goal760 Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 According to public health officials, in 1998 Massachusetts became the first state in which more babies were born to women over the age of thirty than under it. than than born than they were than there had been than had been born NO OA ! Let's discuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckyme Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 my guess would be (D) - arrived at my answer using POE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vishgoel Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 i would also go in for 'D' --- POE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimni Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 would go for E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amit2012 Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 I think Had been is not right because we are comparing two things at the same time Had been will mean as compared to sometime in the past I ll go for C OA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amit2012 Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 But 'they' seems ambiguous in C can you tell ?? B or C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsunder23 Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 B for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
800Bob Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 The correct response is A. It's a matter of ellipsis: "...more babies were born to women over the age of thirty than were born to women under the age of thirty." "...more babies were born to women over the age of thirty than to women under the age of thirty." "...more babies were born to women over the age of thirty than under the age of thirty." "...more babies were born to women over the age of thirty than under it." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertEinstein Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Here Rule of THAN comes into the picture. "Always A Noun/Pronoun.. should follow THAN which modifies its neariest Subject". So A,B are out. According to Tense Rule: " Unless the actions do not take place at the same time, you should keep all verb tenses in a given sentence the same". So D and E are Gone. So C is In.... here They clearly modifes WOMEN.... Any Challenges... If So WHY? OA plz.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budhi Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 I would go with A The comparison is between number of babies born to women over 30 and [number of babies born to ] under 30. here 'it' refers to the "age 30" than - Sound good than born - born under 30 changes the meaning than they were - sounds like children were under 30 than there had been - had been (past perfect) is definitely wrong than had been born - had been (past perfect) is definitely wrong Hence my vote A. OA Please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
800Bob Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Here Rule of THAN comes into the picture. "Always A Noun/Pronoun.. should follow THAN which modifies its neariest Subject". I don't understand. What does this "rule" mean? How can a noun or a pronoun "modify" a subject? And why can't "than" be followed by a verb or a conjunction or a preposition as in the following correct SC sentences? Inuits of the Bering Sea were isolated from contact with Europeans longer than were Aleuts or Inuits of the North Pacific and northern Alaska. Two new studies indicate that many people become obese more because their bodies burn calories too slowly than because they eat too much. According to a panel of health officials, there has been a great deal of confusion in the medical profession about whether obesity is a biological disorder posing serious health risks or a condition more related to appearance than to health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priyadarshi Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 I will go with A . Its a case of ellipse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niegra Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Erin didn't accept A http://www.wikigrammar.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1229&hl=massachusetts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
800Bob Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Erin didn't accept A http://www.wikigrammar.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1229&hl=massachusetts Erin writes: "than under it" is bizarre. I can't imagine a native speaker using "it" to refer to "the age of thirty." Yet here are a few sentences I found on the Web that seem like idiomatic native English to me: Teachers have special access and authority over their students, and this makes a sexual relationship between them exploitive whether the student is over the age of consent or just under it, he said. There will be more people over the age of 40 than there are under it in less than 20 years, new figures from the UK Government Actuary suggest. It may have insulted the intelligence of anyone over the age of 12, but for those under it, it was thrilling and extremely appealing. It was too immature for anyone over the age of 12 and too violent for anyone under it. A few years ago, the Kansas legislature decided to revise the statutory rape laws to take into account situations where someone who might be a bit over the age of consent and someone who is just a bit under it decide to have consensual sex. By the year 2010 there will be more people over the age of 50 than under it, so the opportunities are endless for the winner of Ms. Golden America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertEinstein Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 In your examples also: 1. than were aleuts (here n/p after THAN is ALEUTS) 2. than because they...... (noun/pronoun followed THAN.... here it is THEY). 3. than to health (n/p after THAN is Health...) THIS IS WHAT RULE MEANS.....This will just help you in POE. I don't understand. What does this "rule" mean? How can a noun or a pronoun "modify" a subject? And why can't "than" be followed by a verb or a conjunction or a preposition as in the following correct SC sentences? Inuits of the Bering Sea were isolated from contact with Europeans longer than were Aleuts or Inuits of the North Pacific and northern Alaska. Two new studies indicate that many people become obese more because their bodies burn calories too slowly than because they eat too much. According to a panel of health officials, there has been a great deal of confusion in the medical profession about whether obesity is a biological disorder posing serious health risks or a condition more related to appearance than to health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolabi Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 I would say "A" for reasons outlined by budhi AlbertEinstien, In "C", "they" is ambigous - although logically it cannot be the case but theoretically "they" could refer to babies too ( or women) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimni Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Albert , C is wrong seems to tie babies to the age thirty 800 bob, Budhi After reading your explanation things make sense. why is E definitely wrong. The babies were born before mass could be dubbed the first state so 2 actions in the past one before the other should have past perfect. I struggled with A and E Still not sure . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuqua Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 It's A,I think I have seen this question somewhere,I'm pretty sure it's A.800bob gave a good explanation,it's ellipse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_cute Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Wow, I missed a lot. :) Another vote for A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insight07 Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 I would go with A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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