Jump to content
Urch Forums

So as to / So (such) that


Yazynin

Recommended Posts

I can't understand the difference between them. For example (I apologise for not gving all the variants):

 

Congress is debating a bill requiring certain employers provide workers with unpaid leave so as to care for sick or newborn children.

The official answer is: to provide workers with unpaid leave so that they can

 

Several years ago the diet industry introduced a variety of appetite suppressants, but some of these drugs caused such severe stomach disorders as to be banned by the Food and Drug Administration.

The official answer is: such severe stomach disorders that they were

 

---------------------------BUT----------------------

 

Students in the metropolitan school district lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming ever more dependent on information-based industries.

The official answer is: are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming

 

The Emperor Augustus, it appears, commissioned an idealized sculptured portrait, the features of which are so unrealistic that they have constituted what one scholar calls an “artificial face”

The official answer is: so unrealistic as to constitute

 

Although one link in the chain was demonstrated to be weak, but not sufficiently so to require the recall of the automobile.

The official answer is: demonstrably weak, it was not so weak as to require

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know it's been a while, but this is the first chance I've had to get to this question (it'll take me a bit of time to explain this grammar point, and longer answers take longer for me to get to).

Originally posted by Yazynin

 

I can't understand the difference between them. For example (I apologise for not gving all the variants):

 

Congress is debating a bill requiring certain employers TO provide workers with unpaid leave so as to care for sick or newborn children.

"so as to" modifies verbs; this sentence is ambiguous. On first read, it sounds like the desired result of debating is workers being able care for sick or newborn children. This meaning is incorrect--the desired result of debating is coming to agreement.

The official answer is: to provide workers with unpaid leave so that they can

This is okay because it's clear that the workers are going to take care of the children.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Yazynin

 

 

Several years ago the diet industry introduced a variety of appetite suppressants, but some of these drugs caused such severe stomach disorders as to be banned by the Food and Drug Administration.

The official answer is: such severe stomach disorders that they were

First, you should know that such + noun + as to is much less common than so + adj/adv + as to.

 

Now, for the difference between these two. I think these are best illustrated with examples:

 

Xue Mei spoke in such a way as to calm us down.

 

The sales materials are presented in such a way as to encourage attendees to purchase the products on the spot.

 

These usages focus on doing an action and paying to that action while you are doing it so that the action creates a result. To simplify a bit, these usages answer the question, "Why did you do it in that way?"

 

So, the most common words to use with this pattern are way, manner, etc.

 

Compare these similar sentences:

 

Xue Mei spoke so that we would stop asking her questions.

 

The sales materials are presented at the end of the meetings so that the participants won't realize the meeting is actually a sales presentation.

 

The part that comes after so... that... answers the question WHY.

 

 

 

Of course, these two are often interchangeable, but if you really, really want to know the difference, this is it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Erin, can u plz explain why the OFFICIAL answer given is preffered over the other(not another) choice.....As told, we shud prefer 'so that' when 'WHY' is being answered.And we shud use 'so as to' when 'IN WHAT WAY' is being addressed.But in the below mentioned cases we arent answering either of the two...so what rule governs these examples??

1)Students in the metropolitan school district becoming ever more dependent on information-based industries.

The official answer is: are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming

 

2)The Emperor Augustus, it appears, commissioned an idealized sculptured portrait, the features of which are what one scholar calls an “artificial face”

The official answer is: so unrealistic as to constitute

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...

The official answer is: to provide workers with unpaid leave so that they can

 

This is okay because it's clear that the workers are going to take care of the children.

 

Why can't "they" refer to employers?

 

Employers = plural noun

Workers = plural noun

 

they = plurnal pronoun

 

I have done almost every problem of SC in [tooltip=Official Guide]OG[/tooltip], and I can't figure this out.What is the explanation proving that "they" can only refer to the workers?

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...
  • 1 year later...
  • 1 year later...
  • 2 months later...

Erin.

Pls. comment that in OG10 Q.67 , why 'they' can not refer to 'employers' ?

The sentence as per OG is : Congress is debating a bill requiring certain employers to provide workers with unpaid leave so that they can care for sick or new born children.

I find the use of they 'confusing'. Pls help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Whino-

 

The thimb rule is that the pronoun should refer to the immediate antecedent.

In this case, the immediate antecedent is 'workers' for they so D passes.

 

© provide workers with unpaid leave in order that they

(D) to provide workers with unpaid leave so that they can

 

What I don't get is why is C incorrect? subjunctive?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
Erin.

Pls. comment that in OG10 Q.67 , why 'they' can not refer to 'employers' ?

The sentence as per OG is : Congress is debating a bill requiring certain employers to provide workers with unpaid leave so that they can care for sick or new born children.

I find the use of they 'confusing'. Pls help.

 

 

they might not be confusing ( OG SAYS SO) ( WHAT GMAT BELIEVES IS CORRECT SHOULD BE TEST TAKER'S SOLE BELIEF )

 

 

So that is equivalent or rather equal to in order to ( mechanically yes)

 

I will write GMAT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GEt through B school

 

I will write Gmat so that i can get through B school

 

ok take another one:

 

!2rk took GMat to get through B school

 

Who wants to get through b school ?

 

12rk

 

12rk took gmat in order to get through B school

 

who?

understood

 

12rk took gmat so that he/she can get through B school

 

HE/she = 12rk

 

Doer is the beneficiary here .

 

say :

 

X took gmat so that Y could get through b school.

 

It is non sensical

rt?

 

One could argue against the above logic

 

 

He arranged the meeting so that we could discuss the problems.

 

A valid POINT

 

HERE THE DOER IS HE AND THE BENEFICIARY IS WE :eek::rolleyes:

 

12RK,

 

WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THIS ??????

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...