Question: Google Incorporated

Comment on Google Incorporated

I am not convinced with the reasoning of eliminating answer A. I was down between A and C but couldn't eliminate either of them. How could I have interpreted that the incorporation of Google 30 years after 1998 is invalid and not logical? Are we supposed to relate dates with the real world?
gmat-admin's picture

In some limited cases, you may have to apply some real world knowledge. Here's a related Official GMAT question (https://gmatclub.com/forum/initiated-five-centuries-after-europeans-arri...)

I also had the same issue...now it makes sense that 2028 hasn't even happened yet so that doesn't work. But I also wouldn't have known when Google was incorporated or when the first personal computer was introduced by IBM because I was like, just born ha!

I ended up choosing A just to have an answer, and I chose A because the original sentence said that IBM introduced the computer in 1998. So I thought that C was "changing the meaning" of the original sentence by saying Google was incorporated in 1998, when the original said that the computer was introduced in 1998.
gmat-admin's picture

I can see your point.

Here's a similar (official) sentence: Initiated five centuries after Europeans arrived in the New World on Columbus Day 1992, Project SETI pledged a $100 million investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Here, we can eliminate answer choice A because Europeans arrived well before 1992.

So, for the official question, we need to know that Europeans didn't arrive in 1992. For my question, we need to know that it isn't 2028 yet.

I was wondering, are the questions in order of difficulty? Do you have any tips in order to tackle a 700 score? As in, is it an idea to practice the easy ones first and work my way up to the difficult ones?
gmat-admin's picture

If you're referring to the questions at the bottom of this page (https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat-sentence-correction), then YES, they are arranged in order of difficulty.

I recommend that you start with the easier questions and work your way up to the most difficult ones.

Hi Brent. Between answer choices C and D, can we also employ the concept of active voice vs passive voice? 'Incorporated in September 1998' is active while 'an investment was received by Google' is passive. Am I right in coming to this conclusion? Thanks!
gmat-admin's picture

That's a good idea. Just remember that passive sentences are not necessarily incorrect on the GMAT. In fact, there are times when a passive sentence is the correct answer. HOWEVER, it's wayyyy more likely that a passive sentence is NOT the correct answer. So, you can "play the odds" and typically win.

Hi Brent,

After I have done so many questions in SC, I realize that the meaning of sentences is the first thing that I should understand. That meant if some sentences that
I did not know some words meaning, then my chance is only guessing the correct answer?
gmat-admin's picture

I don't believe that not knowing some words necessarily means that you're forced to guess. It really depends which words you don't know.

Hi Brent,

I understand ",+ Participle verb (i.e, ending with -ing or -ed)" is an adverbial modifier.
For the very same reason, I can't understand how "Incorporated ....1998" modifies only Google and not the complete phrase.
gmat-admin's picture

Upon reading the participial phrase "Incorporated in September 1998," we can ask ourselves, "Who/what was incorporated in 1998?"
The answer: Google.
So, the phrase must be modifying Google.
More on this strategy here: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat-sentence-correction/video/1163

Notice that the answer to the question "Who/what was incorporated in 1998?" is not "Google received a 1.1 million dollar investment."
Since this makes no sense, we can conclude that the participial phrase isn't modifying "Google received a 1.1 million dollar investment."

Does that help?

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