Gmat Sentence Correction 47, 48

47). Most state constitutions now mandate that the state budget be balanced each year.

(A) mandate that the state budget be balanced

(B) mandate the state budget to be balanced

(C) mandate that the state budget will be balanced

(D) have a mandate for a balanced state budget

(E) have a mandate to balance the state budget

48). Two new studies indicate that many people become obese more due to the fact that their bodies burn calories too slowly than overeating.

(A) due to the fact that their bodies burn calories too slowly than overeating

(B) due to their bodies burning calories too slowly than to eating too much

(C) because their bodies bum calories too slowly than that they are overeaters

(D) because their bodies bum calories too slowly than because they eat too much

(E) because of their bodies burning calories too slowly than because of their eating too much


Answers -

47). A is the correct answer - When mandate is used as a verb to mean "make it mandatory,' it must be followed by that and a verb in the
subjunctive mood, as in A, the best answer: mandate that x be balanced.

B - incorrect -- uses the ungrammatical mandate x to be balanced.

C - incorrect -- inappropriately uses the future indicative, will be, rather than the subjunctive.

D, E - incorrect -- use wordy and imprecise expressions in place of the verb mandate: neither have a mandate for a balanced... budget nor have a mandate to balance the ... budget makes clear that the requirement is made by the constitution. It is also unclear in D whether each year refers to the mandating or the balancing.

48). D is the best choice -- The members of a comparison (more X than Y) should be expressed in parallel form. This choice correctly uses parallel clauses introduced by because. The clauses themselves are clear and direct.

E - incorrect -- uses parallel forms, but the convoluted structures are awkward and wordy. Furthermore, the word "bodies" would need an apostrophe (bodies') since it is the logical subject of the gerund burning (that is, it answers the question, "Whose burning?").

A, B, C - incorrect -- do not use parallel forms for the two members of the comparison. In addition, A and B use "due to" unidiomatically to mean "because"; properly used, "due to" is synonymous with "attributable to".