SC : Despite the growing number

[RonPurewal]

Also in your earlier post below, can you please give an example that native speaker has problem with? Thanks!

https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... tml#p26678

[eveH982]

Ron,

Can I eliminate D by wrong modification:

The number of people purchasing plane tickets online...
"purchasing plane tickets online..." doesn't modify "people" but modifies "The number of people".

no, it can modify "people".

if you have a construction that modifies nouns, following NOUN1 + PREP + NOUN2, then that construction can modify either NOUN1 or NOUN2. to make the distinction, you have to use the context (intended meaning) of the sentence.

Hi ron:

I know that "purchasing" can modify "people" in D. But I read in one of your posts that say

the construction (preposition) + NOUN + VERBing is WRONG, unless the preposition refers directly to the NOUN.

so i wonder can i eliminate D, because in sentence "the number of people purchasing tickets on line is increasing" , "people" seems to take the core status, while "purchasing..." is just a modifier that can be removed anytime?

Same principle:
We laughed because of Tom walking into to wrong place. (incorrect, because "walking" should take the core status)

thanx!

[RonPurewal]

no, "the number of people purchasing tickets..." is fine.

so i wonder can i eliminate D, because in sentence "the number of people purchasing tickets on line is increasing" , "people" seems to take the core status, while "purchasing..." is just a modifier that can be removed anytime?

that ^^ is exactly why the construction WORKS.
it's primarily a reference to a NUMBER OF PEOPLE ... and, as you said, the following modifier isn't necessary to that understanding.

those are precisely the circumstances under which this sort of construction WORKS!
those choices have other errors in them, but, that construction is fine.

[aflaamM589]

In D and E, phrase despite the fact that also problematic?

[RonPurewal]

In D and E, phrase despite the fact that also problematic?

that's not a bad construction, no.

it's clearly worse than the corresponding part of the other choices -- it's more wordy / bulkier / less efficient, for no apparent reason -- so you can eliminate it here. (don't forget—this is a multiple-choice test!)

however, there might be some other sentence that's best written with "despite the fact that..."

[aflaamM589]

In D and E, phrase despite the fact that also problematic?

that's not a bad construction, no.

it's clearly worse than the corresponding part of the other choices -- it's more wordy / bulkier / less efficient, for no apparent reason -- so you can eliminate it here. (don't forget—this is a multiple-choice test!)

however, there might be some other sentence that's best written with "despite the fact that..."

Can you give an example or two ?

[RonPurewal]

In D and E, phrase despite the fact that also problematic?

that's not a bad construction, no.

it's clearly worse than the corresponding part of the other choices -- it's more wordy / bulkier / less efficient, for no apparent reason -- so you can eliminate it here. (don't forget—this is a multiple-choice test!)

however, there might be some other sentence that's best written with "despite the fact that..."

Can you give an example or two ?

you could have something like this:
The coaches want to keep the team picnic on Saturday, despite the fact that heavy rain is predicted for that day.

this sentence is fine.
it's unlikely that you'd see something like this in a correct answer (e.g., this sentence could be written slightly more compactly with "even though" in place of "despite the fact that"), but not impossible.

[aflaamM589]

Thank you so much.
God bless you

[RonPurewal]

you're welcome.

[Alok chandraS808]

the easy way to eliminate (b) is to know that "would" is incorrect.

"would" can be used as a past-tense form of "will" -- for instance, i know that we will win translates into the past tense as i knew that we would win -- or to express a hypothetical situation that isn't true. neither of these is the case here; this is a prognostication of future events, so the future tense makes sense and the conditional ("would") doesn't.

Dear Ron,

The airline executives are convinced that....many customers will still use travel agents.
Isn't this a prediction which involves uncertainty? Hence, usage of WOULD is preferred?
I know that I can't question the official source, but I am just trying to figure out how to classify a statement as a prediction(with uncertainty) or as a fact.
Can you please help me understand where I am going wrong?

TIA,
Alok.

[RonPurewal]

i don't know where you're getting this whole "prediction involving uncertainty" thing... i certainly didn't mention it.

please read the words that i wrote, again:

the easy way to eliminate (b) is to know that "would" is incorrect.

"would" can be used as a past-tense form of "will" -- for instance, i know that we will win translates into the past tense as i knew that we would win -- or to express a hypothetical situation that isn't true. neither of these is the case here; this is a prognostication of future events, so the future tense makes sense and the conditional ("would") doesn't.

neither of those two pink things is happening here.

[Alok chandraS808]

i don't know where you're getting this whole "prediction involving uncertainty" thing... i certainly didn't mention it.

please read the words that i wrote, again:

the easy way to eliminate (b) is to know that "would" is incorrect.

"would" can be used as a past-tense form of "will" -- for instance, i know that we will win translates into the past tense as i knew that we would win -- or to express a hypothetical situation that isn't true. neither of these is the case here; this is a prognostication of future events, so the future tense makes sense and the conditional ("would") doesn't.

neither of those two pink things is happening here.

Dear Ron,

I think I misunderstood the usage of 'Would' from some source. Please let me know whether any of my reasoning for the statements below is wrong since I cannot decide how to consider a sentence as hypothetical:

1. The analysts think that attracting more investors will boost the profits. (correct - since the sentence talks about the future expectations)
2. The analysts thought that attracting more investors would boost the profits (Correct - since the statement is in the past tense, we need the past tense of will)
3. If I earn 1 million dollars a month, I would invest that money in the technology that converts salt water into pure water (Correct - since the statement is hypothetical as I cannot make such money in the real world!)
4.In order to stimulate her son's passion for martial arts, she will/would need the greatest teacher in the world. (Both are correct usages depending on the context. Would - when the sentence is made in hypothetical sense. Will - when the statement is made generally)


Thanks in advance,
Alok.

[RonPurewal]

for #3, the first part should say "If I earned ... I would invest..."

you don't write "if I earn..." unless that is actually a reasonable possibility.

(i've never seen this sort of thing actually tested on the exam.)

--

in #4, you use "would" if the situation is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY or IMPOSSIBLE. otherwise you use "will".

[Alok chandraS808]

for #3, the first part should say "If I earned ... I would invest..."

you don't write "if I earn..." unless that is actually a reasonable possibility.

(i've never seen this sort of thing actually tested on the exam.)

--

in #4, you use "would" if the situation is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY or IMPOSSIBLE. otherwise you use "will".

Thank you Ron.

[JustinCKN]

Hi Ron:
Regarding Choice C:
Despite the growing number of people purchasing plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, many travelers will still use travel agents

If I correct the mistake regarding " compared to":

Despite the growing number of people purchasing plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, many travelers will still use travel agents.

Is it correct?
My question is "Comma airline executives are convinced Comma" can act as a Modifier, without causing Run-on?

Just like another post:
A scrub jay can remember when it cached a particular piece of food in a particular place, researchers have discovered, and tends not to bother recovering a perishable treat stored long enough to have rotted.

Here "comma researchers have discovered" is place in the middle of the sentence, and it can act as a modifier.

Thanks.
Sincerely.
JustinCKN.