Thirteen states from all regions of the country

[RonPurewal]

sorry, but we had to delete that post; you posted a completely different problem.

per forum rules, each discussion thread should focus on exactly one problem. (if we allow the threads to digress into different problems, they will be of little use to users searching the forum in the future.)

if you wish to post questions about a different problem, please do the following:
* first, search the forum, to see whether you can find an already existing thread about that problem
* if you can find such a thread, read it; if you still have questions after reading it, post them
* if you find no such thread, go ahead and start one (but please be sure to do a thorough search first)

thanks.

[dheeraj787]

Hi Ron,
Can we also say that option A is incorrect because of the use of "will" .. (..in that they will...) as the sentence is in past tense ?
Please explain. Thanks

[RonPurewal]

Hi Ron,
Can we also say that option A is incorrect because of the use of "will" .. (..in that they will...) as the sentence is in past tense ?
Please explain. Thanks

No. If the emissions standards haven't been adopted yet, it's perfectly logical to speak of their adoption in the future tense.

For instance, Yesterday, Don and Tammy announced that they will be getting married.
--> Unless the wedding took place between yesterday and today, this is the correct way to write the sentence.

[puntkub]

Hi Ron,
Can we also say that option A is incorrect because of the use of "will" .. (..in that they will...) as the sentence is in past tense ?
Please explain. Thanks

No. If the emissions standards haven't been adopted yet, it's perfectly logical to speak of their adoption in the future tense.

For instance, Yesterday, Don and Tammy announced that they will be getting married.
--> Unless the wedding took place between yesterday and today, this is the correct way to write the sentence.

Hi Instructors,


If the emission standards already adopted, what should we use? can we use would (V2 of will)?
FIrst i deduct this choice (a) because this choice use will instead of would.


Thank You!!

[RonPurewal]

in this sentence, the standards have not yet been adopted. that's the intended meaning.

there's little point in trying to construct "alternate" versions with the WRONG meaning!

[RonPurewal]

also, don't forget—

DO NOT 'make your own versions' of GMAC's sentences.
really.
don't do it.

the GMAT only tests 1-2% of the things that can actually go wrong with english sentences (and even that may be an overestimate).
when random users try to 'edit' these sentences, the result is almost always inferior or incorrect—for reasons that the GMAT doesn't test.

making your own examples is good, but they should be...
...1/ your own examples,
...2/ SIMPLE examples, each illustrating only ONE concept (that is actually tested on this exam).

as far as the official problems are concerned, the given answer choices should be challenging enough already.
(:

[aflaamM589]

Hello Ron,
Isn't in that in A seems to modify announced?
I am under the impression that in that limits announced here.

Thirteen states from all regions of the country announced a plan to impose new controls on pollution from truck and bus engines in that they will jointly adopt emission limits that would be far stricter than the federal rules.

my brother and i are similar in that we both like to read.
How we are similar?
--> in that we both like to read

How the states announced?
-->in that they will jointly adopt emission limits

Choice A clearly does not work that way.

Can you comment on that.

Moreover, in choice B, the wording truck and bus engines' pollution clearly seems inferior to the wording in A and C pollution from truck and bus engines. So speaking relatively B is inferior compared to A and C.
i would like to know your take on it.
Best

[RonPurewal]

correct about choice A. "in that" creates a nonsense sentence.

Moreover, in choice B, the wording truck and bus engines' pollution clearly seems inferior to the wording in A and C pollution from truck and bus engines. So speaking relatively B is inferior compared to A and C.

if you see differences like these, with no clear difference in efficiency/wordiness, then they are just there to distract you from more straightforward and more fundamental errors.

[aflaamM589]

Thanks Ron.

[RonPurewal]

you're welcome.

[NhiT708]

Thirteen states from all regions of the country announced a plan to impose new controls on pollution from truck and bus engines by jointly adopting emission limits that would be far stricter than the federal rules.

Dear instructors,

I made a mistake when solving this problem. I stripped the sentence to its core and was left with Thirteen states announced a plan by adopting something. I thought B was wrong because the states didn't announce their plan by adopting limits. (It didn't make sense to me.) I thought the prepositional phrase starting with "by jointly" modifies the main verb "announced". I was wrong.


I want to confirm that this time I understand the sentence correctly. My questions:

1/ The phrase "by jointly..." modifies the infinitive "to impose...", right?

2/ In general, a prepositional phrase (in this case "by jointly adopting...") can modify a big adjective ("to impose..."), right? (I think the phrase "to impose..." is an adjective modifying "a plan". I hope it is correct). If it is right, the prepositional phrase plays the role of an adverb (since it modifies an adjective) in this sentence. Correct?

Thank you very much!

[ZoeZ42]

dear instructors,
is "truck and bus engines" correct?
should i say "truck engines and bus engines" or "trucks' and buses' engines" or "truck's and bus's engines" or others?


thanks a lot

have a nice day

>_~

[RonPurewal]

"is the correct answer correct?"

yes, the correct answer is correct.

__

"do i need to write something other than what's in the correct answer?"

no.

[SAHILS228]

I have one problem regarding option A.
A says that "to impose new controls on pollution from truck and bus engines in that they "
Isn't the use of 'in that' wrong because 'in that' means "because of" (As mentioned on OG) and the sentence does not provide a causal meaning!
Is my reasoning correct?

Thanks in Advance

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

Where does it say that about 'in that' in the OG? I'd be interested to know. On my reading 'in that' is for an explanation or expansion of a point (see the examples above).