Question
Many utilities obtain most of their electric power from large coal and nuclear operations at costs that are sometimes two to three times higher as that of power from smaller, more efficient plants that can both make use of waste heat and take advantage of the current abundance of natural gas.
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
- Many utilities obtain most of their electric power (Main Subject: Many utilities; Main Verb: obtain)
- from large coal and nuclear operations (Prepositional phrase modifying the main verb)
- at costs (Prepositional phrase modifying the main verb)
- that are sometimes two to three times higher as that of power from smaller, more efficient plants (Dependent clause modifying ‘costs’ – Subject: that; Verb: are)
- that can both make use of waste heat and take advantage of the current abundance of natural gas. (Dependent Clause modifying ‘plants’ – Subject: that; Verb: can make and can take)
- that are sometimes two to three times higher as that of power from smaller, more efficient plants (Dependent clause modifying ‘costs’ – Subject: that; Verb: are)
The sentence compares the costs of power from large operations and those from smaller plants.
The sentence has the following problems:
- “higher as” construction is incorrect. “higher than” is the correct construction.
- The comparison is between ‘costs’, not ‘cost’. The singular pronoun ‘that’ cannot refer to plural ‘costs’.
Please note that the construction ‘smaller, more efficient plants” is fine. We don’t need a comma between ‘smaller’ and ‘more efficient’.
Option Analysis
(A) Incorrect. For the reasons mentioned above.
(B) Incorrect. For the following reasons:
- “higher by two to three times” is not a correct construction
- Error no. 1 of the original sentence
- Error no. 2 of the original sentence
- The presence of ‘both’ before can would lead to parallel structures ‘that can make use’ and ‘that take advantage’. Even though these structures are also fine, the structures ‘that can make use’ and ‘that can take advantage’ seem better. For these structures, we need ‘both’ to appear after ‘can’.
(C) Correct.
(D) Incorrect. For the following reasons:
- ‘between x to y’ construction is incorrect. ‘between x and y’ is the correct construction.
- Error no. 1 of the original sentence
- Problem no. 4 of option B
(E) Incorrect. For the following reasons:
- Error no. 1 of option D
- The absence of the pronoun ‘those’ after ‘than’ makes the comparison incorrect. Even if we assume the word ‘costs’ after ‘than’, the construction becomes ‘costs from plants’, which also doesn’t make sense.
- The use of ‘they’ after ‘that’ makes the sentence structure deterministically wrong here since both ‘that’ and ‘they’ are subjects of the verb ‘can make and take’.
If you have any doubts regarding any part of this solution, please feel free to ask in the comments section.
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What is the role of comma in the structure “smaller, more efficient plants”? It is creating an unnecessary confusion.
Thanks!
To me, the comma clarifies where to take pause. In “smaller more efficient plants”, I’d have to apply my mind to figure out where to take the pause. No?
Yes. Seems logically correct now.
Thanks!
Can you please help me with this question
https://gmatclub.com/forum/according-to-a-new-rule-by-the-income-tax-department-of-xanadu-287534.html
What is wrong with option (C)?
Hi CJ,
Doubt about the error in option E. Rewriting with option in original sentence (removing between) :
Costs that are sometimes two to three times higher than {costs} from smaller, more efficient plants that they can both make use of waste heat and take advantage of the current abundance of natural gas.
Can we assume ellipsis//omission of the noun is present in option E?
Costs that are…… higher than Costs from …… -> Does this construction make sense meaning wise and grammatically?
Thanks
Amit
“Costs from plants” wouldn’t make sense, even if we assume ellipsis (which, I think, we can assume in this case)
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