Because of less availability and greater demand for

[chrism]

Question:

Because of less availability and greater demand for scientific research, platinum remains consistently expensive, like gold.

Answer Choices:

A. Because of less availability and greater demand for scientific research, platinum remains consistently expensive, like gold.
B. Because of less availability and increased demand for scientific research, platinum remains consistently expensive, like that of gold.
C. Because of decreased availability and increased demand in scientific research, platinum remains expensive, like gold.
D. Because of decreased availability and increased demand for scientific research, platinum remains expensive, like gold.
E. Because of decreased availability and greater demand in scientific research, platinum remains at a consistently high price, like that of gold.

Answer:

(c) - NOT (d)... which is what i put... the answer explanation doesn't really explain why "demand in" is better than "demand for"...

Here's there explanation -> ...Third, "Demand for scientific research" implies that the research is in demand, when in fact it is the platinum. "Demand in scientific research" would be better....

poor explanation![/u]

[RonPurewal]

Question:

Because of less availability and greater demand for scientific research, platinum remains consistently expensive, like gold.

Answer Choices:

A. Because of less availability and greater demand for scientific research, platinum remains consistently expensive, like gold.
B. Because of less availability and increased demand for scientific research, platinum remains consistently expensive, like that of gold.
C. Because of decreased availability and increased demand in scientific research, platinum remains expensive, like gold.
D. Because of decreased availability and increased demand for scientific research, platinum remains expensive, like gold.
E. Because of decreased availability and greater demand in scientific research, platinum remains at a consistently high price, like that of gold.

Answer:

(c) - NOT (d)... which is what i put... the answer explanation doesn't really explain why "demand in" is better than "demand for"...

Here's there explanation -> ...Third, "Demand for scientific research" implies that the research is in demand, when in fact it is the platinum. "Demand in scientific research" would be better....

poor explanation![/u]

There are two possible ways in which you could read the intent of the original sentence:
(1) Because there is increased demand FOR scientific research - in other words, society/business/whoever else is calling for more scientific research to be performed - platinum costs more.
(2) Because there is increased demand [FOR platinum] IN scientific research, platinum costs more.

The first of these interpretations is absurd: it's a total non-sequitur, since a call for more science won't directly affect the price of a specific good like platinum. The second interpretation, on the other hand, makes perfect sense.

In any case, it boils down to understanding the idiomatic usage: demand FOR X means that X itself is what's desired, whereas demand IN X means that something else is demanded to satisfy the interests of field/endeavor X.

[Guest]

Now why is "Decreased" preferred over "Less", I never get these Quantity questions right.. What should I look for in these kind of questions .. .Any help would be great...Thanks

Sid

[esledge]

Sid,

As a rule of thumb, use "less" or "greater" when making a comparison:

"I have less time available for my friends than I did before I began studying for the GMAT."
"I have greater responsibility since my big promotion at work."

In this sentence, less platinum is available now than before, and more platinum is demanded now than before. However, "than before" is not verbalized.

It's better to say "decreased" and "increased," as they mean a change has occured over time, and no addition comparison words to that effect are necessary.

And just as a side note, to me it just sounds a little weird to say "Because of less availability..., platinum..." Availability is an awkward choice of noun, because it seems to require more: "availability of platinum," perhaps. It would be better to say "Platinum is less available," but we don't have that option.

[goelmohit2002]

Hi,

I have one doubt regarding the correct option....OG clearly say that like should come adjacent to noun that it want to modify...so how can C be correct ?

Shouldn't C be like:
Because of decreased availability and increased demand in scientific research, platinum, like gold, remains expensive.

Instead of:
Because of decreased availability and increased demand in scientific research, platinum remains expensive, like gold.

[nehag84]

Another Q:

How can we assume that "less" here implies that the availability has "decreased" (on my initial reading, i thought it changed the meaning of the sentence!) Can it not mean "less that what is required" (supply has remained constant but it is still less than what is required) instead of "less than what was before"...?

Thanks,
NG

[RonPurewal]

Hi,

I have one doubt regarding the correct option....OG clearly say that like should come adjacent to noun that it want to modify...so how can C be correct ?

Shouldn't C be like:
Because of decreased availability and increased demand in scientific research, platinum, like gold, remains expensive.

Instead of:
Because of decreased availability and increased demand in scientific research, platinum remains expensive, like gold.

your version has better style, yes, i'd agree. however, i don't think (c) is incorrect.
it still follows the rule for "like" (viz., "like" should be followed by a noun or noun phrase, and not by a clause or prepositional phrase), and it's unambiguous.

does the OG actually STATE that a "like" phrase must be put IMMEDIATELY next to the noun that it modifies? if so, where? we'd love to have that reference on file.

thanks.

