GWD21-13

[keepit]

When drive-ins were at the height of their popularity in the late 1950’s, some 4,000 existed in the United States,
but today there are less than one-quarter that many.

A. there are less than one-quarter that many
B. there are fewer than one-quarter as many
C. there are fewer than one-quarter of that amount
D. the number is less than one-quarter the amount
E. it is less than one-quarter of that amount


我想問這題，答案是C，如果是用amount在比的話，為什麼是用fewer than 不是less than？我選了E！

[yutsang_0611]

amount可以是可數也可以是不可數(from longman)
所以用less or fewer判斷有風險，
(A)that many 怪
(B)as many 應該用在as many as，as many在這也怪
(D)(E)的the number與it無指代對象，

(C)that amount 指的是 some 4000，應該是可數的，所以用fewer修飾

[keepit]

謝謝！

[YH32480]

First, you should know that such "mix-and-match" questions rarely appear on the real GMAT anymore--they're too easy.

This question is okay as a grammar exercise, but I wouldn't get too hung up on it.

Anyway, what you want to know: yes, you are right that we generally use non-count modifiers (less, amount, much, etc.) when we are referring to percentages and fractions, even when those numbers refer to count nouns. The concept behind this is that we are focusing on the number itself, not on the things the number represents. And this case would be no exception.

This gets rid of B and C. Also, D and E are awkward or wordy, in addition to the some other problems.

So, let's address the last part of the underline--many or amount. In this case, since we are referring to a count noun, drive-ins, we should use a count modifier, many or number.

You were confused by that many; the that is a demonstrative and refers to the number 4,000 that was already mentioned in the sentence. Compare it to something like I didn't know that many people would show up.

The as many in B isn't quite right, either--we use as... as...for comparisons, and ETS usually wants us to have the other as in the sentence to make it grammatically complete.

這題的答案應該是 (A) 選項

原因再以中文解釋一次：
1. more / less than 是與 over, only, approximately, nearly, up to...等相同用法的副詞 用來修飾數字 （而非比較)，例如： I have over 100 dollars. = I have more than 100 dollars.
<所以當修飾數字時，不應該用fewer → 去掉 (B),(C)選項>
2. (E) 選項的 it 沒有指代的對象，所以銷掉
3. 指代可數名詞用 many , number；指代不可數名詞用 amount
所以(D)選項用 amount 指代可數名詞 drive-ins 錯誤

僅供參考
敬請指教

[阿琪]

這題想了好久~~最後支持(D)選項！！！

原因在於"平衡"、"指代"、"比較"以及"可數/不可數" 等觀念！！

1、平衡(句子結構的基礎)
when_______a_________, ______b______ , but _____c_____ (一個句子，2個連結詞，故為三段話)
c段話是要去平衡a或b呢？
由於選項裡頭都是在比較數量(one quarter)，所以應該去比較b (a段話中的popularity是"普及","流行"之意)

2、指代(達意的關鍵)
(1)there were 可代drive-ins，同時又可代some (因為some就是代drive-ins)，但如果代drive-ins是錯誤的，因為該句中並沒有談及任何數量之意！-->如此造成指代模糊及比較錯誤！！
反觀：the number ，清楚表明…就是要來談"4,000"

(2)amount 可代"總量"的概念，因此指的就是"4,000"

3、比較
須符合 A ...than ...B ，A和B必須是同類，才有比較性
there (dirve-ins) are .....than.....數量(many/amount) ，無法比較
反觀： the number .......than ....amount 正確比較

4、可數/不可數
比較總量(amount)或數字(the number)時，須用less

綜觀以上討論，選(d)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
(A)的問題在於
1、 there are指代問題
2、many雖可當代名詞，但有很多之意(I don't need so many).沒有像amount準確傳達出量的概念
3、many若指drive-ins，則會有很怪的句意　one-quarter that drive-ins （四分之一的dirve-ins？？）
　　　　 若指4,000... (many代數字…比不及amount來的好！)
4、that many中的that蠻 "漂渺"的，指的對象到底是誰(drive-ins, popularity, united states, 4000)
--------------------------------------------------
最後(d)the number ........than ......the amount 乾淨，比較、指代明確~
when____, ______, but ____ 平衡佳

這題同 GWD8-41
http://www.formosamba.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=483

以上參考○魯！！！

[telma13]

本提根據老莫的說法,答案為(A)
此處比的是"數字",因此用less來形容,去掉(B).(C)
另外drv-ins可數,不能用amount來形容,去掉(C).(D).(E)
所以我選答案(A)
個人也比較認同YH32480的說法

[ad264]

查了NYTimes
fewer than one-quarter of，沒有看到as的
less than one-quarter their size 跟A is twice B一樣用法。

至於amount這個考點真的是重要呀，就可以排CDE

[ad264]

無意間看到Erin的帖：
http://www.urch.com/forums/gmat-sentenc ... n-com.html

Anyway, what you want to know: yes, you are right that we generally use non-count modifiers (less, amount, much, etc.) when we are referring to percentages and fractions, even when those numbers refer to count nouns. The concept behind this is that we are focusing on the number itself, not on the things the number represents. And this case would be no exception.

形容分數要用不可數的量詞