Solutions
Get detailed explanations to advanced GMAT questions.
Question
Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than it was in any previous election.
Option A:
a greater proportion than it was
Option B:
a greater proportion than
Option C:
a greater proportion than they have been
Option D:
which is greater than was so
Option E:
which is greater than it has been
Difficulty Level
EasySolution
Option B is the right answer.
Option Analysis
A) The pronoun ‘it’ does not have a clear antecedent.
B) Correct Answer. The absolute modifier ‘a greater proportion than … election’ refers to “half the spending in the presidential election”. Also, note the parallelism with “than” – “in the presidential campaign of 1992” is parallel to “in any previous election”. Note the usage of “greater” (vs “more”) – we are referring to a number – proportion.
C) The only logical antecedent of ‘they’ is costs. A ‘proportion’ is incorrectly compared to ‘costs’. The present perfect tense ‘have been’ is incorrect. Simple past should be used as we are referring to a specific time – in any previous election.
D) The antecedent of ‘which’ is not clear. Grammatically it modifies ‘presidential campaign of 1992’. This is incorrect. ‘Than was so’ is incorrect. “so” refers to the entire clause – “soaring television costs accounted …” – this makes for a faulty comparison. We are trying to compare proportions to proportions.
E) The antecedent of ‘which’ is not clear. Grammatically it modifies ‘presidential campaign of 1992’. This is incorrect. The pronoun ‘it’ does not have a clear antecedent. The present perfect tense ‘has been’ is incorrect. Simple past should be used as we are referring to a specific time – in any previous election.
Related Questions
- The 32 species that make up the dolphin family are closely related to whales and in fact include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and is famous for its aggressive hunting pods.
- The first commercially successful drama to depict Black family life sympathetically and the first play by a Black woman to be…
- Aroca County’s public schools are supported primarily by taxes on the property. The county…
- From 1980 to 1989, total consumption of fish in the country of Jurania increased by 4.5 percent, and total consumption of poultry products there increased by 9.0 percent..
- Despite the growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are…