repet of info already given in passage in not a good idea to evaluate strengthen

...but relating to the keywords is actually a very good idea

check the leap from premise to concluiion ...u will get the the key idea that need to be talked

always indentify the conclusion first ...and the the jumpp in keyword from premise
to consluion or basically get the assumtion ...now start the work
intermediate consluion always has an premise to support ...a direct statement or belief is a "a
conclusion"

ALWAYS WRITE EXC AND THEN KEYWORS LIKE A S W ...ECT ...FOR EXCEPT QUESTION ...THIS WAS A
BLUNDER

Question 10 of 41

ALWAYS UNDERTSAND THE CONCLUSION PROPERLY ...AND THEN CHECK THE KEYWORD IN OPTIONS
THAT DIFFERENTIATE THE IDEA ..N U WILL GET IT

if it says weaken conclusion ......or strenghthen conclusions then......then concentrate on every small word of conlusion and answer lies there

ALWAYS REMEMBER IN A INFERENCE QUESTION ...IT IS MUST BE TRU...AND A

NEGATIVE ANSWERS ...SAYING THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE ...ETC FORMS AN
EXCELLENT INFERENCE ALWAYS ...SO LOOK OUT OFR THE NEGATIVE ANSWERS IN
INFERENCE ....MOREOVER ALWAYS THINK OF A ...A SENARIO THAT CAN ELIMINATE A
INFERENCE ....
BUT DO NOT GO FOR A ABSOLUTE NEGATIVE WHICH NARROWS DOWN THE CHOICE..........

A PREFEREED NEGATIVE IS ONE ELIMIINATING A OPTIONS ...OR THAT IS OPEN TO

OTHER OPTIONS SO IT IS A BROAD NEGATIVE ....A VERY GOOD PREFERENEC
.................... even important in inference questions is thE wording ....it should be as mild as possible and
ENCOMPASSES HUGE SCOPE FOR ERROR

WHILE DRWAING THE INFERENCE ALWAYS TRY TO COUNTER THE OPTION AND SEE IF IT NECESSARILY
MEANS THAT

GIVING AN ALTERNATE REASON IS A GOOD WAY OF WEKAENING A QUESTION

....THIS BASICALLY A SUB CLASS OF NEGATION...EITHER U SAY OPPOSITE IS TRUE
OR SOME OTHER REASON IS MAKING IT HAPPEN...AND AS PER GMAT PILL THIS
THING IS COMMON IN ACTION >>>> RESULT TYPE ...CONCLUSION ...

IN STRENTHEN/ASSUMPTION QUESTION ...MANY TIME THE EVIDENCE IS NOT

VERY STRONG .....MAY BE A SINGLE ISLOATED CASE OR MAY BE A
OBSERVATION OF ONE PARTUCLAR GROUP AND THE CONCLUSION IS BROAD
OR VERY STRONG IN TERMS OF WORDINGS ...ABSOLUTE WORDING ....U NEED
 TO STRECH THE EVIDENCE AND MAKE IT LOOK GOOD ...SO ADD SOME INFOR
TO IT TO MAKE IT STRONG ....THIS GOES FOR ASSUMPTIONS QUESTIONS ALSO

BEWARE OF ABSOLUTE WORDING ESPEACILLAIY IN INFERENCE AND

ASSUMPTION QUESTION WHICH ASK FOR .....MUST BE TRUE ANSWERS

Consider the flaw in the given argument: the conclusion is broad, that the city has a substantial problem with its
overall budgeting process, but the major premise is quite limited. You only know about one project that went
above budget. This is a generalization issue: one over-budget project does not allow you to conclude that it's a
systemic issue. But then take choice a into consideration: if A is true, and that one over-budget project is actually
the city's best job of budgeting, then clearly there is a major problem. Choice A shows that the single data point
is part of a larger problem and not just an outlier, so choice A is correct...ALWAYS ASK SO WHAT ...AND TRY TO
ELIMINATE strengthener

In Acadia National Park, there is a large network of gravel carriage roads that are closed to vehicular traffic but open to a variety of other uses. In an
attempt to substantially limit the damage that occurs to the carriage roads from overuse during the course of a year, park officials are imposing strict
rules during the spring season. From March 15th to May 1st, when the roads are especially soft and more easily damaged, horses and bikes will be
prohibited from all carriage roads, and walkers and runners will only be allowed on certain sections.

In assessing whether the park officials' plan to limit the damage to the carriage roads will be successful, it would be most useful to know which of the
following?

A. Whether bikes and horses cause more damage to the carriage roads than walkers and runners do.
B. Whether snowmobilers are allowed to use the carriage roads during the winter months.
C. Whether a considerable percentage of carriage road usage occurs from March 15th to May 1st.
D. Whether some sections of the carriage roads are more susceptible to damage from overuse than others.
E. Whether a substantial percentage of visitors to the park ride their bikes on the carriage roads during their visit.

I agree with the OA. However, I don't understand why A is not correct. If we do the variance test in A, and we confirm that bikes and horses cause
more damage than walkers and runners, we can conclude that the plan makes sense.

Also, why not E?

OA is ___C__.

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tarunjohriRising GMAT Star

Quote
[quote="metallicafan"]In Acadia National Park, there is a large network of gravel carriage roads that are closed to vehicular traffic but open to a
variety of other uses. In an attempt to substantially limit the damage that occurs to the carriage roads from overuse during the course of a year, park
officials are imposing strict rules during the spring season. From March 15th to May 1st, when the roads are especially soft and more easily damaged,
horses and bikes will be prohibited from all carriage roads, and walkers and runners will only be allowed on certain sections.

In assessing whether the park officials' plan to limit the damage to the carriage roads will be successful, it would be most useful to know which of the
following?

The question is asking you what additional information would be really helpful in evaluating if the plan to block roads is worthwhile or going to be
successful.

A. Whether bikes and horses cause more damage to the carriage roads than walkers and runners do.
 This information is already given in the passage where in the officials feel that the bikes and horses cause more damage. So
repeating this would not give us any new information because we already know the answer to this question.

B. Whether snowmobilers are allowed to use the carriage roads during the winter months.

Out of Scope

C. Whether a considerable percentage of carriage road usage occurs from March 15th to May 1st.

This is important because if there is zero usage then there is no need for such a plan at all.

D. Whether some sections of the carriage roads are more susceptible to damage from overuse than others.

Already mentioned in the passage and hence some roads are blocked for all while some are open for runners.

E. Whether a substantial percentage of visitors to the park ride their bikes on the carriage roads during their visit.

Substantial is subjective and hence leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Hence this information would not be helpful in itself. It would need to be
validated by information on the condition and durability of the roads. Hence immediately, this information would be useless.

Hence Ans is C.[/i]

binitReally wants to Beat The GMAT!

Follow user
Hi all,

This is an old post, but I thought my input might help somebody. Here's my approach: (Bold parts sh be stressed)

Q Stem: In assessing whether the park officials' plan to limit the damage to the carriage roads will be successful, it would be most useful to
know which of the following?

What is the park officials' plan?

Pls re-read the part of the passage and find the exact line: to substantially limit the damage that occurs to the carriage roads from overuse
during the course of a year, park officials are imposing strict rules during the spring season. You got anything fishy?? If no, pls read the
line again.

To protect damage occurring whole year they basically limit the usage during spring - this plan clearly assumes that most of the damage has to
occur during the spring season. That's what C checks.
A and E may also be valid checks, but not as important as C.

~Binit.

