Fraternal Twins

[noor_dalhousie]

Hi Ron,

Thanx a lot for the help. The topic was indeed very useful. However, I have one doubt. Can "it" refer to a noun phrase. That's wat I thought about b option. Please advise.

[noor_dalhousie]

Hi Ron,

Thanx a lot for the help. The topic was indeed very useful. However, I have oyne doubt. Can "it" refer to a noun phrase. That's wat I thought about c option. Please advise.

[RonPurewal]

I don't know what a "noun phrase" is, so please provide some examples. Then I can tell you.

[noor_dalhousie]

Hi Ron

Please see the link "http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/nounphrase.htm" for the noun phrase.

I understand a noun phrase like e.g. "Karma is everything, it is a quotation by Buddha. Out here "Karma is everything" is a phrase that acts as a noun.

Similarly in option C, i thought "With some fraternal twins resembling each other greatly and others looking quite dissimilar" can be noun phrase referring to "it". Please let me know if i am thinking right.

Thank you!

[RonPurewal]

Yeah, I know I could just google the terms. (If I ever use grammar terms on here, I've definitely just finished doing exactly that.) However, a lot of users use terms incorrectly themselves -- i.e., they use term X in their post/question, but are actually asking about thing Y that's totally different from X.
So that's why I wanted to see examples. The terms don't matter (and I don't know them anyway). What matters is what you're actually trying to ask about.

Regarding your question, I've never seen GMAC use "it" to represent anything other than an actual noun.
The most variety I've seen from GMAC is the occasional use of "it" to represent something like "x and y". (E.g., "owning and living" -- og12 #82, og13 #85.)
However, if that ever happens, there will be solid proof in the sentence. E.g., in the problem mentioned above, "owning and living" is the subject of "is", so you know that it's singular and can therefore be represented by "it".

[noor_dalhousie]

Hi Ron,

Thanks a lot for your help. It is indeed extremely helpful.

Thank you!

[RonPurewal]

You're welcome.

[bodhisattwabiswas]

Regarding your question, I've never seen GMAC use "it" to represent anything other than an actual noun.
The most variety I've seen from GMAC is the occasional use of "it" to represent something like "x and y". (E.g., "owning and living" -- og12 #82, og13 #85.)

thanks for the explanation.
By the way, I thought in the og13 #85 (According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, ...) 'its' referred to 'a freestanding house'. Is not it so?

[RonPurewal]

Regarding your question, I've never seen GMAC use "it" to represent anything other than an actual noun.
The most variety I've seen from GMAC is the occasional use of "it" to represent something like "x and y". (E.g., "owning and living" -- og12 #82, og13 #85.)

thanks for the explanation.
By the way, I thought in the og13 #85 (According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, ...) 'its' referred to 'a freestanding house'. Is not it so?

Yes, but I'm referring to "it" (which appears in the correct answer choice), not "its".

[bodhisattwabiswas]

Regarding your question, I've never seen GMAC use "it" to represent anything other than an actual noun.
The most variety I've seen from GMAC is the occasional use of "it" to represent something like "x and y". (E.g., "owning and living" -- og12 #82, og13 #85.)

thanks for the explanation.
By the way, I thought in the og13 #85 (According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, ...) 'its' referred to 'a freestanding house'. Is not it so?

Yes, but I'm referring to "it" (which appears in the correct answer choice), not "its".

sorry...my mistake...silly me!

[RonPurewal]

These things happen to the best of us.

[eggpain24]

1. As per sc 4th edition, New nano papers incorporate fibres that give these materials strength. Here these is used to refer "New nano papers", Similiarly in option e, doesnt "This Fact" referes to twins resembling each other and others look different?

the use of "because" implies that this fact can't be the fact just mentioned. in general, in the construction "because X, Y" or "Y because X", it's impossible for X and Y to refer to the same thing.

another example:
because i play the piano, i can use keyboards more efficiently --> in this sentence, "keyboards" must refer to something other than piano keyboards (e.g., computer keyboards, etc).

2.Just to understand with construction, If option "c" were to be correct what should be followed after comma?? I tried to come up with few words but that dint make sense.

in general, you shouldn't try to do this. don't try to fix sentences!

even though this section of the test is called, ironically, "sentence correction", you do not need to be able to fix the sentences; you only need to be able to select the correct answer choice from the choices given.
trying to fix the sentences is an irrelevant skill set; if you do too much of this, it will distract you from the skill set that you actually need. moreover, most users' attempts to fix sentences create numerous other errors, many of which are outside the scope of what is tested on the gmat.

Hi，ron
Can you say a little more about the #1？

why “this fact” cannot refer to “because XXX”

is it because this construction “redundant” or “illogical”？

here is my thought：

“Because some fraternal twins resemble each other greatly and others look quite dissimilar”

if “this fact” refers back to “because XXX” → seems redundant

please clarify，thank you！

[RonPurewal]

That's one way of thinking about it.

[eggpain24]

That's one way of thinking about it.

thanks for your reply！

[tim]

:)