Soaring television costs accounted for more

[vaibhav]

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.

A. a greater proportion than it was
B. a greater proportion than
C. a greater proportion than they have been
D. which is greater than was so
E. which is greater than it has been

Ans:B

I chose answer C.
please explain why it is not necessary to use 'they have'. Also, please tell how to distinguish in such situations whether to use 'they have' or not. how without 'they have' it is referring to spending which we are trying to compare.

Thank you.

[RonPurewal]

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.

A. a greater proportion than it was
B. a greater proportion than
C. a greater proportion than they have been
D. which is greater than was so
E. which is greater than it has been

Ans:B

I chose answer C.
please explain why it is not necessary to use 'they have'. Also, please tell how to distinguish in such situations whether to use 'they have' or not. how without 'they have' it is referring to spending which we are trying to compare.

Thank you.

"they have" isn't just unnecessary. it's actually incorrect.
whenever you use a parallel structure with omitted/elided words, the EXACT omitted word(s) MUST be present, IN PARALLEL STRUCTURE, elsewhere in the sentence. this means in exactly the same form - no alterations, no tense changes, no nothing.

this kills choice (c). that choice contains "...than they have been...", which omits a participle: in other words, it's actually "...than they have been ______", where the ______ is clearly seen to be accounting (for).
since the EXACT WORD accounting doesn't appear anywhere else in this sentence, the sentence is incorrect.

not only that, but the verb tense doesn't make sense here, either. since the previous elections aren't happening anymore, the present perfect is inappropriate.

this problem bears a remarkable similarity to the problem at http://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/des ... t5893.html.

[hberens18]

Can someone explain why A is incorrect?
'a greater proportion than it was'

If you exclude 'it' don't you have a faulty comparison of [a greater proportion] than [in any previous election]?

[RonPurewal]

Can someone explain why A is incorrect?
'a greater proportion than it was'

If you exclude 'it' don't you have a faulty comparison of [a greater proportion] than [in any previous election]?

redirect to this thread, which deals with the same question:
gmat-questions-soaring-television-costs-accounted-for-more-t7187.html
answer choice (a) is already treated on that thread.

if you have further questions, post them on that thread (not here).
thanks.

[aps_asks]

Hi Instructors ,

If i just change the sentence structure , then i think choice c) will be correct.

Soaring television costs have been accounting for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992 , a greater proportion than they have been in any previous election.

Comments please.

[tim]

i would caution you against ever asking "what if" questions about changing parts of verbal questions, because there are often several interconnected parts that cannot be fully accounted for by a single change. just focus on why the right answer is right and why all the wrong answers are wrong..