Question
As with ants, the elaborate social structure of termites includes a few individuals reproducing and the rest serve the colony by tending juveniles, gathering food, building the nest, or battling intruders.
Option A
Option B
Option C
Option D
Option E
(This question is from Official Guide. Therefore, because of copyrights, the complete question cannot be copied here. The question can be accessed at GMAT Club)
Solution
Sentence Analysis
- As with ants, (‘As’ structure used to present comparison)
- the elaborate social structure of termites includes (Main subject: ‘social structure’; Main Verb: ‘includes’)
- a few individuals reproducing (Object of the verb ‘includes’)
- and the rest serve the colony by (A clause currently not parallel to the object above)
- tending juveniles,
- gathering food,
- building the nest,
- or battling intruders.
The statement says that the social structure of termites is same as that of ants. The social structure of termites is such that a few individuals reproduce, and the rest serve the colony by doing a number of activities.
The given sentence has the following problems:
- It compares ants with ‘the elaborate social structure of termites’. Either ants should be compared with termites or social structure of ants should be compared with social structure of termites.
- ‘a few individuals reproducing’ (a noun) is not parallel to ‘the rest serve..’ (a clause)
Option Analysis
(A) Incorrect. For the reasons mentioned above.
(B) Incorrect. For the following reasons:
- ‘includes a few individuals to reproduce’ means that the social structure includes a few individuals with a purpose to reproduce i.e. the purpose of ‘including’ is reproduction. Clearly, this meaning doesn’t make sense.
- The part in the non-underlined part ‘the rest serve the colony’ is not parallel to anything before ‘and’ in this option.
- Even though ‘as do ants’ can be used to present comparison (meaning that ants also have an elaborate social structure just as termites have), the concise and preferred construction is ‘like ants’. Both structures communicate the same meaning; just that the latter construction is a neater construction.
(C) Incorrect. For the following reasons:
- First error of the original sentence.
- Second error of option B
- ‘including’ is generally used to present instances of an entity. For example: ‘Developing nations, including China and India, are growing’. Here, ‘including’ is introducing instances of developing nations. In the given option ‘individuals’ are not instances of social structure. Besides, the use of ‘comma+verb-ing’ is inappropriate here since ‘comma+verb-ing’ is not providing information directly relevant to the clause.
(D) Correct. This option corrects both the errors of the original sentence. The part in the non-underlined part ‘the rest serve the colony..’ is parallel to ‘a few individuals reproduce’.
(E) Incorrect. For the following reasons:
- Third error of option C.
- Second error of option B.
Please note that in ‘that of ants’, that can refer refer to ‘social structure’. For example, in this question, “those” refers to crafts.
If you have any doubts regarding any part of this solution, please feel free to ask in the comments section.
What is the difference between ‘the social structure of termites’ and ‘the termite social structure’.
No difference in the meaning.
which is correct in option B
as ants do or as ants have…. termites have social structure??
have or do
Both mean the same.
Regarding E the usage of that, in another OG question: “Thai village craft, like those of other cultures, have developed through the principle” , it uses “those” without antecedent.
I am confused about the inconsistency of this usage.
You are right, Eric. Thank you so much for pointing it out! I’ve corrected the solution.
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