GMAT Question:- A recent review of pay scales indicates

[AlokD492]

Hello Ron

Isn't as compared to wrong?
the correct use should be
In Comparison/contrast with/to
Compared/contrasted with/to

A is out for wrong comarison
D & E dont have verb for the subject CEO
Now between B & C, I didn't spend anytime & selected B, thinking "as Compared to" is wrong.

confused. please help me understand this

Alok

[RonPurewal]

...no, that's not wrong.
there isn't really anything to understand, other than "that's not wrong".

__

remember—

DO NOT question the correct answers!

here's a handy FAQ:

Q: Is the correct answer correct?
A: Yes.

Q: Is the correct answer wrong?
A: No.

Q: I disagree with the correct answer. Who's wrong, me or GMAC?
A: You.

Q: I wrote this other version. Is it better than the correct answer?
A: No.

[yihe_luo]

Hi Ron, I think you skipped my question.

Is B wrong because "a ratio" modifies "the the pay of blue-collar worker"? COMMA+NONE modifier?

[RonPurewal]

^^ no.

choice B is wrong for reasons that have already been discussed. please read through the ENTIRE thread.

thank you.

[yihe_luo]

^^ no.

choice B is wrong for reasons that have already been discussed. please read through the ENTIRE thread.

thank you.

I already did and simply wanted to know if I could attack this question from a different angle.

Thanks Ron. You are amazing.

[RonPurewal]

thank you for the kind words.

no, that's not a valid elimination ("a ratio that ..." can describe as many of the preceding words as necessary for it to make sense).

[SHOUMODIPR218]

Hello Ron...
I went through the entire thread ( a pretty long and helpful one) but I have a query regarding an example you provided on the subject of more vs greater. I am quoting your example below (Page 5)

EXAMPLE 1:
for instance, i have more respect for person X than for person Y is a perfectly good sentence, but my respect for person X is more than my respect for person Y is not idiomatic. (in the latter sentence, you'd have to replace "more" with "greater".)

Lately, I have been following your posts and answers to the ESPECIALLY GMAT PREP questions and compiling the advice provided by you in understanding the intent/context. So here is one of the understanding that you mentioned on MORE vs GREATER.

UNDERSTANDING
if you are dealing with a word that describes some abstract characteristic of something (power, influence, effect, etc.), then you can use “a/an + greater” or "more" (the latter WITHOUT 'a/an').
John's father has had a greater influence on the development of his personality than has his mother. --> correct
The Prime Minister has more power than the King, even though the latter is the country's titular leader. --> correct


Now my question is : In the Example 1 , respect is abstract and so as per the above UNDERSTANDING greater / more can be used interchangeably .
But why does the second part of sentence in EXAMPLE 1(my respect for person X is more than my respect for person Y) is INCORRECT?
what point did you wish to mention?. Unfortunately, I could not understand. Pls can you explain it.
Sorry, if my questions are not specific to the forum question.

Regards
Shoum

[RonPurewal]

the incorrect construction is -- as i wrote there -- not idiomatic.

"not idiomatic" means you just can't put those words with each other that way, because ... you just can't.

in other words, "idiomatic" usage is based purely on convention/tradition, and can't be explained logically.
e.g., "greater than" is right; "greater as" is wrong.
...but, "twice as much than" is wrong, while "twice as much as" is right.
these are just examples of idiomatic usage (or unidiomatic usage, for the wrong ones). they just ... are what they are.

in general, you will not have to MEMORIZE any idiomatic usage for this test. if a problem REQUIRES idiomatic usage, then the idiom(s) will be VERY basic and universally familiar -- like the two idioms mentioned just above ("greater"+"than", "as much"+"as").

if any other idiom issues are inserted into the problems, they will occur in choices that can be resolved by other, more fundamental and/or logical means.

[SHOUMODIPR218]

the incorrect construction is -- as i wrote there -- not idiomatic.

"not idiomatic" means you just can't put those words with each other that way, because ... you just can't.

in other words, "idiomatic" usage is based purely on convention/tradition, and can't be explained logically.
e.g., "greater than" is right; "greater as" is wrong.
...but, "twice as much than" is wrong, while "twice as much as" is right.
these are just examples of idiomatic usage (or unidiomatic usage, for the wrong ones). they just ... are what they are.

in general, you will not have to MEMORIZE any idiomatic usage for this test. if a problem REQUIRES idiomatic usage, then the idiom(s) will be VERY basic and universally familiar -- like the two idioms mentioned just above ("greater"+"than", "as much"+"as").

if any other idiom issues are inserted into the problems, they will occur in choices that can be resolved by other, more fundamental and/or logical means.

Thanks Ron...

[RonPurewal]

you're welcome.