Predeterminers-Really need your detailed explanation Ron

[amir_hatef]

Hi Ron,

I am one of current MGMAT students and as much as i tried not to put you in trouble on my recent issue, the GMAT usage b/w TWICE & DOUBLE, I could not, so kindly want you to explain this part in detail for me. I reviewed your previous explanations on manhattangmat forums and some other experts on beatthegmat BUT still I can not answer questions on this part correctly at all!
I have read that in GMAT Double mostly tested as a VERB, also twice generally is a adverb and double is an adjective based on OXFORD English Grammar book but I really confused these two simple rules and want you to elaborate more in depth for me if possible. It is written that these are predeterminers: twice, double and.... but there are bit lot examples on GMAT Real exams(OG #72 &...) tested and I have difficulty on them due to not having a consolidated and integrated rule with examples on these enable me to answer these kind of questions simply.
In advance I really appreciate your help.

[danielpatinkin]

Hi Ron,

I am one of current MGMAT students and as much as i tried not to put you in trouble on my recent issue, the GMAT usage b/w TWICE & DOUBLE, I could not, so kindly want you to explain this part in detail for me. I reviewed your previous explanations on manhattangmat forums and some other experts on beatthegmat BUT still I can not answer questions on this part correctly at all!
I have read that in GMAT Double mostly tested as a VERB, also twice generally is a adverb and double is an adjective based on OXFORD English Grammar book but I really confused these two simple rules and want you to elaborate more in depth for me if possible. It is written that these are predeterminers: twice, double and.... but there are bit lot examples on GMAT Real exams(OG #72 &...) tested and I have difficulty on them due to not having a consolidated and integrated rule with examples on these enable me to answer these kind of questions simply.
In advance I really appreciate your help.

Amir,
You are correct. "Twice" is an adverb. "Double" is an adjective. The important thing to remember here is that adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, while adjectives can only modify nouns.

So, we can say "twice as many donuts" because "as many" is an adjective phrase describing the donuts. "Twice" modifies "as many." We cannot say "double as many."

Conversely, we can say "a double bed" because "bed" is a noun. We cannot say "a twice bed." We can say "double the number", but we should not say "twice the number" (at least on the GMAT).

Does that help?

Best Wishes,
Dan P

[Jov]

Hi Team,

The issue is with expression "Twice the number"

I am confused about the usage of twice after reading this post and another post written by Ron -

Somehow The site rejects whenever I try to post the link of Ron's Post. The post heading is "The number of people flying first". If you please google it, it will be the first search result in which RON explained on the first page this usage.

In this post, The instructor told that we should not use twice the number expression. Here the text from the post:
"but we should not say "twice the number" (at least on the GMAT)."
-The reasoning behind it that twice is an adverb and it cant modifies noun (the number). i checked on Google and found that twice is always adverb.

In Ron's post, Ron told us that we can use "twice the increase" expression. Here "the increase" is noun. There are several examples in the Manhattan book:

The concert was attended by 300 people, twice the previous attendance.
(here twice also modifies attendance which is noun.)

So here this adverb twice modifies noun. I understand that these sentence given by Ron and in Manhattan books are right. But if they are right, then how an adverb is modifying a noun.

Please explain this. Also please let me know if the first post has a mistake or I miss understood something there.

Thanks a lot in advance for your help.

[RonPurewal]

"You can't say twice a number?" Whoa, no, that's not right at all.

Just look at this:
providing-initial-evidence-that-t6934.html

And this:
in-1914-a-total-cars-and-trucks-t7052.html (in which "twice that number" is the literal phrasing of the correct answer)

And OG13 #140. And many others.

There is no "weird GMAT usage" that contradicts the normal standards of formal written English.