Question
During an ice age, the buildup of ice at the poles and the drop in water levels near the equator speed up the Earth’s rotation, like a spinning figure skater whose speed increases when her arms are drawn in.
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
- During an ice age, (Prepositional phrase – modifies the main verb “speed up”)
- the buildup (First part of the compound subject)
- of ice (Prepositional phrase – modifies “buildup”)
- at the poles (Prepositional phrase – modifies “buildup”)
- and the drop (Second part of the compound subject)
- in water levels (Prepositional phrase – modifies “drop”)
- near the equator (Prepositional phrase – modifies “drop”)
- speed up the Earth’s rotation, (Main verb – “speed up”)
- like a spinning figure skater (Prepositional phrase – introduces comparison with the compound subject)
- whose speed increases (Relative clause – modifies “skater”)
- when her arms are drawn in. (Dependent clause – modifies the verb “increases”)
- whose speed increases (Relative clause – modifies “skater”)
The sentence talks about what happens during an ice age. Two things (the buildup of ice at the poles and the drop in water levels near the equator) speed up the earth’s rotation. The sentence then introduces a comparison/similarity. The sentence seems to present a similarity between how these two things speed up the earth’s rotation and how a skater increases her speed by drawing her arms in.
The sentence is incorrect for the following reasons:
- The comparison is not presented in the right way. The way the sentence is written, “a spinning figure” is compared with the compound subject “the buildup of ice and the drop in water levels”, leading to a meaning that a spinning figure also speeds up the Earth’s rotation. Very interesting! But not logical! (Please note that many people, even some experts, believe that “a spinning figure” is being compared with “Earth’s rotation” here. However, this understanding is wrong. “Comma+like” at the end of a clause always goes back to the subject of the clause when “like” is used to present a comparison. The official explanation for this question also supports our understanding.)
- The sentence also has a quite significant quality issue. The passive structure used in “a spinning figure skater whose speed increases when her arms are drawn in” indicates that the skater doesn’t increase her speed or draws her arms in. It seems some other entity draws her arms in, and as a result, her speed increases. A much more sensible way to write this idea would be: a spinning figure skater who increases her speed by drawing her arms in.
Option Analysis
(A) Incorrect. For the reasons mentioned above.
(B) Incorrect. Both the issues mentioned in the original sentences are present in this option, albeit in slightly different ways. Besides, funnily, we don’t even know from this option whether the skater is spinning or not!
(C) Incorrect. For the following reasons:
- The first error of the original sentence.
- “With her arms drawn in” seems to modify “spinning”, not “increases”. Thus, the option means that the skater increases speed while spinning in a particular way. However, how does she increase speed? We don’t know. This seems logically much inferior to an option that tells us how she increases speed.
(D) Incorrect. Here, “as” is followed by a noun (skater), which is followed by a relative clause modifier. “As” followed by a noun is not used to present a comparison. To present a comparison, “as” needs to be followed by a clause or a prepositional phrase (in case subject and verb are elided).
(E) Correct. Just as a spinning figure skater increases speed by drawing in her arms.
If you have any doubts regarding any part of this solution, please feel free to ask in the comments section.
This solution was created by Chiranjeev Singh and Anish Passi.
