* SC: Climatic shifts

[uptowngirl92]

Climatic shifts are so gradual as to be indistinguishable at first from ordinary fluctuations in the weather.

(A) so gradual as to be indistinguishable

(B) so gradual they can be indistinguishable

(C) so gradual that they are unable to be distinguished

(D) gradual enough not to be distinguishable

(E) gradual enough so that one cannot distinguish them

[Guest]

C. So X that Y is the correct idiom.

[downtownboy92]

C can not be the OA.
able/unable to can not be followed by a passive voice.
IMO A.

[kylo]

the correct idiom is - so adjective as to verb.

hence A cannot be correct.

i think there is a typo in B.

please post the OA.



Thanks!

[JonathanSchneider]

Please post the source of this question. Otherwise we will be forced to delete the post. Thank you.

[cesar.rodriguez.blanco]

The source is beatthegmat:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/climate-t42931.html#180328

Can any instructor explain this question?
Thanks

[RonPurewal]

i've seen this problem on gmatprep, so we're good.

@ cesar: beatthegmat is not a SOURCE. that's just another forum.
by "source" we mean the actual ORIGIN of the question. (i.e., this forum doesn't qualify as a "source", either)

the correct answer is (a).

the correct idiom is - so adjective as to verb.

hence A cannot be correct.

hmm?
(a) follows this form exactly!

(c) is incorrect because
* it's much more wordy and awkward than (a);
* "able"/"unable" is generally used only for people's abilities.

[sausi007]

Bumping an old thread because there is a doubt.....

"so....as to" is not a correct idiom . If we refer to OG-12 Question 51:
Option E says: "so brisk as to hamper the ability..."

The explanation says: The phrase is awkward, wordy and unclear.

So, should the answer for this question be B (so gradual that they can be indistinguishable).

[tim]

Read the explanation in the OG more closely. They are saying the "for..." phrase is awkward and wordy, not the idiom..

[gmatwork]

Can someone please explain me why choices - d and e - are wrong?

[jnelson0612]

Can someone please explain me why choices - d and e - are wrong?

"gradual enough" is a different meaning from "so gradual that". "so X that Y" would generally be the correct idiom.

[manhattangmat.2k1]

I answered "B" which is probably wrong. I am confused however because in your book, the reader is advised not to use the so ... as to idiom since the Official Guide considers it to be wrong.

Once again, what's wrong with "B"?

Best Regards,

Andreas.

[tim]

First, B needs a "that". Also, "can be indistinguishable" conveys a sense of possibility that they are indistinguishable, which is illogical in this context..

[gmatwork]

"gradual enough" is a different meaning from "so gradual that". "so X that Y" would generally be the correct idiom.

Referring the earlier post by Jamie in response to my question about (d) and (e). I can't see the difference in the meaning between 'gradual enough' and 'so gradual that'?

Can you please give some examples to elucidate your point?

[jnelson0612]

"gradual enough" is a different meaning from "so gradual that". "so X that Y" would generally be the correct idiom.

Referring the earlier post by Jamie in response to my question about (d) and (e). I can't see the difference in the meaning between 'gradual enough' and 'so gradual that'?

Can you please give some examples to elucidate your point?

Good question! This is a really subtle distinction. I think that if you just know that the idiom should be "so X that Y" you'll be fine. However, I'll do my best to explain.

"enough" implies that there is some threshold to be met for something to be sufficiently gradual. On the other hand, I think that "so gradual that" implies just that this process is extremely gradual. Again, it's a really subtle distinction and shouldn't be the meat of your decision. Use the idiom instead. :-)