The automobile company announced that the average price

[vik]

The automobile company announced that the average price of next year’s models would decrease four-tenths of one percent, amounting to about $72, as compared with comparably equipped cars and trucks this year.
A. The automobile company announced that the average price of next year’s models would decrease four-tenths of one percent, amounting to about $72, as compared with comparably equipped cars and trucks this year.

B. The automobile company announced that the average price of next year’s cars and trucks would decrease four-tenths of one percent, or about $72, from that of comparably equipped models this year.

C. The automobile company announced that there would be a decrease of four-tenths of one percent in next year’s models price, or about $72, below this year’s comparably equipped cars and trucks.

D. Compared to comparably equipped models this year, the automobile company announced that the average price of next year’s cars and trucks would decrease about $72, less by four-tenths of one percent.

E. Contrasted with comparably equipped cars and trucks of this year, the automobile company announced that the average price of next year’s models would decrease about $72, or four-tenths of one percent.

I have not convinced with OA as B it seems that the average price of next year’s cars and trucks would decrease ... from that of ....... ( it appears semantically shaky or I may be wrong)

A .I presume correct if :- The automobile company announced that the average price of next year’s models would decrease four-tenths of one percent, amounting to about $72, as compared with < subject silent : the average price of> comparably equipped cars and trucks this year
If we read subject as silent that average price is compared and hence compared with

This is GMAT Prep Question

[StaceyKoprince]

When making a comparison, you must compare apples to apples. You can compare the price of next year's vehicles to the price of this year's vehicles, but you cannot compare the price of next year's vehicles to the actual vehicles themselves this year - that doesn't make sense. And that's what the original sentence tries to do.

You can't assume the "silent subject," as you call it, is there. It has to be stated explicitly in order to make a proper comparison.

The "that of" in B refers to the "average price" already mentioned earlier. So, now, we're comparing the average price of next year's cars to the average price of this year's cars - that's a proper, apples-to-apples comparison.

Also, it's okay to say that the price will decrease from the current year's price, because in this case, that's the same thing as saying "as compared with" - the point is that, whatever the price is this year, it's going to go down a certain percentage next year - from this year's price to next year's price.

[pradeepchandy]

I eliminated B because I thought that four-tenths of one percent cannot be equal to 72 dollars

It has to amount to 72 dollar and hence chose A

Obviously my reasoning is wrong

My question
IN option B - what is $ 72 - Is it the average price or is it the decrease in average price? Somehow it appears a little ambiguous

[RonPurewal]

I eliminated B because I thought that four-tenths of one percent cannot be equal to 72 dollars

It has to amount to 72 dollar and hence chose A

Obviously my reasoning is wrong

My question
IN option B - what is $ 72 - Is it the average price or is it the decrease in average price? Somehow it appears a little ambiguous

no ambiguity here -- "four-tenths of one percent" is $72.

this sort of construction -- comma + "or" + noun -- is used when you have two equivalent formulations of something, and you are trying to introduce the fact that they are equivalent.
for instance, let's say that somebody doesn't know what an empanada is. (if that's true, i pity that person, since empanadas are the most delicious things in the world.) then i could write:
empanadas, or baked meat pies wrapped in a flaky pastry crust, are a staple of south american cuisine.

notice that this is not the usual use of "or" to indicate an option between two things; this is a special use of "or" to indicate a definition or equivalence.

[CrackTheGmat]

In the first choice,the phrase "amounting to", does it make sense with four-tenths of one percent? Isn't amounting to mean totaling upto? As we say, it amounts to 50$.
Thus, in the given context, four-tenths does not total upto 72$, rather it is equal to it.

In C and D, the vehicles are being referred to as models in the first clause. Only in the later clause are they referred as cars and trucks. Ideally, the reference should be present in the first structure itself. Can we use such a logic to remove the choices? I agree that C and D have other problem areas as well (below and less).
TIA.

[RonPurewal]

In the first choice,the phrase "amounting to", does it make sense with four-tenths of one percent? Isn't amounting to mean totaling upto? As we say, it amounts to 50$.
Thus, in the given context, four-tenths does not total upto 72$, rather it is equal to it.

i don't think that is a problem.

however, there is a BIG problem with "amounting to $72": it is written in such a way as to imply that the cars/trucks actually cost $72!
remember that COMMA + -ING, when placed after a clause, should apply to the subject and action of that clause. so, when we see the following:
... the average price of next year’s models would decrease ..., amounting to about $72...
this means that the average price of next year’s models would actually become $72 after the decrease! clearly, that is ridiculous, so you have another reason to eliminate (a).

In C and D, the vehicles are being referred to as models in the first clause. Only in the later clause are they referred as cars and trucks. Ideally, the reference should be present in the first structure itself. Can we use such a logic to remove the choices? I agree that C and D have other problem areas as well (below and less).

this reasoning seems somewhat legitimate -- it is, indeed, awkward for "cars and trucks" to follow "models".

the presence of "the automobile company" does make it fairly clear what models means, but your reasoning here is still valid.

