Gmat sentence correction 26 , 27 , 28 , 29

26). A study commissioned by the Department of Agriculture showed that if calves exercise and associated with other calves, they will require less medication and gain weight quicker than do those raised in confinement.

(A) associated with other calves, they will require less medication and gain weight quicker than do

(B) associated with other calves, they require less medication and gain weight quicker than

(C) associate with other calves, they required less medication and will gain weight quicker than do

(D) associate with other calves, they have required less medication and will gain weight more quickly than do

(E) associate with other calves, they require less medication and gain weight more quickly than

27). Displays of the aurora borealis, or "northern lights," can heat the atmosphere over the arctic enough to affect the trajectories of ballistic missiles, induce electric currents that can cause blackouts in some areas and corrosion in north-south pipelines.

(A) to affect the trajectories of ballistic missiles, induce

(B) that the trajectories of ballistic missiles are affected, induce

(C) that it affects the trajectories of ballistic missiles, induces

(D) that the trajectories of ballistic missiles are affected and induces

(E) to affect the trajectories of ballistic missiles and induce

28). The golden crab of the Gulf of Mexico has not been fished commercially in great numbers, primarily on account of living at great depths-- 2,500 to 3,000 feet down.

(A) on account of living

(B) on account of their living

(C) because it lives

(D) because of living

(E) being they live

29). Delighted by the reported earnings for the first quarter of the fiscal year, it was decided by the company manager to give her staff a raise.

(A) it was decided by the company manager to give her staff a raise

(B) the decision of the company manager was to give her staff a raise

(C) the company manager decided to give her staff a raise

(D) the staff was given a raise by the company manager

(E) a raise was given to the staff by the company manager

Answers -

26). Choice E, the best answer, uses the adverbial phrase "more quickly than" to modify the verb phrase "gain weight".

In A, B, and C - "quicker than" is incorrect because an adjective should not be used to modify a verb phrase.

A and B - incorrectly compound that present tense verb with a past tense verb, "associated".

C and D - correctly use "associate", but C follows with the past tense "required" and D with the present perfect "have required". Both C and D incorrectly conclude with the future tense "will gain".

27). E is the best choice.

The use of the phrasing "can heat... enough to affect" in A and E is more idiomatic than the use of the subordinate clause beginning with "that" in B, C, and D.

B - produces an illogical and ungrammatical statement by making "induce" parallel with the verb "heat" rather than with the appropriate form of the verb affect

C - lacks agreement in using the singular pronoun "it" to refer to the plural noun "displays"

D - is faulty because "induces" cannot fit grammatically with any noun in the sentence.

A - incorrectly separates the two infinitives "to affect" and "to induce" with a comma when it should compound them with "and", as does E, the best choice.

28). C is the best choice.

A, B, D - the phrases "on account of" and "because of" are unidiomatic; "because", which appears in C and E, is preferable here since "because" can introduce a complete subordinate clause explaining the reason why the golden crab has not been fished extensively.

B , E - also produce agreement errors by using the plural pronouns "their" and "they" to refer to the singular noun "crab".

D - like A, fails to provide a noun or pronoun to perform the action of living.

C - which uses "because" and "it" as the singular subject of a clause, is the best choice.

29). C is the best answer. Grammatically, the participial phrase beginning delighted must modify the subject of the main clause. Because it is the manager who was delighted, choice C, in which the company manager appears as the subject, is the best answer.

A, B, D, E - create illogical statements by using it, the decision, the staff, and a raise,respectively, as the sentence subject.

A , D , E - Use of the passive voice