Quote

It is generally believed that an Indian tribe known as The Red Paint People first occupied the coast of Maine in approximately
3000 B.C. This name was given to the Indians because their graves contained quantities of a red pigment (iron ochre) that they
presumably used to decorate their faces and bodies. However, recently discovered Indian grave sites on the coast of Maine that contain
these same red pigments have been conclusively dated to 4000 B.C. Therefore, the Red Paint People must have occupied the coast
of Maine much earlier than archaeologists previously believed.

In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

The first is a commonly held belief that the argument seeks to refute; the second is evidence used in that refutation.

The first is a generalization that the argument accepts as true; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.

The first is evidence used to support a conclusion that the argument opposes; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.

The first is a conclusion that is generally accepted as true; the second is a conclusion that refutes it.

The first is an intermediate conclusion that is generally accepted as true; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.

OA after some good discussion

[Reveal] Spoiler: OA
In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

The first is a commonly held belief that the argument seeks to refute; the second is evidence used in that refutation.
The second is not evidence: it's a conclusion: "therefore ...."

The first is a generalization that the argument accepts as true; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
The first is not accepted by the argument, it refuses it.

The first is evidence used to support a conclusion that the argument opposes; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
The first is simply not evidence.

The first is a conclusion that is generally accepted as true; the second is a conclusion that refutes it.
IMO CORRECT

The first is an intermediate conclusion that is generally accepted as true; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
The first is not "an intermediate conclusion", it' s a conclusion period. E says that there are two conclusions of the argument, but this is not true as
the argument has only one conclusion, so the is no such thing as an intermediate and main conclusion.
_________________

It is beyond a doubt that all our knowledge that begins with experience.

Kant , Critique of Pure Reason

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Re: It is generally believed that an Indian tribe known as The [#permalink] 02 Jul 2013, 23:05

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It is generally believed that an Indian tribe known as The Red Paint People first occupied the coast of Maine in approximately 3000 B.C. This name
was given to the Indians because their graves contained quantities of a red pigment (iron ochre) that they presumably used to decorate their faces and bodies.
However, recently discovered Indian grave sites on the coast of Maine that contain these same red pigments have been conclusively dated to 4000 B.C. Therefore,
the Red Paint People must have occupied the coast of Maine much earlier than archaeologists previously believed.

In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
The first is a commonly held belief that the argument seeks to refute; the second is evidence used in that refutation.
First part is correct but the 2nd bold is not an evidence but the conclusion. Incorrect

The first is a generalization that the argument accepts as true; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
First part is a belief and it does not generalizes any thing. 2nd part is correct. Incorrect

The first is evidence used to support a conclusion that the argument opposes; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
1st BF is not a evidence, its just a statement or common belief. Incorrect

The first is a conclusion that is generally accepted as true; the second is a conclusion that refutes it.
Not absolutely correct but the best among the rest. CORRECT

The first is an intermediate conclusion that is generally accepted as true; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
First bold face is not an intermediate conclusion. 2nd BF is correct
_________________

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If you have any question regarding my post, kindly pm me or else I won't be able to reply
ALWAYS WRITE EXC AND THEN KEYWORS LIKE A S W ...ECT ...FOR EXCEPT QUESTION ...THIS WAS A
BLUNDER

With problems in the mortgage industry and a declining economy, overall housing sales are down by more than
40% percent. Online real estate broker sites, however, have seen increased traffic and revenues are up by more
than 10 percent in the slumping real estate market.

Each of the following, if true, helps to explain the improved performance of online real estate brokers during the
housing slump EXCEPT:

During a slump in the housing market, buyers are more likely to shop online broker sites in search of the best
possible price.

When the housing market is strong, both buyers and sellers rely on traditional real estate brokers in an order to
buy or sell property more quickly.

The cost of selling a property with an online broker is a fraction of the cost of using a traditional real estate
broker.

Online brokers devote more advertising resources to attracting customers during a downturn in the real estate
market than do traditional retailers.

Customers of online brokers, but not customers of traditional brokers, can control the cost of listing and selling
their house by choosing from a number of available packages and options.

Solution
Correct answer B.

This is an exception question. It asks you to identify the answer that does not resolve the paradox. The paradox is
that while the overall real estate market is down 40%, online real estate brokers are up by more than 10%. In
other words, why are the online brokers doing so well in a declining market? Any answer that resolves the
paradox can be eliminated. Choice A resolves the paradox by giving a specific characteristic of online brokers
that does well in a slumping market. Choice C gives you another advantage of online brokers, cost savings can be
important in a tough economy. Choice D gives some powerful advantages that online brokers have in a difficult
real estate market. Choice E also gives an advantage of online brokers as customers can control the costs of the
service. Choice B does not resolve the paradox for two reasons: first it is talking about a strong housing market,
which this is not and second, it explains why traditional brokers are sometimes more popular when we want to
explain the success of online brokers.

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In an effort to reduce expenses, a law firm plans to lay off 40% of its attorneys and hire paralegal contractors as needed to replace them. In this
way, the firm believes, it can avoid paying attorneys during slower periods and simply ramp up with contractors when the workload requires it.

Which of the following, if true, would most increase the plans likelihood of achieving its objective?

A. None of the firms existing clients would leave the firm to work with a laid-off attorney.

B. Most of the attorneys to be laid off are among the lowest-performing attorneys on the firms roster.

C. Paralegals can perform most of the functions of the attorneys that will be laid off.
D. For any given amount of legal work, the cost of paralegal contractors does not exceed that of full-time attorneys.

E. The firms outlook for the next few years suggests that demand for legal services will remain consistently lower than it has for the previous five
years.

oe to follow
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

Objective: reduce expenses,

Fact: lay off 40% of its attorneys and hire paralegal contractors as needed to replace them.
Fact: In this way, the firm believes, it can avoid paying attorneys during slower periods and simply ramp up with contractors when the workload
requires it.

Which of the following, if true, would most increase the plans likelihood of achieving its objective?

A. None of the firms existing clients would leave the firm to work with a laid-off attorney.
Wrong. A only affect the firm's REVENUE, not expense. Hence, A is wrong.

B. Most of the attorneys to be laid off are among the lowest-performing attorneys on the firms roster.
Wrong. Out of scope. Nothing about attorneys' performance.

C. Paralegals can perform most of the functions of the attorneys that will be laid off.
Wrong. TEMPTING but wrong. Does NOT affect objective - reduce expenses - directly. For example, if paralegals can do most of function but charge
higher rates --> The objective fails.

D. For any given amount of legal work, the cost of paralegal contractors does not exceed that of full-time attorneys.
Correct. D confirms that the plan will reduce expenses. Hence, D is correct.

E. The firms outlook for the next few years suggests that demand for legal services will remain consistently lower than it has for the previous five
years.
Wrong. E does not compare the cost of hiring paralegal with that of hiring full-time attorney. E does not help anything and is wrong.

Further explanation for E.

Even when we know the demand will decrease, we still do not have enough information to conclude that the lay-off would be beneficial. Why?
Because we don't know the saving from laying off 40% attorney is LARGER / SMALLER than the income loss from lower demand.

Let see an example:

Before: Demand = 100 cases, the number of attorney = 20 ==> 5 cases per attorney.
After: Demand = 90 cases (fewer than 100), the number of attorney = 12 (lay off 40% x 20 = 8 attorney) ==> 7.5 cases/attorney
Clearly, the firm HAS TO hire more paralegals ==> The costs of hiring paralegals occur ==> The firm CAN'T achieve its goal if the rate/hour of
paralegal is greater than that of full time attorney.

