A recently published report indicates that the salaries of t

[vjsharma25]

Ranjit has it - don't forget to look at earlier, relevant parts of the sentence.

A report indicates that salaries (of one group) lag far behind those of (another group) - by 8k at the start and by 24k (later on).

Two things here - first, the numbers I'm giving are explicitly the amount of "lag" - so they lag by 8k and they lag by 24k. They can't lag to almost 24k less. Also, I want to make those two lags parallel - they're performing the same function in the sentence. And D isn't parallel, even if the language for the 24k piece wasn't already problematic.

I still am not convinced why D is not the right answer. Below I have set in BOLD the problem with choosing E as the answer. While D mentions that the salary is less by an average of $8000 to almost [an average of] $24000, E creates a gap in the logical structure of the sentence by suggesting that salary is less by an average of $8000 and by almost 24000 [NO AVERAGE MENTIONED - ELIPSIS] .... This means while it is less by an average of $8000 initially it lags by exact amount $24000 at the end. I don't think this should be correct. But maybe it is..

D. those of other college-educated professionals"”by an average of nearly $8,000 a year at the start of their careers to almost $24,000 less
E. those of other college-educated professionals"”by an average of nearly $8,000 a year at the start of their careers, and by almost $24,000

3 comments.

one:
you said (emphasis mine): it lags by exact amount $24000 at the end.
no, that's not what it says. the sentence contains the word "almost", so it's specifically NOT an "exact amount".

two:
one of the golden rules of sentence correction is that you must not change the original meaning of the sentence, except in cases where the "original meaning" is self-contradictory, ambiguous, or nonsensical.
in this case, the "problem" that you've pointed out - i.e., the fact that the first figure is given as an average and the second figure isn't - is also present in the original sentence. therefore, although it may annoy you do to so, you must preserve that meaning in the correct answer choice.
the meaning of the original is sacrosanct.

three:
i don't believe this has yet been mentioned on this thread, but (a), (c), and (d) can all be eliminated because of the "less" at the end. the sentence already contains "lag ... behind ... by", so "less" is redundant and therefore unacceptable.
in fact, if you take it super-literally (which you must), it actually creates the wrong meaning: if i say "x lags behind y by $8000 less", that actually means that x lags behind y by a margin that's $8000 smaller than the original margin.
the correct wording is "x lags behind y by $8000" or "x is $8000 less than y", but NOT both.

Is the option "D" correct,if we drop out the "less"?

[RonPurewal]

Is the option "D" correct,if we drop out the "less"?

first -- in general, you shouldn't try to do this.
don't try to fix sentences!
even though this section of the test is called, ironically, "sentence correction", you do not need to be able to fix the sentences; you only need to be able to select the correct answer choice from the choices given.
trying to fix the sentences is an irrelevant skill set; if you do too much of this, it will distract you from the skill set that you actually need.

--

in response to the question:
no, that choice would still be incorrect with the omission of "less".
it contains "by an average of" -- a construction that is incompatible with "X amount at time #1 to Y amount at time #2". this is not a single average, so that construction doesn't make sense.
note how this is corrected in the right answer -- there are separate parallel structures: by an average of blah blah blah at time #1, and by some other amount at time #2.

[subrat308]

Ranjit has it - don't forget to look at earlier, relevant parts of the sentence.

A report indicates that salaries (of one group) lag far behind those of (another group) - by 8k at the start and by 24k (later on).

Two things here - first, the numbers I'm giving are explicitly the amount of "lag" - so they lag by 8k and they lag by 24k. They can't lag to almost 24k less. Also, I want to make those two lags parallel - they're performing the same function in the sentence. And D isn't parallel, even if the language for the 24k piece wasn't already problematic.

Stacey in this link you told the below.

archaeologists-in-egypt-have-excavated-a-5-000-year-old-wood-t1911.html

The long dash is used to indicate an example or an aside. Only the example or aside goes inside the dash, so that example either has to go all the way to the end of the sentence or we need to "close" the dash at some point by putting a second one in.

If that is true the Option E should be rejected, because it contains.

- by an average of nearly $8,000 a year at the start of their careers, and by almost $24,000

So C/D should be correct.

Please let me know if I am missing something.

[jlucero]

Stacey in this link you told the below.

archaeologists-in-egypt-have-excavated-a-5-000-year-old-wood-t1911.html

The long dash is used to indicate an example or an aside. Only the example or aside goes inside the dash, so that example either has to go all the way to the end of the sentence or we need to "close" the dash at some point by putting a second one in.

If that is true the Option E should be rejected, because it contains.

- by an average of nearly $8,000 a year at the start of their careers, and by almost $24,000

So C/D should be correct.

Please let me know if I am missing something.

C/D/E all try to make two separate points after the dash. E isn't trying to close the dash, it's trying to add a second point about how much less teachers make. So it's not wrong for that reason.

[eggpain24]

HI，Ron

I think “because” in choice A is also problematic by showing cause-and-effect relationship（but we only need some extra explanation）

[RonPurewal]

HI，Ron

I think “because” in choice A is also problematic by showing cause-and-effect relationship（but we only need some extra explanation）

You're correct here.

(More accurately, the sentence doesn't show a causal relationship, even though such a relationship is required by "because". But that's clearly what you meant.)

[YUXIAOT139]

Are you saying, in choice E, the sentence is correct with or without the "comma" before "and by almost 24,000" ?

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

Yes, the sentence would be correct without the comma. However, GMAT doesn't test comma usage directly (although commas can be useful clues).