Lesson: Comparisons - Part I

Glad you like them!

There's a big comparison issue with that sentence. Once we read, "In addition to having more teeth than a piranha has...," we should asks "What has more teeth than a piranha has?" The part the follows should answer that question.

Reading on, we get, "a barracuda's teeth ...."

Hmm, a barracuda's TEETH have more teeth than a piranha has? That makes no sense. As such, this is a faulty comparison.

You're referring to Beat The GMAT's free 60-Day Study Guide (http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide)

The time it takes to complete each day's activities will vary from person to person. Also, some days take longer to complete.

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I hope that helps.

Cheers,
Brent

Close.

First we need some articles "a" AND we need some different punctuation.

The following would be fine: A barracuda's teeth are larger than a piranha's teeth, and a barracuda has more teeth than a piranha has.

Thanks!

Great question!

Both of those sentences are considered correct.
This concept is explained in the following video: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat-sentence-correction/video/1174

Cheers,
Brent

In that case, your sentence would be correct.

B) Unlike the shuttle and earlier spacecraft, with SUFFICIENT ENOUGH power in fuel cells and batteries for their short flights, a permanently orbiting space station will have to generate its own electricity.

SUFFICIENT and ENOUGH are synonymous. So using both words is redundant.
It's like saying "The balloon DESCENDED DOWNWARDS.

Cheers,
Brent

Link: https://gmatclub.com/forum/according-to-united-states-census-data-while-...

No, there's no distinction here between SUCH and THOSE.
In A and B it is clear that we're discussing women with young children. So, THOSE WOMEN and SUCH WOMEN would pertain to the same women.

BTW, is this sentence correct according to GMAT standards: "In 2000 mothers who worked while having young children were much unhappier than mothers who worked but didn't have children"

That sentence is so-so. There's a slight problem with "while having young children"
It's somewhat awkward to say a woman is working and having children.
e.g., At the moment, Claire is working and having children

Also, a mother who doesn't have children isn't a "mother"

Cheers,
Brent

Link: https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-1981-children-in-the-united-states-spent-a...

D) In 1981 children in the United States spent an average of slightly less than two and a half hours a week doing household chores, COMPARED WITH a figure of nearly six hours a week in 1997.
We have an illogical comparison.
The modifying phrase that starts with COMPARED WITH appears to modify the nearest noun (CHORES).
So, here, we're comparing CHORES with some FIGURE.
No good.

A) In 1981 children in the United States spent an average of slightly less than two and a half hours a week doing household chores; by 1997 they HAD SPENT nearly six hours a week
In order to use the past perfect tense HAD SPENT, it must be the case that the action was COMPLETED before another past event.
In the sentence we are told that, by 1997 we're spending six hours a week performing chores.
There is nothing in the sentence to suggest that the action action of performing 6 hours of chores per week has been completed
As such we can't use the past perfect tense HAD SPENT

B) In 1981 children in the United States spent an average of slightly less than two and a half hours a week doing household chores; by 1997 that figure HAD GROWN to nearly six hours a week.
In this case we have the past perfect tense HAD GROWN.
Here we have a COMPLETED event that occurred in the past before some other past event was completed.
That is, 1997 has come and gone. So it is a past event.
BEFORE 1997, the figure regarding hours spent on chores each week, HAD GROWN from 2.5 to 6.
As such the past perfect tense works "perfectly" here :-)

Cheers,
Brent

Answer choice A is incorrect, because we need two companies merging. Otherwise, it's not a merger.
We have: "... the merger of the nation's LEADING GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY"

In order to express the fact that TWO companies are merging, we should say something like: "...the merger of the nation’s leading gas company and leading electric company."

Answer choice E correctly specifies that two separate companies are merging.

Cheers,
Brent00

Question link: https://gmatclub.com/forum/many-airline-carriers-are-attempting-to-incre...

The intended meaning: LAST YEAR, the airline carriers used smaller planes. THIS YEAR, to save money, the airline carriers are offering the same number of flights, but this year they are using larger planes.

(B) Many airline carriers are attempting to increase profitability while keeping overhead low by offering, in terms of flights, the same number offered LAST YEAR USING LARGER PLANES that fly more efficiently.
This sentence suggests that the carriers were USING larger planes LAST YEAR. Eliminate B

(E) Many airline carriers are attempting to increase profitability while keeping overhead low by offering, in terms of flights, AN EQUAL NUMBER as WERE offered last year, using larger planes that fly more efficiently.
Here we have a subject verb disagreement.
AN EQUAL NUMBER is singular and WERE OFFERED is plural.
Eliminate E.

Cheers,
Brent

Question link: https://gmatclub.com/forum/employment-costs-rose-2-8-percent-in-the-12-m...

In this question, we're comparing how much employment costs ROSE over the past 12 months with how much employment costs ROSE over a different time period.

Correct: Employment costs ROSE this year LESS THAN THEY DID last year.
In other words: This year, employment costs ROSE less than employment costs ROSE last year.

With answer choice D, we get: Employment costs ROSE this year LOWER THAN last year.
This makes no sense. First of all, we're missing either the word ROSE or a word meant to replace ROSE (e.g., DID)
Also, something can't rise lower than something else.

Yes, it sounds like you need more review.

The GMAT would consider that sentence incorrect since we aren't specifically comparing the LAWS in Maltania with the LAWS in Mexico.

"projection FOR increase in spending" suffers from two problems:
1) I don't believe it is idiomatically correct to say projection FOR.
2) it is missing the indefinite article AN (projection for an increase in spending)

Finally, don't believe this is a comparison question.