Hope it helps.
_________________

Critical ReasoningQuestion 10 of 41
Consumer advocate: According to Toikos director of operations, if she is made aware that even one of the
companys toys, used properly, has caused an injury, she temporarily stops production until the problem is fixed
or permanently stops production of that toy. If that is true, then I assume that the reason Toiko has announced
that it will stop production of its line of wooden puzzles for two months is that at least one individual using one of
these puzzles properly has sustained an injury.

The flawed reasoning in the consumer advocates argument is most similar to the reasoning in which of the
following choices?

Since the law states that every sales contract in this state must include a provision allowing purchasers 3 days in
which to cancel a sale or renegotiate the terms of the contract, we can assume that local car dealers such as
Auto Rex that do not include this provision in their contracts are not aware of this law.
Based on the guarantee that Hi-tone Books includes with all of its publications, if any of the books that the
publishing company ships to customers is in any way damaged, Hi-Tone will either replace the book at no cost or,
if the customer wishes, give a full refund. If so, then I assume I can be fully refunded for the cost of this Hi-Tone
book, which arrived with a torn cover.

Frank, who was recently fired, must have made an offer to a client without first discussing this offer with one of
his supervisors, since the company handbook clearly states that doing so is a justifiable reason for either
suspension or termination of employment.

A nationwide plumbing company, Plumb Job, states on its website that if one of its parts either malfunctions or
breaks completely within two years of installation, the company will repair the problem at no extra cost. Since
Plumb Job recently installed new water heaters for a school at no cost, the company must have done work for the
school in the past.

According to the rules of a card game, any player with a black card has the option of trading this card for a
different card or returning the card to the deck. Since Allyson has a black card, she cannot choose to keep this
card.

Solution
Answer: C

Explanation: The conclusion is that since Toiko stopped production of wooden puzzles for two months, someone
got hurt using the puzzles properly. The evidence is that Toiko has a policy of stopping production of a toy either
temporarily or permanently if someone was injured using the toy properly. However, it is possible that Toiko
stopped puzzle production temporarily for a reason other than someone being injured. (Perhaps they wanted to
improve the product, or use cheaper materials. . . ). In other words just because A causes B (or C), doesnt mean
that B was caused by A. This is the difference between a necessary condition and a sufficient condition. The
injury is sufficient: it will definitely stop puzzle production; however, the injury is not necessary to stop
production other things can stop production. We can say that a stop in production is necessary: if there is an
injury, then production stops. Be careful not to confuse necessity and sufficiency. The statement If A then B
means that A is sufficient to cause B, and B is necessary when A exists (happens). The statement cannot be
flipped to say B causes A. {In the explanation, you may want to say something about how the argument tries to
flip sufficient and necessary conditions. This is the terminology Veritas uses, and it would help reinforce the
principle.} Using the terms of this argument: just because someone getting hurt by using a toy would cause Toiko
to temporarily stop production (or permanently stop it) doesnt mean that a temporary stop was caused by
someone getting hurt. Choice C parallels this logic. Just because someone making an offer without discussing
the offer with a supervisor would cause this person to be fired (or suspended) does not mean that the firing of an
employee was caused by someone making an unsupervised offer. Frank could have been fired for other reasons.

(A) This choice is flawed, though for different reasons. Auto Rex may actually know of this law, but has chosen to
disobey it. Unlike the stimulus, there is no causation (A causes B) in this choice.

(B) This choice appears to mirror the reasoning in the stimulus except that it is NOT flawed. We are told that a
damaged book causes a replacement or refund. Since this book IS damaged, it is logical to say that the price of
the book can be refunded.

(D) This choice might appear to parallel the reasoning in the stimulus, and it is indeed flawed. However, the flaw is
different. We are told that a malfunction or break will cause a no-cost fix. This is like saying that A or B causes
C, which is different from the stimulus, which says that A causes B or C. We are then told that the company must
have done work for the school because the company is doing work for free, but we are not told that this is repair
work, just an installation.

(E) This choice is flawed, but not in the same manner as the stimulus. We are told that someone with a black card
can trade the card or return it to the deck. We are not told that these are the only options for someone with a
black card. Therefore, it is possible that Allyson, who has a black card, can keep it.

CAT Rating: 58
A computer-adaptive test such as the GMAT would likely serve this question to you to measure whether or not
you perform better than 58% of all test takers in this subject. Learn more

45% of students have answered this question correctly:

Since the law states that every sales contract in this state must include a provision allowing purchasers 3 days in
which to cancel a sale or renegotiate the terms of the contract, we can assume that local car dealers such as
Auto Rex that do not include this provision in their contracts are not aware of this law.

2%
Based on the guarantee that Hi-tone Books includes with all of its publications, if any of the books that the
publishing company ships to customers is in any way damaged, Hi-Tone will either replace the book at no cost or,
if the customer wishes, give a full refund. If so, then I assume I can be fully refunded for the cost of this Hi-Tone
book, which arrived with a torn cover.

14%
Frank, who was recently fired, must have made an offer to a client without first discussing this offer with one of
his supervisors, since the company handbook clearly states that doing so is a justifiable reason for either
suspension or termination of employment.

45%
A nationwide plumbing company, Plumb Job, states on its website that if one of its parts either malfunctions or
breaks completely within two years of installation, the company will repair the problem at no extra cost. Since
Plumb Job recently installed new water heaters for a school at no cost, the company must have done work for the
school in the past.

34%
According to the rules of a card game, any player with a black card has the option of trading this card for a
different card or returning the card to the deck. Since Allyson has a black card, she cannot choose to keep this
card.

3%

back
00:22
Question 10 of 41

ALWAYS UNDERTSAND THE CONCLUSION PROPERLY ...AND THEN CHECK THE KEYWORD IN OPTIONS
THAT DIFFERENTIATE THE IDEA ..N U WILL GET IT

After a recent lawsuit, Re-Fresh Air Fresheners most popular aerosol spray was found to contain
dangerous levels of p-dichlorobenzene, a toxic substance which irritates the lungs and mucous
membranes and may cause cancer. The company decided to retool its aerosol spray formula and
successfully removed all p-dichlorobenzene from its line of household sprays. Re-Fresh Air
Fresheners aerosol sprays are now less toxic to consumers than ever before.
Which of the following, if true, most weakens the authors conclusion?

The companys most popular aerosol spray has always contained ammonia, which reacts with
chlorinated products to produce deadly chloramine gas.

Some people who drink water containing p-dichlorobenzene for many years have become
anemic.
P-dichlorobenzene has been used widely in Europe for many years as a room deodorizer with no
complaints or significant lawsuits.

Aerosol propellants still used in some of the retooled formulas may be flammable and may cause
nervous system damage if inhaled.

Re-Fresh Air Fresheners new formula for its most popular aerosol spray now contains trace
amounts of petroleum distillates, which are flammable, and may cause fatal pulmonary edema in
sensitive individuals.

Solution
The correct response is (E). The conclusion relies on the phrase less toxic to claim the NEW
aerosol sprays and safer than the OLD sprays produced by Re-Fresh. This conclusion will be
weakened by any information which proves that the NEW sprays are in fact just as toxic, or more
toxic. The phrase now contains in (E) indicated that the harmful petroleum distillates were no
present in the old formula, so its possible that the new formula is in fact more toxic. (A) might
be tempting, but if both the new and old formulas contain this same ingredient, it does not do
enough to prove the new formulas is in fact more toxic, which is a stronger refutation of the
conclusion.

