The ability of scientists to provide models of the

by **divineacclivity** Tue Oct 02, 2012 10:23 am

RonPurewal Wrote:
Sputnik Wrote:I felt C is awkward.... Scientists have become able to provide ever

you're not parsing it correctly: 'ever more accurate' is an indivisible phrase here. 'ever more accurate' is roughly equivalent to 'getting more and more accurate all the time'.

once you make that realization, the right answer should make more sense.

Ron,

I chose C over other choices because ability was being said to be accurate in all other choices.

But I have a confusion, which I want to clarify so that I can pick a correct choice if the other choices are not so clearly wrong :).

Scientists have become able to... - is it a good usage?
shouldn't it be more like this one --> Scientist have become more capable of ... or Scientists are able to do something more accurately

thanks in advance

by **jlucero** Fri Oct 12, 2012 3:22 pm

It depends on what you are trying to express:

Scientist have become more capable of doing something.
Scientists are able to do something more accurately.

These say that scientists were able to do something, but are now better at it.

Scientists are now able to do something.

Sounds better because we are using a simple present tense. But if I want to say scientists "have become able", I am using the present perfect form to say that since a past tense event, something happened.

Since I began studying for the GMAT I have become boring.
Scientists have become able to clone wooly mammoths since they discovered a new method for working with DNA.

by **harithachillarige** Sun Feb 17, 2013 11:14 am

Hi,

Apart from the errors already doscussed ..

Can we eliminate Options A and E because of "Have become" ?
Since the subject of the sentence is singular "Ability", it should be "has become".

Please confirm

by **jnelson0612** Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:01 pm

harithachillarige Wrote:Hi,

Apart from the errors already doscussed ..

Can we eliminate Options A and E because of "Have become" ?
Since the subject of the sentence is singular "Ability", it should be "has become".

Please confirm

I absolutely agree! Good catch! :-)

by **aflaamM589** Fri Jul 15, 2016 9:00 pm

Hello Ron,
Should to provide/ in providing/ for providing be placed as close as possible to ability/ able.
Can A and B be crossed out for this reason.
Whereas in CDE at least the placement is correct.

The ability of scientists to provide models of the atmosphere’s complex responses to changing conditions, like seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions, have become ever more accurate.
A. The ability of scientists to provide models of the atmosphere’s complex responses to changing conditions, like seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions, have become ever more accurate.
B. The ability of scientists has become ever more accurate in providing models of the atmosphere’s complex responses to changing conditions, such as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
C. Scientists have become able to provide ever more accurate models of the atmosphere’s complex responses to such changing conditions as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
D. Scientists have become ever more accurate in their ability for providing models of the atmosphere’s complex responses to changing conditions, like seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
E. Scientists’ ability to provide models of the atmosphere’s complex responses to such changing conditions as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions have become ever more accurate.

Moreover,
is Scientists’ ability also problematic in E, stylistically if not grammatically?
( apostrophe with plural ). Can you let us known your thoughts on it.
Thanks in anticipation.
Highly indebted for your guidance all throughout my journey.

by **RonPurewal** Sun Jul 17, 2016 2:23 am

aflaamM589 Wrote:Should to provide/ in providing/ for providing be placed as close as possible to ability/ able.
Can A and B be crossed out for this reason.

yes. well done.

by **RonPurewal** Sun Jul 17, 2016 2:23 am

Moreover,
is Scientists’ ability also problematic in E, stylistically if not grammatically?
( apostrophe with plural ). Can you let us known your thoughts on it.

no, there's no inherent problem with that (it's much better than "The ability of scientists..."). DO NOT worry about stylistics!

by **ThomasG308** Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:51 pm

I am having some difficulty understanding the wording towards the end of choice C. The answer states, "...ever more accurate models of the atmosphere's complex responses to such changing conditions as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions."

The wording used in this answer choice is incredibly confusing. Shouldn't it read: "complex responses to changing conditions such as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions."? Are you allowed to place words inside of the phrase "such as"?

by **Sage Pearce-Higgins** Thu Feb 22, 2018 11:25 am

Yes, they've tried to throw you off-track by using a slightly old-fashioned wording. Such examples as this one are correct!

The ability of scientists to provide models of the

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