Sunday, March 15, 2009

SC's Question number - 647, 648

647). On the Great Plains, nineteenth-century settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, doing it without timber and nails.

(A) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, doing it without

(B) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, did it without

(C) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, making them while not having

(D) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, making do without

(E) settlers’ homes were built of mud and grass, making do without

648). According to Inter study, a nonprofit organization that studies health maintenance organizations (HMO's), they estimate that, in comparison to last year, when only 36 percent of the nation's 607 HMO's was profitable, this year 73 percent will be.

(A) they estimate that, in comparison to last year, when only 36 percent of the nation's 607 HMO's was profitable, this year 73 percent will be.

(B) compared to only 36 percent of the nation's 607 HMO's being profitable last year, they estimate 73 percent would be this year

(C) only 36 percent of the nation's 607 HMO's were profitable last year, it estimates that this year 73 percent will be

(D) it estimates 73 percent of the nation's 607 HMO's would be profitable this year, last year that was only 36 percent

(E) only 36 percent of the nation's 607 HMO's last year were profitable, whereas they estimate it this year to be 73 percent


Answers:

647). OA - D - idiomatic - making do
make do with/ without(idiom) => use whatever you can find, substitute, to succeed in dealing with a situation by using what is available/despite not having something, to manage with that is not really satisfactory, to manage with the things that you have e.g When our kids don't have toys, they make do with pots and pans.

A, B - incorrect - no clear referent for it

C - incorrect - wrong tense, use of while incorrect

E - incorrect - passive

648). OA - C - http://forum.prachipareekh.net/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=594

Monday, March 09, 2009

SC's Question number - 649 , 650

649). George’s personal diary and album formed the basis for his book about the places he had visited.

(A) the basis for his book about the places he had visited.

(B) the basis for his book regarding the places he had visited.

(C) the basis of his book about the places he visited.

(D) the basis of his book about the places which he had visited.

(E) the basis of his book about the places he had visited.


650). For many years the idea as to if the Xenomorph employed an exoskeleton or endoskeleton plagued debates and discussions with unanswered questions; however, recent ideas based on Dr. Wren's studies suggest that the Xenomorph may employ an endo-exoskeleton: a skeletal structure that exists as both an epidermal structure and as a subdermal structure.

(A) the idea as to if the Xenomorph employed an exoskeleton or endoskeleton plagued debates and discussions with unanswered questions; however, recent ideas based on Dr. Wren's studies suggest that the Xenomorph may employ an endo-exoskeleton: a skeletal structure that exists as both

(B) the idea as to whether the Xenomorph employed an exoskeleton or endoskeleton plagued debates and discussions with unanswered questions; however, recent ideas based on Dr. Wren's studies suggest that the Xenomorph may employ an endo-exoskeleton: a skeletal structure that exists as both

(C) the idea as to whether the Xenomorph employed an exoskeleton or endoskeleton plagued debates and discussions with unanswered questions; however, recent ideas based on Dr. Wren's studies suggests that the Xenomorph may employ an endo-exoskeleton: a skeletal structure that exists both as

(D) the idea if the Xenomorph employed an exoskeleton or endoskeleton plagued debates and discussions with unanswered questions; however, recent ideas basing on Dr. Wren's studies suggest that the Xenomorph may employ an endo-exoskeleton: a skeletal structure that exist both as

(E) the idea as to whether the Xenomorph employed an exoskeleton or endoskeleton plagued debates and discussions with unanswered questions; however, recent ideas based on Dr. Wren's studies suggest that the Xenomorph may employ an endo-exoskeleton: a skeletal structure that exists both as


Answers:

649). OA - C - right tense

Explanation: George’s personal diary and album formed the basis of his book (that he wrote) about the places (that) he had visited.

Here perfect tense is unnecessary in the sentence "he wrote about the places that he (had) visited"

We can do without it since there is no confusion regarding the timeline.

Further, in the reduced form, construction in E, with perfect tense, is highlighting an inappropriate sequence of actions:
he visited those places before his personal diary and album formed the basis of his book.