CAT Rating: 63
A computer-adaptive test such as the GMAT would likely serve this question to you to measure
whether or not you perform better than 63% of all test takers in this subject. Learn more
60% of students have answered this question correctly:
The companys most popular aerosol spray has always contained ammonia, which reacts with
chlorinated products to produce deadly chloramine gas.
14%
Some people who drink water containing p-dichlorobenzene for many years have become
anemic.
0%
P-dichlorobenzene has been used widely in Europe for many years as a room deodorizer with no
complaints or significant lawsuits.
8%
Aerosol propellants still used in some of the retooled formulas may be flammable and may cause
nervous system damage if inhaled.
15%
Re-Fresh Air Fresheners new formula for its most popular aerosol spray now contains trace
amounts of petroleum distillates, which are flammable, and may cause fatal pulmonary edema in
sensitive individuals.
60%
even important in inference questions is thE wording ....it should be as mild as possible and
ENCOMPASSES HUGE SCOPE FOR ERROR

WHILE DRWAING THE INFERENCE ALWAYS TRY TO COUNTER THE OPTION AND SEE IF IT NECESSARILY
MEANS THAT

ALWAYS REMEMBER IN A INFERENCE QUESTION ...IT IS MUST BE TRU...AND A NEGATIVE ANSWERS

...SAYING THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE ...ETC FORMS AN EXCELLENT INFERENCE ALWAYS ...SO LOOK OUT OFR
THE NEGATIVE ANSWERS IN INFERENCE ....MOREOVER ALWAYS THINK OF A ...A SENARIO THAT CAN
ELIMINATE A INFERENCE ....

BUT DO NOT GO FOR A ABSOLUTE NEGATIVE WHICH NARROWS DOWN THE CHOICE..........

A PREFEREED NEGATIVE IS ONE ELIMIINATING A OPTIONS ...OR THAT IS OPEN TO OTHER OPTIONS SO IT
IS A BROAD NEGATIVE ....A VERY GOOD PREFERENEC

GIVING AN ALTERNATE REASON IS A GOOD WAY OF WEKAENING A QUESTION

....THIS BASICALLY A SUB CLASS OF NEGATION...EITHER U SAY OPPOSITE IS TRUE
OR SOME OTHER REASON IS MAKING IT HAPPEN...AND AS PER GMAT PILL THIS
THING IS COMMON IN ACTION >>>> RESULT TYPE ...CONCLUSION ...

For years, scientists have proposed the idea that Mars was once covered by two huge oceans. However, ridges of
rock in the northern hemisphere that seem to resemble a shoreline are too hilly to be the edges of an ocean. If it
could be shown that something caused an imbalanced portion of the planets mass to shift from these ridges of
rock toward the equator, where the mass now lies, it is possible that the ridges were once actually smooth.

Which of the following can be inferred from the statements above?

If it is determined that the ridges of rock in the northern hemisphere of Mars were never smoother than they now
are, oceans did not exist on the planet.

The discovery that some of Mars equatorial mass was once part of northern-hemisphere rock ridges would
support the idea that the planet was once covered by oceans.

If the rock ridges in the northern hemisphere of Mars were smooth at one time, some the planets mass was once
closer to the equator

In order for a planet to have oceans, a portion of the planets mass must have been shifted towards the equator.

There is general agreement in the scientific community that Mars does not have the right atmospheric conditions
to support an ocean.
 Solution
Answer: B

Explanation: The final sentence states that if some of the planets mass shifted toward the equator, the ridges
might have once been smooth. We are told in the second sentence that the ridges now are too hilly to be the
edges of an ocean. Discovering that some of the mass was once further from the equator implies that it shifted
closer to the equator, supporting the idea that the planet could have been covered with oceans.

(A) This cannot be inferred because it remains possible that oceans once existed in the southern hemisphere.

(C) This cannot be inferred because it is possible that the ridges were once smooth without the mass being
closer to the equator. We are not told otherwise.

(D) We do not have enough evidence to say that the shifting of mass is necessary for the existence of oceans.

(E) The atmospheric conditions are not mentioned in the stimulus.

CAT Rating:

The rise in free, do-it-yourself instructions on the Internet for home repairs has caused a decrease in revenue for
home service technicians and an increase in the number of injuries caused by people who have attempted home
repairs themselves. Unfortunately, not all of the do-it-yourself instructions on the Internet are written as well as
they should be.

Based on the statements above, which of the following is most likely to be true?

The number of people who are not home repair technicians and who have been injured while attempting home
repairs has increased.

Most people who are injured while attempting home repairs have done so while following instructions found in
free do-it-yourself instructions on the Internet.

The overall sale of online do-it-yourself home repair instructions by home service technicians has not been equal
to the loss of revenue the technicians have incurred due to free offerings of this sort of material.

Most free do-it-yourself home repair instructions found on the Internet do not provide enough clear information
regarding safety precautions.

As more free do-it-yourself instructions for home repairs are made available on the Internet, home service
technicians will suffer more losses in revenue.

Solution
Answer: C

Explanation: For an answer to be correct on an inference question, it must be true. Probably true doesnt cut it.
We are told in the first sentence that the rise in the free DIY material has led to a decrease in revenue for home
service technicians. Therefore any revenue they generated through other means such as sales of online DIY
material -- could not have compensated for the lost revenue. If it did compensate for it, the technicians would not
have experienced the decrease in revenue.
(A) Sounds good, but we are told that the number of injuries has increased, not the number of people injured. In
other words, maybe the same people who had been getting injured are getting more injuries than before.

(B) We know that there has been an increase in free/DIY/Internet accidents, but this might still be less than half of
the accidents that occurred while people attempted home repairs. In other words, most people getting injured
might be not following these instructions.

(D) We know that some of the free DIY instructions found on the Internet are not written as well as they could be,
but this does not necessarily mean that they didnt have plenty of safety precautions. Perhaps they just had bad
grammar, or were unclear regarding non-safety matters.

(E) Always be suspicious of inference choices that make predictions. There is little that MUST be true about the
future. It is possible that revenue will start to increase for home service technicians. (Perhaps it will become
known how dangerous it is to follow the free material found on the Internet.)

CAT Rating: 74
A computer-adaptive test such as the GMAT would likely serve this question to you to measure whether or not
you perform better than 74% of all test takers in this subject. Learn more

8% of students have answered this question correctly:

The number of people who are not home repair technicians and who have been injured while attempting home
repairs has increased.

28%
Most people who are injured while attempting home repairs have done so while following instructions found in
free do-it-yourself instructions on the Internet.

26%
The overall sale of online do-it-yourself home repair instructions by home service technicians has not been equal
to the loss of revenue the technicians have incurred due to free offerings of this sort of material.

8%
Most free do-it-yourself home repair instructions found on the Internet do not provide enough clear information
regarding safety precautions.

27%
As more free do-it-yourself instructions for home repairs are made available on the Internet, home service
technicians will suffer more losses in revenue.

8%

back
02:33

The city of Goshorn has a substantial problem with its budgeting process for public works projects. Last years
Sullivan Park expansion ran nearly 50% over budget, for example, and the city has gone from running an annual
budget surplus for nearly two decades straight to now facing prohibitive budget deficits.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument that Goshorn has a substantial problem with its
budgeting process?

The Sullivan Park expansion project featured the smallest cost-above-budget percentage of all Goshorns public
works projects.

Goshorns budgeting process for public works has not been updated in nearly 20 years.

A new hiking and jogging trail in Goshorn cost more than twice as much to construct as did a similar project
completed just ten years earlier.
Goshorns revenue from property taxes has decreased markedly since the height of the real estate boom five
years earlier.

