Comparisions Query

[batchen.eden]

thanks :)

could though by it self implicate a contrast?

would this sentence be wrong due to parallelism?:
"dog's require constant attention though cat's are requiring less"

or something like that...the question is could "though" create contrast on it's own

thanks!

[tim]

Yes, "though" can set up a contrast on its own.

[samwong]

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

"Independent contractors pay higher taxes and are paid less consistently than statutory employees"

The meaning of the above sentence is

1) the independent contractors pay higher taxes than statutory employees.

AND

2) the independent contractors are paid less consistently than statutory employees.

because "pay higher taxes" and "are paid less consistently" are in parallel form.

Also, in this sentence, the helping verb "are" is not necessary because it is not ambiguous without the helping verb. Lets suppose we do need the helping verb to resolve ambiguity, then:

1) the independent contractors pay higher taxes than statutory employees do.

Since "pay" is in active voice, you need to use "do" as a helping verb.

2) the independent contractors are paid less consistently than statutory employees are.

Since "are paid" is in passive voice, you need to use "are" as a helping verb.

So far, am I correct?

How do you insert a helping verb in the original sentence that contain a active voice and passive voice in parallel form?

Thank you.

[RonPurewal]

So far, am I correct?

Your #1 and #2 are fine, yes.

How do you insert a helping verb in the original sentence that contain a active voice and passive voice in parallel form?

I can't think of any instance in which this would be necessary.
If you can come up with such a sentence, I'd be glad to take a look at it.

[eleanor.w.cooper]

This was in the answer explanation:

"the modifier 'unlike statutory employees' is used to modify a pronoun (they) rather than a noun, resulting in an awkward and unacceptable construction."

it is true that a noun modifier cannot modify a pronoun and therefore 'they' must be replaced with 'independent contractors' to be correct?

thanks in advance!

[RonPurewal]

This was in the answer explanation:

For which choice?

[eleanor.w.cooper]

A

[RonPurewal]

A

Hmm.

From what I see, there is no problem with "they" in choice A. Interesting.

[rustom.hakimiyan]

From what I see, there is no problem with "they" in choice A. Interesting.

Hi Ron,

I'm having a hard time making sense of A.

a) Independent contractors pay higher taxes and paid less consistently than are statutory employees, but they, unlike statutory employees, are freely allowed to

- Why is the first part "pay higher taxes and paid less consistently" vs. "than are statutory employees" not parallel? Doesn't this imply that independent cont. pay higher and are paid less often than statutory employees? I couldn't understand the reasoning from the explanation for "are".

- Second question is regarding the CAT's explanation. The CAT explanation states that "The adverb freely is incorrectly placed; it is intended to describe the act of performing similar work for other companies, but, in its current location, it illogically modifies "allowed". I don't see that -- isn't "freely" supposed to modify "allowed" -- meaning, no strings attached type of allowed?

Thanks!

[RonPurewal]

Look at how YOU wrote the parallel structures in your own discussion"”without overthinking:

- Why is the first part "pay higher taxes and paid less consistently" vs. "than are statutory employees" not parallel? Doesn't this imply that independent cont. pay higher taxes and are paid less often than statutory employees? I couldn't understand the reasoning from the explanation for "are".

There's no need to get into convoluted explanations. From your own writing here, it's clear that you already understand.

When you have 2 parallel structures connected by "and", each should work alone in the same context (provided they're not in a construction that requires them both, e.g., between x and y).

Try that with what you wrote:
Independent contractors pay higher taxes than statutory employees.
Independent contractors are paid less often than statutory employees.
Absolutely correct for both. It should be plain why "are" is necessary.

If it's still not 100% clear, try writing the second one of those sentences WITHOUT "are". It won't work.

[RonPurewal]

- Second question is regarding the CAT's explanation. The CAT explanation states that "The adverb freely is incorrectly placed; it is intended to describe the act of performing similar work for other companies, but, in its current location, it illogically modifies "allowed". I don't see that -- isn't "freely" supposed to modify "allowed" -- meaning, no strings attached type of allowed?

Thanks!

"Free to ____" and "allowed to ____" are substantially the same idea.
So, "free" + "allowed" = redundant. (Note that only one of them is preserved in the correct answer.)

[KnowledgeSeeker]

Thanks for everyone for participating in the thread. Its very useful.

As I understand then, the "can" at the end of the statement is optional since the only thing the sentence can mean is that James is more effective at negotiation than Stephanie?

"James can negotiate with salespeople more effectively than Stephanie can"

[RonPurewal]

Thanks for everyone for participating in the thread. Its very useful.

As I understand then, the "can" at the end of the statement is optional since the only thing the sentence can mean is that James is more effective at negotiation than Stephanie?

"James can negotiate with salespeople more effectively than Stephanie can"

Nope.
If you don't have "can", then the sentence could imply either
1/ ...than Stephanie can,
2/ ...than with Stephanie (= he's fine negotiating with random salespeople, but Stephanie really knows and exploits his personal weaknesses).

[RonPurewal]

Don't forget, you will NEVER have to notice this sort of thing "cold".

If this sort of issue exists at all, it should be obvious from the choices. E.g., in the examples above, you'd have to have one answer choice that says "...than Stephanie", and another that says "...than Stephanie can".

[RonPurewal]

E.g., OG Verbal Supplement #103 (can't reproduce here). This sort of thing is the ONLY difference between choices A and C, and the ONLY difference between choices B and D. So, you know exactly what to consider.

The point is that you should NOT try to train yourself to see this problem in individual sentences.
If it's tested-- an unlikely situation in the first place-- then the answer choices will give it away.