TIA.

does this mean "thanks in advance"?

[swara_ms]

Hi,

idioms-in-comparison-to-vs-in-comparison-with-t4290.html

I found this. In the question under discussion if we could make comparison b/w Like items (price), to show the difference in price, can we use compared with price in X, the price in Y was high.

Any pointers appreciated.

TIA,
MS

[RonPurewal]

Hi,

idioms-in-comparison-to-vs-in-comparison-with-t4290.html

I found this. In the question under discussion if we could make comparison b/w Like items (price), to show the difference in price, can we use compared with price in X, the price in Y was high.

Any pointers appreciated.

TIA,
MS

i went ahead and deleted that thread, since it contained incorrect information.
there is no material difference between "compare to" and "compare with"; their usages are identical.
that was a really, really, really old thread (the last post was almost 5 years old), dating from before we knew that was misinformation.

[zhongshanlh]

what about the option C?
i would like to know the what is wrong with it.
especially, i want to know something about the construction:

<, below this year's comparably equipped
cars and trucks.>

what does this construction modify??
please clarify me and thanks in advance.

[tim]

i'd say it modifies "decrease", which doesn't make sense. this is why C is wrong..

[shankar245]

When making a comparison, you must compare apples to apples. You can compare the price of next year's vehicles to the price of this year's vehicles, but you cannot compare the price of next year's vehicles to the actual vehicles themselves this year - that doesn't make sense. And that's what the original sentence tries to do.

You can't assume the "silent subject," as you call it, is there. It has to be stated explicitly in order to make a proper comparison.

The "that of" in B refers to the "average price" already mentioned earlier. So, now, we're comparing the average price of next year's cars to the average price of this year's cars - that's a proper, apples-to-apples comparison.

Also, it's okay to say that the price will decrease from the current year's price, because in this case, that's the same thing as saying "as compared with" - the point is that, whatever the price is this year, it's going to go down a certain percentage next year - from this year's price to next year's price.

Hello Stacey/ Ron,
The sentences ( From one of the earlier posts).All are correct.
Ron earns more than Bush.
Ron earns more than Bush does.
Ron earns more than does Bush.

Wont the same set of rules apply here?
i.e.
The automobile company announced that the average price
of next year’s models would decrease four-tenths of one percent, amounting to about $72, as compared with comparably equipped cars and trucks this year.

Why cant the average price be compare to the average price of cars and trucks, although it is not explicitly mentioned?( As in the case of Bush vs Ron)

Please help.

[vivs.gupta]

When making a comparison, you must compare apples to apples. You can compare the price of next year's vehicles to the price of this year's vehicles, but you cannot compare the price of next year's vehicles to the actual vehicles themselves this year - that doesn't make sense. And that's what the original sentence tries to do.

You can't assume the "silent subject," as you call it, is there. It has to be stated explicitly in order to make a proper comparison.

The "that of" in B refers to the "average price" already mentioned earlier. So, now, we're comparing the average price of next year's cars to the average price of this year's cars - that's a proper, apples-to-apples comparison.

Also, it's okay to say that the price will decrease from the current year's price, because in this case, that's the same thing as saying "as compared with" - the point is that, whatever the price is this year, it's going to go down a certain percentage next year - from this year's price to next year's price.

Hello Stacey/ Ron,
The sentences ( From one of the earlier posts).All are correct.
Ron earns more than Bush.
Ron earns more than Bush does.
Ron earns more than does Bush.

Wont the same set of rules apply here?
i.e.
The automobile company announced that the average price
of next year’s models would decrease four-tenths of one percent, amounting to about $72, as compared with comparably equipped cars and trucks this year.

Why cant the average price be compare to the average price of cars and trucks, although it is not explicitly mentioned?( As in the case of Bush vs Ron)

Please help.

i don't think we can remove prices...we atleast need the preposition 'of'..i think the following sentence is correct..

prices of this year's cars are lower than of last year's cars.....

[RonPurewal]

Why cant the average price be compare to the average price of cars and trucks, although it is not explicitly mentioned?( As in the case of Bush vs Ron)

so yeah, i don't know where this whole idea of "comparing things that aren't actually there" comes from, but it's not a real thing. the principal things that are actually being compared must BE THERE.

let's take a look at the examples you gave:

Ron earns more than Bush.

this sentence compares "ron" and "bush", both of which are explicitly in the sentence.

Ron earns more than Bush does.

this sentence compares "ron earns" and "bush does", both of which are explicitly in the sentence.

Ron earns more than does Bush.

this sentence compares "ron earns" and "does bush", both of which are explicitly in the sentence.

Wont the same set of rules apply here?
i.e.
The automobile company announced that the average price
of next year’s models would decrease four-tenths of one percent, amounting to about $72, as compared with comparably equipped cars and trucks this year.

so, as you may have surmised by now, the answer is no. if the first part of the comparison is "the average price of x", that should be compared with another price, not with something comparable to x itself.

[shankar245]

Thank you Ron.!

Comparisons clear now! :)

[tim]

:)