GMATPREP2 Sentence correction question need help

[jnelson0612]

Hi Ron, how about the pronoun "its" in B, dose "its" refer to U.S. or Mexico? I always have problem with which antecedent of a pronoun can or must refer to. Or, is there any rule about the reference of pronoun? Please help!

Thanks!

Generally, "its" would refer to the United States, because Mexico is only mentioned in a prepositional phrase ("to Mexico"); however, we have seen official GMAT questions in which a pronoun does refer to a noun in a prepositional phrase, so you could make the case that there is confusion here. However, if you use basic logic, B says that the United States sold record exports to Mexico, reducing "its" trade deficit. The only country of the two who could be reducing the trade deficit in the case mentioned is the United States; thus, we have two reasons that "its" should be standing in for "United States".

[parasa311]

@Ron
Is "declined" a correct verb here? or should it be "was declined"?

please confirm

[RonPurewal]

if it's in the correct answer...

[HemantR606]

Hi Ron,

I have eliminated B, C and E because of the word 'compared':

The sentence is contrasting a deterioration (trade imbalances) to an improvement (decline in deficit). So, use of 'compared to' or 'compared with' is nonsensical in this sentence.


Am I right in diong so?


Thanks.

[RonPurewal]

^^ no. the concept of "comparison" encompasses both similarity and difference.
(the phrase "compare and contrast", however widely used by elementary-school teachers, is actually bad writing—it's redundant.)

[RonPurewal]

in fact, if you see a sentence in which the modifier "compared to/with" is used correctly, there will ALWAYS be a significant difference described in the sentence. (think about it—if there were no difference, then a much better and much more efficient sentence could be written with like/as.)

illustration here:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... tml#p56655

[RonPurewal]

here are two official problems whose correct answers contain "(as) compared to/with". ("as" can be inserted or removed without consequence.)

https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... t1889.html

https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... t5783.html

in both problems, the entire point of the modifier "compared to xxxx" is to point out a significant difference (in the case of the first sentence, a truly enormous difference).

[RonPurewal]

in fact, now that i'm thinking about it, i've realized that, if the point is that two things are similar, it's actually impossible to use the modifier "compared to/with".

e.g.,
The unemployment rate in New City this year is 9 percent, compared with 9 percent last year.
--> this sentence is basically nonsense, since "compared to" sets the reader up to expect a different statistic.

to make sense, the sentence must be re-written:
The unemployment rate in New City this year is 9 percent, as it was last year.
The unemployment rate in New City this year is 9 percent, the same as last year's rate.
New City has a 9 percent unemployment rate, unchanged from last year.
New City has a 9 percent unemployment rate this year, as it did last year.
etc.

[RichaChampion]

In contrast to the ongoing trade imbalances with china and japan, the United states trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country

A- In contrast to the ongoing trade imbalances with china and japan, the United states trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.

B- In contrast to ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan,the United states sold record exports to Mexico,reducing its trade deficit by $500million.

C- When compared with ongoing trade imbalances with china and Japan, the United states sold record exports to Mexico, reducing their trade deficit by $500 million.

D- Compared with ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan , the united states sold record exports to Mexico, reducing the trade deficit by $500million.

E- Compared to the ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan,the United states record exports to Mexico caused a $500 million decline in trade deficit with that country.

____________________________

Ron sir How are you doing these days. we have very hot summers in India.

Sir in one of the explanation here you have mentioned that "when you have an INITIAL MODIFIER THAT'S NOT A CLAUSE (i.e., it doesn't have its own subject and verb), then it must modify the immediately following noun. "

If I apply the same to Option A and E both seems to be wrong as in both the cases United states will be modified. Isn't it?

A- In contrast to the ongoing trade imbalances with china and japan, the United states trade deficit with Mexico declined by $500 million as a result of record exports to that country.

E- Compared to the ongoing trade imbalances with China and Japan,the United states record exports to Mexico caused a $500 million decline in trade deficit with that country.

[RonPurewal]

"the United States trade deficit" is a trade deficit -- in exactly the same way that "business school" is a school.

"U.S." and "business", in these cases, are adjectives.

in general, if you have 2 nouns in a row, this is almost always what's happening. (i can't think of any other legitimate reason to stick two nouns together, unless they are parts of completely different constructions that just happen to be placed next to each other.)

[ajaym8]

Hi Ron,

[quote=]
New City has a 9 percent unemployment rate this year, as it did last year .
[/quote]

Shouldn't the sentence be -
New City has a 9 percent unemployment rate this year, as it had last year.
OR
New City has a 9 percent unemployment rate this year, the same as it had last year.

Reading the quoted sentence, I asked the question - what did the new city do ? . I got the answer -Kept the unemployment rate same

But isn't the "9 % unemployment" something that the city had, not something that the city did ?

in fact, now that i'm thinking about it, i've realized that, if the point is that two things are similar, it's actually impossible to use the modifier "compared to/with".

e.g.,
The unemployment rate in New City this year is 9 percent, compared with 9 percent last year.
--> this sentence is basically nonsense, since "compared to" sets the reader up to expect a different statistic.

to make sense, the sentence must be re-written:
The unemployment rate in New City this year is 9 percent, as it was last year.
The unemployment rate in New City this year is 9 percent, the same as last year's rate.
New City has a 9 percent unemployment rate, unchanged from last year.
New City has a 9 percent unemployment rate this year, as it did last year.
etc.

[RonPurewal]

"did" can stand for ANY past-tense verb (except "was"/"were" and helping verbs).

I read more books in January than my sister did.
^^ "did" = "read".
do you understand how this sentence works? if so, you should see why your objection isn't valid. (you can't "do books", but, this sentence is still correct.)
in the senence you're quoting, "did" = "had" in the same way. (note that "had" is NOT a helping verb here -- i.e., this is not "had ___ed". for THAT, you can't use "did".)

[ajaym8]

Thanks a lot , Ron.
The analogy explains it very well.

"did" can stand for ANY past-tense verb (except "was"/"were" and helping verbs).

I read more books in January than my sister did.
^^ "did" = "read".
do you understand how this sentence works? if so, you should see why your objection isn't valid. (you can't "do books", but, this sentence is still correct.)
in the senence you're quoting, "did" = "had" in the same way. (note that "had" is NOT a helping verb here -- i.e., this is not "had ___ed". for THAT, you can't use "did".)

[RonPurewal]

you're welcome.