[RockGmat]

Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than it was in any previous election.

a. a greater proportion than it was
b. a greater proportion than
c. a greater proportion than they have been
d. which is greater than was so
e. which is greater that is has been

This appeared in a real GMAT. I will post the OA once i get some explanations.

Thanks

[rchhapolia]

The comparison is of "proportion" which is singular. So, C is ruled out.

D and E distort the meaning of sentence. Which refers to costs, but the intention is to compare "proportion".

Between A and B, A sounds better to me.

[sandy]

I wud go for B).
Rest all choices gets eliminated as xplained by rchhapolia above and it comes down to A & B.

B is giving more direct meaning to the sentence.

Plz correct me if I'm wrong.(

[sleek04]

A should be the answer.
We are considering the facts of the past events.
Moreover, accounted is a simple past tense and so it should be simple past tense.
A and D satisfy the rule with "was". D is ruled out bcos of its wrong grammatical structure.
A should be correct.

[sankp]

IMO

B is correct

A) a greater propotion than it was in any previous election,
soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campagign of 1992
Pronoun- Antacedent error- Wrong

D & E wrong- which

C) use of 'have been' - wrong

B is correct

[Jigar]

Well.....I think Costs are being compared here.....and I would go with C in that case!!

[savita]

Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campagign of 1992, a greater propotion than it was in any previous election

Problems - 'costs' is plural
Comparison of 'costs' between campaigns of 1992 & previous campaigns, i.e past events.


so between b & c, C has 'they have been'...which past continuous. Not sure if that is ok to use on GMAT answers.

[RockGmat]

Thanks to all who replied.
I was confused between B and C . I picked B since it is very clear and concise.

The OA "given" is C. Can any more experts comment on it ?

Erin , bring it on :-)

[Jigar]

B is not concise.....as the refrence is not there...try puttin the B choice in the sentence....the "costs" will be compared to "Elections" but that is not the case....the "costs" of previous and elections that are going to be held are being compared.

[karapra]

Spending is singular, so "they" have been is wrong. My guess is A

Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campagign of 1992, a greater propotion than it was in any previous election

[Erin]

RockGmat, on Oct 14 2004, 01:39 AM, said:

Soaring television costs accounted for more than half the spending in the presidential campaign of 1992, a greater proportion than it was in any previous election.

b. a greater proportion than

B is best.

I know it's a bit confusing, but the proportion in B is a summative modifier; i.e., it sums up the essence of something said before in the sentence.

Another grammar point the 700 Club needs to know--it must refer to exactly the same noun. If the noun is not exactly the same, it cannot be used.

Compare:

The rock weighed more on Earth than it did on the Moon.

it is okay here because it's the same rock--imagine picking up the rock and carrying it to the new place--same rock, different location, different weight.

The average American weighed more last year than he did 100 years ago.

This one doesn't work--the means we have one "average American," and this very same average American is the one we're talking about. If this sentence were logically correct, then this average American would have been alive for at least 100 years, and we'd be comparing his weight now with his weight of the past.

Doesn't work.

The average American weighed more last year than 100 years ago.

This works. This construction, lacking the pronoun, allows us to "shift" the reference of the "average American" to the current average American.

[gmatguy]

I would go for c
though b also looks nice

[johar]

it in "than it was " referres to costs. which is wrong. so "C" is correct

[FreeBird1204]

hmm....I would go with B).....RockGmat, so the answer is C)??

[harishkamath]

I would have also gone for "B".

Obviously, the right answer according to RockGmat is "C" - this answer seem to be very "wordy" according to GMAT standards. So, it is a pleasant surprise.

I guess that there are always exceptions to the rule

Harish.