SC: New equipment and other improvements

[dianapaolasanchez]

New equipment and other improvements reduced the amount of time"”from eleven hours in 1982 to six in 1988"”needed by workers so that they could produce a ton of steel.

A. needed by workers so that they could produce
B. needed when workers are producing
C. workers need in producing
D. workers needed to produce
E. workers need for their producing of

I think the answer is A, I am not sure, because sounds good too the answer B. Could somebody explain me what is the correct one?

[RonPurewal]

first of all, why don't you have an answer to this problem? if this problem is from the GMATPREP software (which is the only source allowed on this particular folder), then you should have the official answer.


the correct answer should be (d), actually.

here are very brief explanations of what is wrong with the other choices:

(a)
"so that" is wordy, but also doesn't make literal sense here -- "X so that Y" implies that X is an action taken toward the goal Y. i.e., i studied hard so that i could get a good grade.
needing time is not an action taken toward a goal, so this doesn't make sense.

(b)
read literally, this sentence doesn't give any indication that the workers themselves need the time -- it just states that the time is "needed" (we don't know by whom) when the workers are working.

(c)
present tense doesn't make sense

(d)
correct

(e)
present tense doesn't make sense

[vivs.gupta]

Ron, regarding your comment for choice 'a':

I agree that choice 'a' is wordy in using 'so that';however, i think the action in 'a' is 'new equipment reduced the time' and goal is 'to produce tons of steel', so itn't the use of 'so that' correct here?

[jnelson0612]

Aside from the wordiness, though, do you understand Ron's other comment about why "so that" is not appropriate here?

[eggpain24]

Hi，Ron

is choice B also incorrect because of the usage of “when”

the use of “when” literally means that only when the workers work，the time is reduced（other circumstances the time remained unchanged）

Thank you！

[RUOYUNL702]

Umm……What do you mean?I wonder……what Ron want to say about "so that". many thx!

[RonPurewal]

I wonder……what Ron want to say about "so that". many thx!

It's in my explanation of choice (a). Quoted several times here.

If you still have questions, please post specific questions. Thanks.

[RUOYUNL702]

I wonder……what Ron want to say about "so that". many thx!

It's in my explanation of choice (a). Quoted several times here.

If you still have questions, please post specific questions. Thanks.

hi,ron,i think the action in a is "reduced the amount of time…… " not "needing time "，right?what't your idea?thx

[ilyana777]

Hello!

My twopence here:
In A we have "the amount of time ... needed by workers ...". Needed by workers is Past Participle modifier, and it modifies the amount of time. Past Participle should be as close as possible to "its" noun/noun phrase. In A there are too many words between them ("from eleven hours in 1982 to six in 1988").

In D:
"the amount of time ... workers needed to produce". This is another type of modifier. We can rewrite it as: the amount of time ... [that] workers needed to produce.
That-modifier doesn't have to be placed right next to "its" noun.

[RonPurewal]

Placement isn't the issue. "Needed by workers" and "[that] workers needed" can be placed in essentially the same locations.

There are, however, two problems with choice A.

1/
"To + verb", when used for a purpose, normally applies to the subject of the preceding sentence.
E.g., Jim talked to Troy to prepare for the upcoming interview unequivocally implies that Jim, not Troy, was preparing for an interview.

Here, this implication is nonsense, because time doesn't manufature steel; workers do.

[RonPurewal]

2/
"So that..." is too indirect. The time is used in the actual production of steel, so simply "to produce" should be used.

"So that..." is more properly used for actions that make possible or facilitate other actions, but are NOT actual components of those actions.
Also, ideally, "so that..." should introduce a clause with a different subject. If the subject is still the same, then "in order to..." is a more efficient expression.

E.g.,
We need 30 grams of salicylic acid to make the desired amount of medicine. (actual component of the process)
We need to build a larger laboratory so that our chemists can make / in order to make the desired amount of medicine.

[ankitbagla]

Dear Ron ,


I am unable to understand the explanation for answer choice (b)

Pl explain

Regards
Ankit

[RonPurewal]

* "needed" doesn't specify that the workers need the time. (we don't know exactly who needs the time.)

* perhaps more importantly, the tense of "are producing" is nonsense.
"are __ing" describes things that are happening in the present. since this sentence describes things that happened during the timeframe 1982-1988, "are __ing" is clearly inappropriate.

[thanghnvn]

why A is wrong
"so that"as well as "to do" is used to show purpose of both the subject and verb of main clause.

time is needed so that workers can produce a ton of steell

is wrong. because "time" can not have a purpose.

if the subject is fake, the pattern is different

it is necessary to learn gmat
is correct.

am I correct?

[RonPurewal]

choice (a) is explained in my posts above.