The city of Goshorn does not receive any federal or state funding for its public works projects, although several
nearby cities do.

Solution
Consider the flaw in the given argument: the conclusion is broad, that the city has a substantial problem with its
overall budgeting process, but the major premise is quite limited. You only know about one project that went
above budget. This is a generalization issue: one over-budget project does not allow you to conclude that it's a
systemic issue. But then take choice a into consideration: if A is true, and that one over-budget project is actually
the city's best job of budgeting, then clearly there is a major problem. Choice A shows that the single data point
is part of a larger problem and not just an outlier, so choice A is correct...ALWAYS ASK SO WHAT ...AND TRY TO
ELIMINATE OPTION....

CAT Rating: 56
A computer-adaptive test such as the GMAT would likely serve this question to you to measure whether or not
you perform better than 56% of all test takers in this subject. Learn more

50% of students have answered this question correctly:

The Sullivan Park expansion project featured the smallest cost-above-budget percentage of all Goshorns public
works projects.

50%
Goshorns budgeting process for public works has not been updated in nearly 20 years.

23%
A new hiking and jogging trail in Goshorn cost more than twice as much to construct as did a similar project
completed just ten years earlier.

12%
Goshorns revenue from property taxes has decreased markedly since the height of the real estate boom five
years earlier.

6%
The city of Goshorn does not receive any federal or state funding for its public works projects, although several
nearby cities do.

5%

back
01:31
Question 14 of 41

GIVING AN ALTERNATE REASON IS A GOOD WAY OF WEKAENING A QUESTION

....THIS BASICALLY A SUB CLASS OF NEGATION...EITHER U SAY OPPOSITE IS TRUE
OR SOME OTHER REASON IS MAKING IT HAPPEN...AND AS PER GMAT PILL THIS
THING IS COMMON IN ACTION >>>> RESULT TYPE ...CONCLUSION ...

Question ID: 10917

A recent study of Las Vegas clubs showed that out of a large group of club-goers surveyed, those who visited
clubs more than three times a week typically drank significantly more alcoholic beverages per club visit than
those who attended clubs three times a week or less. Therefore, people trying to cut back on alcohol
consumption in Las Vegas should limit their club-going to three times a week maximum.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the authors conclusion?

Las Vegas clubs offer drink specials to customers who frequent their clubs more than 3+ times a week.

The studys results only held up for Las Vegas clubs, not for clubs in other major cities in Nevada.

Many recovering alcoholics in Las Vegas formerly frequented clubs more than three times a week.

The study also showed that club-goers who attend clubs 3+ times a week, unlike those who attend less than
three times a week, typically choose to visit upscale clubs which require two-drink minimums.

Drink coupons are extremely popular in Las Vegas clubs, and are typically distributed evenly to all patrons in Las
Vegas clubs, though they must be used within a week of being distributed.

Solution
The correct response is (D). One way to weaken an argument is to provide an alternate reason for the conclusion.
If theres another reason those who party 3+ times a week also drink more alcohol per visit, then people who
want to drink less alcohol might not necessarily need to limit their club-going. (D) weakens the conclusion by
suggesting that the 3+ a week partiers visit upscale clubs which have minimums. If its the drink minimums that
is causing more consumption of alcohol, then its possible recovering alcoholics could choose to visit non-
upscale clubs without drink minimums 3+ times a week and not be at risk of over-consuming alcoholic. Since the
conclusion is only concerned with Las Vegas clubs, (B) is irrelevant. (A) helps explain the conclusion, but does
not weaken it, while (C) strengthens the conclusion.
Let's clear this one up.

To solve a weaken question, I'd start with these three steps:

1: Identify the conclusion

Here it's "People in Las Vegas who are trying to cut back on their alcohol consumption shouldn't go to clubs more than three times a week."

2: NEGATE the conclusion

"People in Las Vegas who are trying to cut back on their alcohol consumption CAN STILL go to clubs more than three times a week."

3: Look for something that supports the NEGATION: here, an answer suggesting that going to clubs more than three times a week won't force you to
overdrink.

(A) suggests that people who go more often will be tempted to buy more drinks ... clearly NOT what we want to hear if we're trying not to drink.
(This, if anything, would STRENGTHEN the original argument.)

(B) is irrelevant, as the original conclusion is limited to Las Vegas.

(C) is irrelevant, as recovering alcoholics aren't necessarily the same thing as "people trying to cut back on alcohol consumption", or may only be a
small portion of that group.

(D) is exactly what we want: it suggests another reason frequent clubgoers are drinking so much - they like to visit clubs with two-drink minimums!
So, presumably we can avoid those places during our four to seven days a week at the club, making it safe for us to attend more often and not
overdrink.

(E) is unhelpful, as we don't know how many coupons the typical clubgoer gets (if it's 1 a week, that wouldn't explain much, but if it's 10 a week, we
may see why people are overdrinking), nor which clubgoers get them (frequent visitors or infrequent).

Knowing what you're looking for goes a long, long way on CR questions.
Question 16 of 41
Some political observers believe that the only reason members of the states largest union supported Senator
Hughes in his recent re-election campaign was that the unions leaders must have been assured by Hughes that,
if elected, he would stay out of their coming negotiations with the unions national leadership, whose members
have been financial backers of several close associates of Hughes. More likely, the unions members believed
that Hughes deserved to serve another term in office.

Which of the following best parallels the method of argument used by the author?

The popularity of Deap, a powerful carpet cleaning system that can be used by the homeowner is, some industry
observers say, due to an agreement made by a leading professional carpet cleaning company to supply Deap with
the chemicals that are sold as accessories. This does not, however, fully explain the sudden popularity of the
product in the last three months.

After a rocky start, Shade, a new cosmetics line, is now selling briskly. The reason for the turnaround is almost
certainly that Shade is now being marketed to women in their twenties, not just to teens. This has helped the
product achieve a more sophisticated appeal, which has translated into greater sales in every age group.

The Shakelight, a small flashlight that can be powered for several minutes by a shaking motion, has once again
proven a popular gift item this holiday season. Other similar devices are available, but none has been as
successful, and the reason is simple: the cost of The Shakelight has fluctuated so that it has always been at least
one dollar less than that of any competitor. The manufacturers claim that they have a better product is nonsense.

The continued success of the Daddo line of toys is due to the simple appeal that these toys have for kids between
three years of age and six. Others disagree. One industry journal ascribed the brands popularity to a deal made
with a major toy retailer guaranteeing that the retailer would carry the coming line of Daddo products exclusively
for three months.

As with last year, this years best selling foreign policy journal is World Opinion. It may be that the content in
World Opinion is simply more exhaustive and better presented than that of similar publications, or it may be that
the journals publishers have the substantial support of their parent company, which has been a good friend to
bookstores and other outlets.

Solution
Answer: D

Explanation: The author rejects the complex behind-the-scenes explanation for Hughes support by the union in
favor of a simpler reason: Hughes was perceived as the better candidate. Likewise, choice D rejects the
complicated behind-the-scenes making-a-deal explanation for the continued success of the Daddo line of toys in
favor of the simpler reason: kids liked the toys.

(A) The author rejects the complex behind-the-scenes explanation for Hughes support by the union in favor of a
simpler reason: Hughes was perceived as the better candidate. This choice does describe a complicated
explanation for Deaps popularity, but does not propose a simpler one.

