in parallel to the other verb, which is "are very tall"", the sentence without omission should be
Three guys on the bb team are very tall, fewer than are very tall on the soccer team.I think the sentence clearly express the meaning that soccer team has more tall guy than basketball team.
In addition, this sentence has the same structure as the OA of the question in this post. Why is the meaning screwed by the wording?
Please help!
Thanks
