Even though the direct costs of malpractice disputes amounts

[geal]

Even though the direct costs of malpractice disputes amounts to a sum lower than one percent of the $541 billion the nation spent on health care last year, doctors say fear of lawsuits plays major role in health-care inflation.
(A) amounts to a sum lower
(B) amounts to less
(C) amounted to less
(D) amounted to lower
(E) amounted to a lower sum


Can you please tell why the answer is c instead of d? Thanks.

[RonPurewal]

Even though the direct costs of malpractice disputes amounts to a sum lower than one percent of the $541 billion the nation spent on health care last year, doctors say fear of lawsuits plays major role in health-care inflation.
(A) amounts to a sum lower
(B) amounts to less
(C) amounted to less
(D) amounted to lower
(E) amounted to a lower sum


Can you please tell why the answer is c instead of d? Thanks.

with numbers and units, the correct idiomatic usage involves 'less', and generally not things such as 'fewer' or 'lower'.
you should probably just memorize this.

[sonu_gmat]

OG explains this as noun (less) is required after preposition 'to' not adjective 'lower'.

But 'lower' and 'less' both could be used as 'noun' or 'adjective'

Can you please elaborate OG explanation.

I'm little confused when to used 'more' or when not. For example,

'....leading to more delays.....' is not correct whereas '.....leading to increase in delays...' is correct.

I do not get OG explanation as it says 'it is unclear'.

Thanks.

[RonPurewal]

OG explains this as noun (less) is required after preposition 'to' not adjective 'lower'.

ah, yes. true, true.

this is a second reason that "lower" is incorrect here. you also shouldn't say "lower than" with numbers and units, to respect idiomatic convention.
but yes, objects of prepositions MUST be nouns.
good call.

But 'lower' and 'less' both could be used as 'noun' or 'adjective'

"lower" is never a noun. never.

Can you please elaborate OG explanation.

I'm little confused when to used 'more' or when not. For example,

'....leading to more delays.....' is not correct whereas '.....leading to increase in delays...' is correct.

I do not get OG explanation as it says 'it is unclear'.

Thanks.

ah, subtle.

the easiest way to eliminate:
you shouldn't use "more" without "than".
you can use "more and more" (an idiomatic expression meaning "increasingly") by itself, but you shouldn't use "more" without saying "than...".

also:
this is one of those cases in which YOU HAVE TO BE EXTREMELY LITERAL in your thinking.
technically, the ultimate result of whatever happened was an increase in the number of delays, not delays themselves. therefore, "an increase" is better in context.