old Gmat prep Question -

[sudaif]

I picked D. The OA is B. I've attempted to explain what's wrong with all the choices except D. Please explain why OA is B.

Unlike the low status accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, Native American women of the Plains tribes often received public recognition, wealth, and prestige for their craftwork.

(A) Unlike the low status accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, Native American women of the Plains tribes
(B) Unlike many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, whose craftwork was accorded low status, Native American women of the Plains tribes
(C) Native American women of the Plains tribes, unlike the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West,
(D) The craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West was accorded low status, while that of the Native American women of the Plains tribes
(E) While low status was accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, that of Native American women of the Plains tribes

My take:
a) incorrect comparison. the word "unlike" signals comparison. in this sentence, they are comparing the low status accorded to women from America West to Native American women
b) The placement of the noun modifier "whose" is incorrect - seems to be modifying America West - when it should be modifying the women settlers
c) Incorrect comparison
d) correct comparison -- craftwork of women from America West is compared to "that of" north american women
e) incorrect comparison -- indicated by "while"

Thanks in adv.

[dinesh19aug]

I picked D. The OA is B. I've attempted to explain what's wrong with all the choices except D. Please explain why OA is B.

Unlike the low status accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, Native American women of the Plains tribes often received public recognition, wealth, and prestige for their craftwork.

(A) Unlike the low status accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, Native American women of the Plains tribes
(B) Unlike many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, whose craftwork was accorded low status, Native American women of the Plains tribes
(C) Native American women of the Plains tribes, unlike the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West,
(D) The craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West was accorded low status, while that of the Native American women of the Plains tribes
(E) While low status was accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, that of Native American women of the Plains tribes

My take:
a) incorrect comparison. the word "unlike" signals comparison. in this sentence, they are comparing the low status accorded to women from America West to Native American women
b) The placement of the noun modifier "whose" is incorrect - seems to be modifying America West - when it should be modifying the women settlers
c) Incorrect comparison
d) correct comparison -- craftwork of women from America West is compared to "that of" north american women
e) incorrect comparison -- indicated by "while"

Thanks in adv.

Sudaif,
This is a good question. I was swinging between B and D and chose B. I was not sure how comparisons go with the word "while". I do use sentence as mentioned in D and don't see anything wrong with sentence D.

Then I see your reasoning for canceling out B and I see that you too seem to be correct :-(.

Stacey/Tim can some one please resolve this confusion.

[debmalya.dutta]

I picked D. The OA is B. I've attempted to explain what's wrong with all the choices except D. Please explain why OA is B.

Unlike the low status accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, Native American women of the Plains tribes often received public recognition, wealth, and prestige for their craftwork.

(A) Unlike the low status accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, Native American women of the Plains tribes
(B) Unlike many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, whose craftwork was accorded low status, Native American women of the Plains tribes
(C) Native American women of the Plains tribes, unlike the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West,
(D) The craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West was accorded low status, while that of the Native American women of the Plains tribes
(E) While low status was accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, that of Native American women of the Plains tribes

My take:
a) incorrect comparison. the word "unlike" signals comparison. in this sentence, they are comparing the low status accorded to women from America West to Native American women
b) The placement of the noun modifier "whose" is incorrect - seems to be modifying America West - when it should be modifying the women settlers
c) Incorrect comparison
d) correct comparison -- craftwork of women from America West is compared to "that of" north american women
e) incorrect comparison -- indicated by "while"

Thanks in adv.

Firstly , I think "whose" cannot point to America west because America West is part of the prepositional phrase and the subject cannot be in the prepositional phrase if I am right
Unlike many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, whose craftwork was accorded low status, Native American women of the Plains tribes


But then why is D incorrect
(D) The craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West was accorded low status, while that of the Native American women of the Plains tribes

Look at the remainder of the sentence which is not underlined
"often received public recognition, wealth, and prestige for their craftwork. ". Now re-read the complete sentence. how can craftwork receive prestige for their craftwork ..This is not correct

But I may be totally wrong in my reasoning
[editor: nope, not wrong.
this is a perfect explanation. nicely done.]

[sudaif]

I picked D. The OA is B. I've attempted to explain what's wrong with all the choices except D. Please explain why OA is B.

Unlike the low status accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, Native American women of the Plains tribes often received public recognition, wealth, and prestige for their craftwork.

(A) Unlike the low status accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, Native American women of the Plains tribes
(B) Unlike many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, whose craftwork was accorded low status, Native American women of the Plains tribes
(C) Native American women of the Plains tribes, unlike the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West,
(D) The craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West was accorded low status, while that of the Native American women of the Plains tribes
(E) While low status was accorded the craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, that of Native American women of the Plains tribes

My take:
a) incorrect comparison. the word "unlike" signals comparison. in this sentence, they are comparing the low status accorded to women from America West to Native American women
b) The placement of the noun modifier "whose" is incorrect - seems to be modifying America West - when it should be modifying the women settlers
c) Incorrect comparison
d) correct comparison -- craftwork of women from America West is compared to "that of" north american women
e) incorrect comparison -- indicated by "while"

Thanks in adv.

Firstly , I think "whose" cannot point to America west because America West is part of the prepositional phrase and the subject cannot be in the prepositional phrase if I am right
Unlike many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West, whose craftwork was accorded low status, Native American women of the Plains tribes


But then why is D incorrect
(D) The craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West was accorded low status, while that of the Native American women of the Plains tribes

Look at the remainder of the sentence which is not underlined
"often received public recognition, wealth, and prestige for their craftwork. ". Now re-read the complete sentence. how can craftwork receive prestige for their craftwork ..This is not correct

But I may be totally wrong in my reasoning

you're spot on! nicely done.

[dinesh19aug]

Thanks for the explanation Aditya. It makes sense now. However if that error was not their then a comparison with "WHILE" vs "UNLIKE".... which one of the two is preferred?? (Assuming that comparison with while is valid)..

[mschwrtz]

Either "unlike" or "while" can express a contrast, and neither is reliably better than the other. They do require very different sentences though. "Unlike" draws a contrast between two nouns. "While" usually subordinates one clause to another.

[sudaif]

hey Mark-

A couple of questions I had regarding this SC Q.

1) how do i know when the use of a noun modifier with a comma is referring back to the subject of the prepositional phrase and not to the immediately preceding word?

2) is it common for GMAT to add on a duplicate word/noun as they did in choice D?

[RonPurewal]

But then why is D incorrect
(D) The craftwork of many women settlers in the nineteenth-century American West was accorded low status, while that of the Native American women of the Plains tribes

Look at the remainder of the sentence which is not underlined
"often received public recognition, wealth, and prestige for their craftwork. ". Now re-read the complete sentence. how can craftwork receive prestige for their craftwork ..This is not correct

But I may be totally wrong in my reasoning

this is a perfect explanation of why (d) is wrong -- it's a meaning issue, not a grammar issue.

[RonPurewal]

hey Mark-

A couple of questions I had regarding this SC Q.

1) how do i know when the use of a noun modifier with a comma is referring back to the subject of the prepositional phrase and not to the immediately preceding word?

2) is it common for GMAT to add on a duplicate word/noun as they did in choice D?

i'm not clear on what you're asking in either of these questions.

for #1, please give an example -- i'm not sure exactly what type of modifier you're referring to, or in exactly what type of situation.

for #2, what "duplicate noun" are you talking about?

thanks.