650). OA - E - idiomatic - both as X and as Y

A, B - incorrect - unidiomatic

C - incorrect - subject verb agreement - ...
recent ideas(plural) based on Dr. Wren's studies suggests(singular) that....

D -
incorrect - subject verb agreement - .... a skeletal structure(singular) that exist(plural) both as...

Thursday, March 05, 2009

SC's Question number - 651 , 652

651). Recent psychological studies indicate that if children associate with and play with other children, they will experience fewer psychological problems and develop quicker socially than children that lead relatively isolated lives.

(A) play with other children, they will experience fewer psychological problems and develop quicker socially than

(B) play with other children, they experience fewer psychological problems and develop quicker socially than do

(C) played with other children, they experienced fewer psychological problems and develop quicker socially than will

(D) play with other children, they will experience fewer psychological problems and develop more quickly socially than do

(E) played with other children, they have experienced fewer psychological problems and have developed more quickly socially than do

652). As envisioned by researchers, commercial farming of lobsters will enable fisheries to sell the shellfish year-round, taking advantage of off-season demand, standardize its sizes and colors, and to predict sales volume in advance.

(A) taking advantage of off-season demand, standardize

(B) taking advantage of off-season demand, to standardize

(C) taking advantage of off-season demand, standardizing

(D) take advantage of off-season demand, standardizing

(E) take advantage of off-season demand, to standardize


Answers:

651). OA - D - parallel, idiomatic, right comparison - if X happens Y will happen - ...associate with....play with other children, they will experience fewer psychological problems and develop(verb) more quickly(adverb) socially than do...

A, B - incorrect - we need an adverb to modify a verb - ...develop(verb) quicker(adjective)

C, E - incorrect - violating parallelism - ...associate with...played with...

652). OA - B - parallel - .... to sell...to standardize...to predict...

A, C, D - incorrect - violating parallelism

E - incorrect - violating parallelism, modifier error

Monday, March 02, 2009

SC's Question number - 653 , 654

653). Although many Whites, noting the presence of some Blacks in the middle class, think that the time for enforcing civil rights measures is past, Blacks generally are aware that the figures for average income and unemployment show as wide of a radical discrepancy as ever.

(A) that the figures for average income and unemployment show as wide of

(B) that average-income and unemployment figures show as wide

(C) that the average-income and unemployment figures are showing as wide of

(D) of average-income and unemployment figures that show as wide of

(E) of figures for average income and unemployment showing as wide

654). In 1973 mortgage payments represented twenty-one percent of an average thirty-year-old male's
income; and forty-four percent in 1984.

(A) income; and forty-four percent in 1984

(B) income; in 1984 the figure was forty-four percent

(C) income, and in 1984 forty-four percent

(D) income, forty-four percent in 1984 was the figure

(E) income that rose to forty-four percent in 1984


Answers

653). OA - B - idiomatic - ...as...as...

A, C, D - incorrect - unidiomatic - ... as .. of ... as

E - incorrect - awkward, wrong tense - ...unemployment showing as wide...

654). (OG 10th Ques no - 81) - OA - B

OE:
To establish the clearest comparison between circumstances in 1973 and those in 1984, a separate clause is needed to describe each year. Choices A and C, in failing to use separate clauses, are too elliptical and therefore unclear. Choice A also incorrectly uses and and a semicolon to separate an independent clause and a phrase. Choice D incorrectly separates two independent clauses with a comma; moreover, the placement of in 1984 is awkward and confusing. In choice E, that refers illogically to income, thereby producing the misstatement that income rather than mortgage payments rose to forty-four percent in 1984. Choice B is best; two properly constructed clauses that clearly express the comparison are separated by a semicolon.

A - incorrect - use of semicolon is wrong
Read: Using semicolon

C - incorrect - use of comma wrong

D - incorrect - use of comma wrong
Read: Editing Comma Splice

E - incorrect - pronoun error - that incorrectly refers to income