[RonPurewal]

Another Q:

How can we assume that "less" here implies that the availability has "decreased" (on my initial reading, i thought it changed the meaning of the sentence!) Can it not mean "less that what is required" (supply has remained constant but it is still less than what is required) instead of "less than what was before"...?

Thanks,
NG

hi NG.

ironically, what you're stating here is yet another reason for choosing the unambiguous "decreased" over "less".
in particular, you're stating - correctly enough - that "less" is at least somewhat ambiguous in this case; it could signify either of the two meanings you've cited.

takeaway:
if choice (a) is ambiguous, then you must choose an answer choice that resolves that ambiguity.

look at #38 and #106 in the OG VERBAL supplement (the purple book).
in those two problems, the original, choice (a) is ambiguous. in #106 there are two possible meanings, and in #38 there are an infinitude of possible meanings.

taking #38 as a case in point, note that the CORRECT answer, somewhat arbitrarily, comes up with a physician as the user of the mentioned device, even though this is not indicated at all in the original.
some students would say "hey! that changes the meaning of the original!"
...and yes, it does, but note that the original is actually WRONG (ambiguous) while this answer is NOT WRONG.
since correctness is more important than clarity, this objection is not valid.

same thing with #106, and with your answer here.

hope that helps

[goelmohit2002]

Hi,

I have one doubt regarding the correct option....OG clearly say that like should come adjacent to noun that it want to modify...so how can C be correct ?

Shouldn't C be like:
Because of decreased availability and increased demand in scientific research, platinum, like gold, remains expensive.

Instead of:
Because of decreased availability and increased demand in scientific research, platinum remains expensive, like gold.

your version has better style, yes, i'd agree. however, i don't think (c) is incorrect.
it still follows the rule for "like" (viz., "like" should be followed by a noun or noun phrase, and not by a clause or prepositional phrase), and it's unambiguous.

does the OG actually STATE that a "like" phrase must be put IMMEDIATELY next to the noun that it modifies? if so, where? we'd love to have that reference on file.

thanks.

Hi Ron,

Please see the following question from OG....explanation of Stacey look to be following this near rule of like....

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=1598&view=next

else can you please tell on what reason we can kick out A in the above link ?

[RonPurewal]

Hi Ron,

Please see the following question from OG....explanation of Stacey look to be following this near rule of like....

i'm sorry, i don't understand what you're saying here.

http://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=1598&view=next

else can you please tell on what reason we can kick out A in the above link ?

see this post (in this same thread)
post3884.html#p3884

[stevefeiner5]

Hi,

Ron could you help me understand the comparison with the like / like that of split.

Thanks,

Steve

[sambhavverman]

i would like to kno how strong is a construction , like in this case, that begins with lesser avaliability rather than less availabiliy.... is it better to replace decreased with this comparator.. plz quote the correct choice for this question as well....

[mschwrtz]

I'd be very surprised to see the word "lesser" on the GMAT, except as part of a stock time-honored phrases such as "to a lesser extent," "lesser of two evils," or "lesser-known." If you know that it has appeared on the test in any other context, even in a wrong answer, let me know.

In any event, "lesser" is a comparative, and it means pretty much the same as "less." This means that in this sentence you would choose "decreased" over "lesser," just as you would choose "decreased" over "less."

There are some subtle differences between "lesser" and "less." For instance, you can't use "lesser than," while you can use "less than." Also, in "lesser-known" and some other phrases where "lesser" modifies an adjective, its a comparative form of "little," rather than of "less."

Anyway, I could talk about this all day, just ask any of my remaining friends, but until I hear of the word appearing on the GMAT....

[rustom.hakimiyan]

Sid,

As a rule of thumb, use "less" or "greater" when making a comparison:

"I have less time available for my friends than I did before I began studying for the GMAT."
"I have greater responsibility since my big promotion at work."

When you say "comparison" - would it still work if I said "I have greater responsibility since my cat died.

These two events could be completely independent, but does the since imply a comparison?

[jlucero]

When you say "comparison" - would it still work if I said "I have greater responsibility since my cat died.

These two events could be completely independent, but does the since imply a comparison?

Correct. You are comparing your responsibility before and since an event.

As a side note, if you wanted to count the number of responibilities, you would use more. I have more responsibilities (now I have 10) since my cat died (I used to have 8). The key thing is that more is used when comparing countable things (responsibilities) and greater is used when comparing non-countable things (responsibility). Emily gives a generalization that usually holds up often times when students are confused between the two.