(B) The author rejects the complex behind-the-scenes explanation for Hughes support by the union in favor of a
simpler reason: Hughes was perceived as the better candidate. Only one explanation is given for Shades
popularity, which -- unlike that of Hughes, as far as we know came after an initially rocky period.

(C) The author rejects the complex behind-the-scenes explanation for Hughes support by the union in favor of a
simpler reason: Hughes was perceived as the better candidate. In this choice, the author rejects a simple
explanation The Shakelight is a better product in favor of a similarly simple explanation its cheaper.

(E) The author rejects the complex behind-the-scenes explanation for Hughes support by the union in favor of a
simpler reason: Hughes was perceived as the better candidate. For this choice, the author presents a simple
explanation World Opinion is a superior product and a more complicated one the influence of the parent
company, but does not state that one explanation is the more likely one.

CAT Rating: 85
A computer-adaptive test such as the GMAT would likely serve this question to you to measure whether or not
you perform better than 85% of all test takers in this subject. Learn more

33% of students have answered this question correctly:

The popularity of Deap, a powerful carpet cleaning system that can be used by the homeowner is, some industry
observers say, due to an agreement made by a leading professional carpet cleaning company to supply Deap with
the chemicals that are sold as accessories. This does not, however, fully explain the sudden popularity of the
product in the last three months.

11%
After a rocky start, Shade, a new cosmetics line, is now selling briskly. The reason for the turnaround is almost
certainly that Shade is now being marketed to women in their twenties, not just to teens. This has helped the
product achieve a more sophisticated appeal, which has translated into greater sales in every age group.

5%
The Shakelight, a small flashlight that can be powered for several minutes by a shaking motion, has once again
proven a popular gift item this holiday season. Other similar devices are available, but none has been as
successful, and the reason is simple: the cost of The Shakelight has fluctuated so that it has always been at least
one dollar less than that of any competitor. The manufacturers claim that they have a better product is nonsense.

10%
The continued success of the Daddo line of toys is due to the simple appeal that these toys have for kids between
three years of age and six. Others disagree. One industry journal ascribed the brands popularity to a deal made
with a major toy retailer guaranteeing that the retailer would carry the coming line of Daddo products exclusively
for three months.

33%
As with last year, this years best selling foreign policy journal is World Opinion. It may be that the content in
World Opinion is simply more exhaustive and better presented than that of similar publications, or it may be that
the journals publishers have the substantial support of their parent company, which has been a good friend to
bookstores and other outlets.

38%

back
00:08
Question 16 of 41

Question ID: 06549

We want to hear from you! Please send your feedback to: questio

IN STRENTHEN/ASSUMPTION QUESTION ...MANY TIME THE EVIDENCE IS NOT

VERY STRONG .....MAY BE A SINGLE ISLOATED CASE OR MAY BE A
OBSERVATION OF ONE PARTUCLAR GROUP AND THE CONCLUSION IS BROAD
OR VERY STRONG IN TERMS OF WORDINGS ...ABSOLUTE WORDING ....U NEED
TO STRECH THE EVIDENCE AND MAKE IT LOOK GOOD ...SO ADD SOME INFOR
TO IT TO MAKE IT STRONG ....THIS GOES FOR ASSUMPTIONS QUESTIONS ALSO

A MUST IS BEWARE OF ABSOLUTE WORDING ESPEACILLAIY IN INFERENCE

ANDASSUMPTION QUESTION WHICH ASK FOR .....MUST BE TRUE ANSWERS
In Europe, schoolchildren devote time during each school day to calisthenics. North American schools rarely offer a daily calisthenics program. Tests
prove that North American children are weaker, slower, and shorter-winded than European children. We must conclude that North American children
can be made physically fit only if they participate in school calisthenics on a daily basis.
Which of the following is an assumption required by the argument above?

A)Physical fitness is a compelling national priority worthy of taxpayer resources.

B)School calisthenics programs are an indispensable factor in European student fitness.
C)All children can be made equally physically fit.
D)European schoolchildren enjoy physical activities more than do American children.
E)American physical education teachers are capable of designing a successful calisthenics program.

This is a great LSAT assumption question. It fits well with the GMAT critical reasoning format.

Start by finding the conclusion:

"We must conclude that North American children can be made physically fit only if they participate in school calisthenics on a daily basis."

What evidence do we have for this conclusion?

In Europe = calisthenics; North America = no calisthenics; And European kids = better health.

This seems to add up right? I mean if European kids have better health and they do the calisthenics daily that must have something to so with it
right?

Actually that is an assumption! It might be genetics, it might be diet, it might be a number of things. So when the conclusion jumps to "North
American children can be made physically fitonly if they participate in school calisthenics on a daily basis" we need some more support for this.

This is exactly what choice B does. It indicates the assumption that we are making in this argument. Because if school calisthenics are not
indispensable then the conclusion fails. If the calisthenics are not "indispensable" then the word "only" in the conclusion is not justified.

The other choices are not REQUIRED by the argument.

(Be aware that this question is slightly different answer choices from the official LSAT original. So the letter of the correct answer to this question is
different than the letter of the correct answer to the official LSAT question but the actual correct answer choice is the same).

Hope it helps!

David

_________________
David Newland, JD, MA, MAE
GMAT Instructor, Tutor, and Author
Veritas Prep

Join Veritas 2010 Instructor of the Year Matt Douglas for G - MATT Mondays

Visit the Veritas Prep Blog

Critical Reasoning
As they get older, women usually maintain their ability to hear higher frequencies longer than men do. This is only
because men are usually exposed to more dangerously loud noises at work and during recreation. In societies
that do not have hazardous noises, there is no difference in hearing loss between men and women. Nor is there a
difference in hearing loss between males and female animals whose hearing has been studied.

Which of the following choices MUST be true based on the information above?
When women and men are exposed to the same level of hazardous noises while working, men experience greater
loss of hearing.

The difference between men and women in their ability to hear higher frequencies is entirely unrelated to any
difference in the structure of the inner ear.

If male animals were exposed to the same loud noises to which many men are exposed, the animals would
experience greater loss of hearing than would female animals.

In general, women and men do not differ in their ability to hear lower frequencies.

Women who live in societies that do not have hazardous noises experience less loss of hearing than do women
who live in societies that do have hazardous noises.

Solution
Answer: B

Explanation: This is an inference question. Choice B MUST be true because we are told that the difference in
ability to hear higher frequencies is only because of loud noises at work and recreation. Nothing else, including
structural differences in the inner ear, can therefore be related to this difference.

(A) Actually, the stimulus leads us to think that there would be no difference in hearing loss between men and
women who have experienced the same level of noise, since noise is claimed to be the cause of hearing loss.

(C) This is tempting perhaps, but we cannot say for sure that this would be true. We have no way of knowing how
the animals would be affected by noise levels that are only known to be dangerous to people.

(D) The topic of lower frequencies is not addressed, so we cannot say for sure what must be true about these
frequencies and hearing loss.

(E) This does not have to be true, since the women who live in societies that have hazardous noises may not be
exposed to these noises. This might seem unlikely, but, as with all inferences, since this choice might not be true,
its the wrong choice.

CAT Rating: 75

Since its inception, the many counter-intuitive aspects and results of quantum mechanics have provoked strong
philosophical debates and many interpretations. Even fundamental issues, such as Max Born's basic rules
concerning probability amplitudes and probability distributions took decades to be appreciated by society and
many leading scientists. Richard Feynman once said, "I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum
mechanics." According to Steven Weinberg, "There is now in my opinion no entirely satisfactory interpretation of
quantum mechanics."

