1000 SC #771

[gter]

771 The labor agreement permits staff reductions through attrition with increased pension benefits and a special early-retirement program for speeding it up.
(A) attrition with increased pension benefits and a special early-retirement program for speeding it up[/u]
(B) attrition and provides increased pension benefits and a special early-retirement program to speed the attrition process
(C) attrition, which will be speeded up by providing increased pension benefits and a special early-retirement program
(D) attrition, which, by their providing increased pension benefits and a special early-retirement program, will speed the process
(E) attrition, which provides increased pension benefits and a special early-retirement program for speeding the attrition process

Can someone please explain why the answer is B insread of C?

[RonPurewal]

Two reasons.

(1) Redundancy: 'Speed' is good enough; there's no need to include the extra word 'up' (which contributes nothing). This stuff is hard to spot because we're so used to it in spoken language, but the GMAT makes a lot of its problems turn on redundant words. Same goes for continue on, reply back, and any number of other constructions that wouldn't make us think twice if we HEARD them, but which are totally unacceptable in good writing. As far as how to spot these: Look at the answer choices carefully and note words that appear in some of the answer choices but not others (like 'up' here, which appears in answer choices A and C but not in the others).

(2) Unclear subject: In choice C, it's totally unclear who, or what, is 'providing' the increased benefits, etc. By contrast, this is perfectly clear in choice B (the AGREEMENT PERMITS blah blah blah AND PROVIDES blah blah blah).

[kiranck007]

Two reasons.

(1) Redundancy: 'Speed' is good enough; there's no need to include the extra word 'up' (which contributes nothing). This stuff is hard to spot because we're so used to it in spoken language, but the GMAT makes a lot of its problems turn on redundant words. Same goes for continue on, reply back, and any number of other constructions that wouldn't make us think twice if we HEARD them, but which are totally unacceptable in good writing. As far as how to spot these: Look at the answer choices carefully and note words that appear in some of the answer choices but not others (like 'up' here, which appears in answer choices A and C but not in the others).

(2) Unclear subject: In choice C, it's totally unclear who, or what, is 'providing' the increased benefits, etc. By contrast, this is perfectly clear in choice B (the AGREEMENT PERMITS blah blah blah AND PROVIDES blah blah blah).

Hi, Ron.

Can we use "and" multiple times? I understand permits and provides are parallel, but what about "a special..."

[jlucero]

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