X is of Y

by **Hei** Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:48 am

What does "X is of Y" mean?
It means "X is made of Y"? No other meaning?
Thanks in advance.

by **StaceyKoprince** Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:39 pm

If you have any specific sentences in mind, please post them. Usage can vary depending upon sentence structure and intent of meaning.

by **Hei** Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:59 am

Two astronomers using the 200-inch telescope at Palomar Observatory, Calif., have stumbled on a distant supernova explosion - one they believe to be of a type previously unknown to science.

Source: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/scie ... ?s=oldest&

What does "be of" mean in this context? And what are the common usages of it?

Thanks in advance.

by **StaceyKoprince** Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:21 pm

Things you see in the paper or in similar sources may not be usage that would show up on the GMAT - just FYI. There are a lot of grammar rules in the English language; most aren't tested on the exam.

"believe to be" means something similar to "believe to be true" - the astronomers believe this piece of information to be true. "of a type" means something similar to "included in this category or type" - this distant supernova explosion is of a type that science hadn't known about before. The astronomers believe that last sentence to be true.

by **Hei** Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:34 am

Thanks Stacey.
One more question regarding the same sentence above: should there be a "that" between "one" and "they believe to be ..."? Or will the missing "that" be considered grammatically incorrect in GMAT?
Thanks in advance.

by **StaceyKoprince** Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:26 pm

I suppose the GMAT would probably require use of the word "that" - but then this isn't exactly a sentence structure that they would use.

She believed that she was right. You have to use the "that" here. If you just say "she believed she was right" you're basically saying "she believed she" - the noun immediately following believed. She didn't "believe she" - rather, she "believed THAT she was right." The "that" indicates that she believed the entire clause, not just the word following "believed."