The Copenhagen interpretation - due largely to the Danish theoretical physicist Niels Bohr - remains the quantum
mechanical formalism that is currently most widely accepted amongst physicists, some 75 years after its
enunciation. According to this interpretation, the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics is not a temporary
feature that will eventually be replaced by a deterministic theory, but instead a final renunciation of the classical
idea of "causality". It is also believed therein that any well-defined application of the quantum mechanical
formalism must always make reference to the experimental arrangement, due to the complementarity nature of
evidence obtained under different experimental situations.

Albert Einstein, himself one of the founders of quantum theory, disliked this loss of determinism in measurement.
Einstein held that there should be a local hidden variable theory underlying quantum mechanics and,
consequently, that the present theory was incomplete. He produced a series of objections to the theory, the most
famous of which has become known as the EinsteinPodolskyRosen paradox. John Bell showed that this "EPR"
paradox led to experimentally testable differences between quantum mechanics and local realistic theories.
Experiments have been performed confirming the accuracy of quantum mechanics, thereby demonstrating that
the physical world cannot be described by any local realistic theory. The Bohr-Einstein debates provide a vibrant
critique of the Copenhagen Interpretation from an epistemological point of view.

According to the passage, it can be inferred that Albert Einstein believed all of the following EXCEPT:

the local hidden variable theory was an essential component in a complete theory of quantum mechanics.

Niels Bohr was incorrect in some part of his interpretation of quantum mechanics.

the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics was incomplete.

experimentally testable differences exist between quantum mechanics and local realistic theories.

some components of the quantum mechanics theory were correct.

Solution
Explanation: For this question, you need to look mostly in the last paragraph. (A) can be confirmed with this
sentence: Einstein held that there should be a local hidden variable theory underlying quantum mechanics and,
consequently, that the present theory was incomplete. Since Einstein believed it should be there and without it
the theory is incomplete, he must believe that it is essential to the theory. For (B), Einstein had issues with some
part of the Copenhagen interpretation due largely to Bohr and the Bohr-Einstein debates are referenced at
the end of the passage. From this you know Albert Einstein believed that Bohr was incorrect about some portion
of his interpretation. (C) is fairly easy to prove as it is explicitly stated in the 2nd sentence of the last paragraph.
(D), the correct answer, is tricky because it is discussed in the last paragraph but you do not know if Einstein
believed it. It was John Bell who showed these experimentally testable differences and those differences
contradicted Einstein. Thus (D) is the one choice that you cannot conclude regarding Einsteins beliefs. For (E),
since Einstein was one of the founders of quantum mechanics, you can be sure that he agreed with some of its
components. Answer is (D).

CAT Rating: 76

The total remittance transfers sent across the world from the top three industrial nations in recent years is
almost $100 billion annually, according to the Government Budget Office, or roughly the equivalent of those three
countries foreign assistance budget.

years is almost $100 billion annually, according to the Government Budget Office, roughly the equivalent of those
three countries foreign assistance budgets.

years is almost $100 billion annually, according to the Government Budget Office, or roughly the equivalent of
those three countries foreign assistance budgets.

years are almost $100 billion annually, according to the Government Budget Office, or roughly the equivalent of
those three countries foreign assistance budgets.
years almost $100 billion annually are, according to the Government Budget Office, roughly the equivalent of
those three countries foreign assistance budgets.

years, an amount that is almost $100 billion annually, are, according to the Government Budge Office, roughly the
equivalent of the foreign assistance budgets of those three countries.

Solution
Solution: C

Explanation: The easiest decision point to start with on this problem is the subject-verb agreement of is versus
are. While is might sound correct in this problem, the subject is the plural transfers so you need a plural
verb. It must be the transfers.are not the transfersis This allows you to eliminate (A) and (B). (D) and (E)
create illogical meaning so (C) is correct. (C) states properly that according to the Budget Office, the transfers
are almost $100 billion annually and that amount is almost the same as the foreign budgets for the three
countries. (D) and (E) both state illogically that the Government Budget Office has spent a bunch of time trying to
prove that the amount of the transfers is the same as the foreign aid budgets. The Office proved that the amount
was $100 billion and that, as a comparison, happens to be as large as the aid budget for those three countries.
Answer is (C).

CAT Rating: 92
Question: Due to the slow-moving nature of tectonic plate movement, the oldest ocean crust is thought to date from the Jurassic period, formed from huge fragments of
the Earths lithosphere and lasted 200 million years.
(A) formed from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasted 200 million years.
(B) forming from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasting 200 million years.
(C) forming from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasted 200 million years.
(D) formed from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasting 200 million years.
(E) formed from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and has been lasting 200 million years.
Here is our official solution:
The correct response is (D).
The meaning of the sentence is that the oldest ocean crust was formed in the past during the Jurassic period and is currently still lasting (since if its the oldest it must
still be around!). We need the past tense/participle verbs to be used correctly.
If you chose (A), the ocean crust was formed in the past but if lasted is past tense then the oldest ocean crust is no longer around, which would mean it couldnt be the
oldest.
If you chose (B) or (C), forming implies the crust is still being formed. While its true the Earths crust is constantly in flux, were concerned with the oldest ocean crust
that part that is no longer continuing to form, but was formed at some point during the Jurassic period.
If you chose (E), you correctly used formed, however the present perfect has been lasting is unnecessarily wordy. The simple participle verb form will suffice.
Does logic dictate that (D) is the correct answer? Yes. Will you ignore it because it uses past participle form modifying the previous subject/clause instead of Jurassic
Period? No. Note that it is correct grammatically and you should know it. Whatever we can infer about the preferences of GMAT is from the questions it gives. GMAT
doesnt clarify its stand on every grammatical issue and the stand is probably flexible depending on the sentence under examination. So you need to be flexible in your
understanding of what is and is not acceptable in GMAT. Use logic remember, GMAT is a test of your reasoning skills. Get to the best answer under given circumstances.
Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America.
She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep in Detroit, Michigan, and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog!
Tags: Quarter Wit Quarter Wisdom

kinjiGC wrote:

Due to the slow-moving nature of tectonic plate movement, the oldest ocean crust is thought to date from the Jurassic period, formed from huge fragments of

the Earth's lithosphere and lasted 200 million years.

A. formed from huge fragments of the Earth's lithosphere and lasted 200 million years.

B. forming from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasting 200 million years.
C. forming from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasted 200 million years.

D. formed from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasting 200 million years.

E. formed from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and has been lasting 200 million years.

"formed" can be either Verb-ed modifier or a verb form.

Now "formed" cannot be verb-er modifier as verb-ed modifier should be placed next to the noun it modifies. So "formed" can only modify "Jurassic period" which is not

correct.

So formed can be a verb form where

1) is thought to date from the Jurassic period

2) formed from huge fragments of the Earth's lithosphere

3) and lasted 200 million years

Forms a list.

Now

the oldest ocean crust is formed from huge fragments of the Earth's lithosphere. "is" cannot be an auxiliary verb as the sentence requires was.

Can somebody clarify?

Hi kinjiGC,

D is indeed the credited answer.

Let me draw your attention to a particular exception to the modifier-touch rule

Source: MGMAT SC 5th edition pg. 239 (Rule No.2):

RULE: A very short predicate falls between, shifting a very long modifier back.

Right: A new CEO has been hired who will transform the company bv decentralizing
authority to various division heads while increasing their accountability
through the use of public scorecards.

The alternative construction is confusing, because the modifier is extremely lengthy:

Awkward: A new CEO who will transform the company by decentralizing authority
to various division heads while increasing their accountability through the
use of public scorecards has been hired.

In essence, in the sentence under question, formed very clearly and logically modifies the ocean crust and not Jurassic Period. As per the rule, the non-underlined
portion is thought to date from the Jurassic period is the short predicate which falls in between, shifting the long modifier phrase formed from huge fragments of
the Earths lithosphere and lasting 200 million years from ocean crust, the noun it intends to modify.

The second split is to be able to recognize how to select formed v/s forming and lasted v/s lasting. Note, that this is a meaning issue that needs to be dealt with
carefully. The ocean crust is acted upon by the huge fragments and hence is the receiver of the action to form performed by the huge fragments. Any sentence
which conveys a meaning where X is acted upon by Y (X is the receiver of the action being performed by Y), the sentence adopts the passive voice to take the form X
action verb-ED (by/from) Y. Vice-versa, when X itself is performing the action, then the sentence would use the verb in the present participle form.X action
verb-ING

This means that the ocean crust has been form-ED from fragments and is (itself) last-ING a certain period

Hope this helps clear your doubts.

Hi All,

I have a question regarding usage of verb-ed as mentioned in the question below:

Due to the slow-moving nature of tectonic plate movement, the oldest ocean crust is thought to date from the Jurassic period, formed from huge
fragments of the Earth's lithosphere and lasted 200 million years.

A. formed from huge fragments of the Earth's lithosphere and lasted 200 million years.
B. forming from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasting 200 million years.
C. forming from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasted 200 million years.
D. formed from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasting 200 million years.
E. formed from huge fragments of the Earths lithosphere and has been lasting 200 million years.

OA: D

In the above question, does the verb-ed modifier "formed" modifies the nearest noun Jurassic period? It needs to modify "oldest ocean crust". I am
confused how "formed" is modifying "oldest ocean crust" here.

I have seen two main rules for verb-ed modifier posted by egmat:

1) Verb-ed modifier modifies the preceding noun or the noun phrase.

2) When verb-ed modifier is placed in the beginning of the clause followed by a comma, then it modifies the subject of the clause.

In this case we have option 1. We see that "formed" has to jump over the verb "is thought" to modify the subject of the main clause "The oldest
ocean".
I have usually seen the verb-ed modifier is placed in the beginning of the sentence when we need to modify the subject of the main clause such as
"Flushed with fear, Tommy turned to the audience"

AndyMann,

You've highlighted the correct rules, and also a dodgy question. Good work.

Answer D is the best among the answer choices, but ALL of the answer choices break the rule with respect to placement of the verb-ed too far away
from the noun upon which it is supposed to act.

Due to the slow-moving nature of tectonic plate movement, the oldest ocean crust is thought to date from the Jurassic period, formed from huge
fragments of the Earths lithosphere and lasting 200 million years.

In this case, "formed" is meant to act on "oldest ocean crust," and (as you noted) it has to jump over "thought to date from the Jurassic period." This
breaks the rule and leads to a confused sentence.

As such, I would ignore this SC question. BUT... I would celebrate the fact that you know what you are doing, and spotted the problem with this
sentence. Good work

SEE THE ANALYIS INCLUDES DATA FROM 3 MILLION CHILDREN ....AND NOTT THE CHILDREN ITSEFL SO
IT MUST BE ...FROM SELECTED AMERICAN INDIAN RESERVATION AS WELL

The analysis includes data from more than three million children younger than 15 in five states New York, New
Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina and Oregon and selected American Indian reservations as well.

and selected American Indian reservations as well

including selected American Indian reservations

as well as from selected American Indian reservations

and in selected American Indian reservations as well

with selected American Indian reservations included

Solution
To get this problem correct, you need to use slash-and-burn to simplify the sentence. (A) and (D) are the easiest
to eliminate because the as well at the end is redundantyou do not say and and as well. In (B) you would
not say: The analysis includes data from children in 5 states, including reservations.. This is a redundant and
nonsensical structure. (E) suffers from the same issue with the included at the end. Only (C) uses the proper
structure to convey that the analysis includes data from children in 5 states as well as from selected
reservations Correct answer is (C).

A supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth, and which can make the
moon appear much larger and brighter than the moon typically does.

supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth, and which can make the moon
appear
supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth and can make the moon appear
supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth and appears
supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth, a position which causes itself to
appear
supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth, causes the moon to appear

Good question. +1 kudo.

A supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth, and which can make the
moon appear much larger and brighter than the moon typically does.

supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth, and whichcan make the moon
appear
Wrong. Meaning problem. See red part, a supermoon makes the moon larger and brighter. Does it make sense? Not at all, a supermoon is still a
moon itself, but appears larger because of its abnormal movement (closest to approach the Earth).

supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth and can make the moon appear
Wrong. Meaning problem. See red part, a supermoon CAN'T make the moon larger and brighter because the supermoon is the moon itself. Same
error as in A.

supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth and appears
Correct. See blue part: a new moon appears much larger and brighter..... => Make the most sense.

supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth, a position which causes itself to
appear
Wrong. "A position" CAN'T make itself larger and brighter. It makes no sense.

supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to the Earth, causes the moon to appear
Wrong. Meaning problem. See red part, a supermoon CAN'T cause the moon larger and brighter because the supermoon is the moon itself. Same
error as in A.

Hope it helps.
_________________

Please +1 KUDO if my post helps. Thank you.

"Designing cars consumes you; it has a hold on your spirit which is incredibly powerful. It's not something you can do part time, you have do
it with all your heart and soul or you're going to get it wrong."

Chris Bangle - Former BMW Chief of Design.

Sentence Correction
A supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest
approach to the Earth, and which can make the moon appear much larger and brighter than the
moon typically does.

supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest
approach to the Earth, and which can make the moon appear

supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach
to the Earth and can make the moon appear

supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach
to the Earth and appears

supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach
to the Earth, a position which causes itself to appear

supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest
approach to the Earth, causes the moon to appear

Solution
(A) contains a sentence construction error: the subject "supermoon" never gets a verb, so we are
left with a fragment. (B) suggests either that "a supermoon" can make the moon appear larger or
that "the moon" can make the moon appear larger, but neither of these construals is acceptable,
since a supermoon is the moon and one would never say that "the moon makes the moon appear
larger." (C) correctly suggests either that "a supermoon" appears much larger than the moon
typically does or that "the moon" appears much larger than the moon typically does. In (D), the
phrase "causes itself" does not work logically, since the position does not make itself appear
larger. (E) suggests that the "supermoon" causes the moon to appear larger, but that claim is
illogical, since the "supermoon" is the moon. Note: (B) and (C) are both characterized by the
same flexible/fuzzy subject-verb relationships. In (B), either "a supermoon" or "the moon" (first
instance) could be legitimately posited as the subject of "can make"; in (C), either "a supermoon"
or "the moon" (first instance) could be legitimately posited as the subject of "appears." What's
important is that whichever construct one favors, the reasoning above holds: (B) doesn't work
and (C) does.

CAT Rating: 44
A computer-adaptive test such as the GMAT would likely serve this question to you to measure
whether or not you perform better than 44% of all test takers in this subject. Learn more
52% of students have answered this question correctly:
supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest
approach to the Earth, and which can make the moon appear
 1%
supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach
to the Earth and can make the moon appear
11%
supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach
to the Earth and appears
52%
supermoon is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach
to the Earth, a position which causes itself to appear
9%
supermoon, which is the full or new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest
approach to the Earth, causes the moon to appear
25%