According to a survey of graduating medical students conduct

[Haibara]

Thus, the following sentence(I just made it up randomly. It has nothing to do with the original prompt.) is incorrect :

It is nearly four times more likely that minority graduates will plan to practice in socioeconomically deprived areas than to work for multinational pharmaceutical corporations.

The above sentence is incorrect, right? Although it looks very parallel.

No. This sentence is fine, for exactly the same reason as "reason #1" listed in my post above (link: post95689.html#p95689 ).
You've got the two parallel constructions flanking "than", so you're good.

In many cases, that's the best you can possibly do.
E.g., In New York City, more people walk than drive to work. --> "Walk" and "drive" are flanking "than", so you're good. (There's obviously no way to get "more" directly in front of "walk".)

Ron，I'm so grateful for your kind and patient reply to my long post.
Many thanks.

After reading all your elaboration three times, I seem to grasp the main thrust here, which is "flanking".

In New York City, more people walk than drive to work.
--> "Walk" and "drive" are flanking "than" ---->correct

Harvard graduates who start companies are more likely to hire strangers than other graduates.
"strangers" and "other graduates" are flanking "than"--->correct

Engineering graduates are more likely to earn high starting salaries than other graduates.

As you said, it can be reorganised to a better form with the comparison in one continuous piece:

Engineering graduates are more likely than other graduates to earn high starting salaries.
--->So "Engineering graduates" and "other graduates" are flanking "more likely than"---->correct

However, if I eliminate "rather" from choice D:
It is nearly four times more likely that minority graduates than other graduates will plan to practice...

Even though "minority graduates" and "other graduates" are flanking "than", the above sentence is still incorrect, because the flanking part ---"minority graduates than other graduates"--- is somehow stuck in the "middle " of the sentence?

In contrast, the flanking part "Engineering graduates are more likely than other graduates" is put at the beginning of the corresponding sentence. The flanking part "strangers and other graduates" is put at the end of the corresponding sentence.

Therefore, I guess, for the position of comparison of two nouns, the 'beginning' and the 'end' are fine, but the 'middle' is not allowed, right?

Also, if I change choice E into:
It is nearly four times as likely for minority graduates as for other graduates to plan to practice...

The above sentence is correct,right? "for minority graduates" and "for other graduates" are flanking "as", and the flanking part is stuck in the 'middle' of the sentence, but the sentence is correct because the comparison target ('for + NOUN') in the flanking part is a prepositional phrase that could be put in the 'middle' of a sentence?

Sorry for bothering you with this comparison issue for so long time.
I'm really trying to find a rule that could be engraved in my mind, so I'm well prepared for other similar questions of comparison when I meet them later in the real test.

[jlucero]

Ron，I'm so grateful for your kind and patient reply to my long post.
Many thanks.

After reading all your elaboration three times, I seem to grasp the main thrust here, which is "flanking".

In New York City, more people walk than drive to work.
--> "Walk" and "drive" are flanking "than" ---->correct

Harvard graduates who start companies are more likely to hire strangers than other graduates.
"strangers" and "other graduates" are flanking "than"--->correct

Engineering graduates are more likely to earn high starting salaries than other graduates.

As you said, it can be reorganised to a better form with the comparison in one continuous piece:

Engineering graduates are more likely than other graduates to earn high starting salaries.
--->So "Engineering graduates" and "other graduates" are flanking "more likely than"---->correct

However, if I eliminate "rather" from choice D:
It is nearly four times more likely that minority graduates than other graduates will plan to practice...

Even though "minority graduates" and "other graduates" are flanking "than", the above sentence is still incorrect, because the flanking part ---"minority graduates than other graduates"--- is somehow stuck in the "middle " of the sentence?

In contrast, the flanking part "Engineering graduates are more likely than other graduates" is put at the beginning of the corresponding sentence. The flanking part "strangers and other graduates" is put at the end of the corresponding sentence.

Therefore, I guess, for the position of comparison of two nouns, the 'beginning' and the 'end' are fine, but the 'middle' is not allowed, right?

Not exactly. Most often, nouns come at the beginning or end of a sentence, so in most cases, you would see the comparison happen there. But you could also see an example like:

For breakfast, Joe likes to eat omelets rather than oatmeal, and drink milk.

As Ron said in his first post, the biggest issue in D is the unidiomatic construction of D. We all understand what D is trying to say, but it's just not the way that the English language says it.

Also, if I change choice E into:
It is nearly four times as likely for minority graduates as for other graduates to plan to practice...

The above sentence is correct,right? "for minority graduates" and "for other graduates" are flanking "as", and the flanking part is stuck in the 'middle' of the sentence, but the sentence is correct because the comparison target ('for + NOUN') in the flanking part is a prepositional phrase that could be put in the 'middle' of a sentence?

Sorry for bothering you with this comparison issue for so long time.
I'm really trying to find a rule that could be engraved in my mind, so I'm well prepared for other similar questions of comparison when I meet them later in the real test.

This would be incorrect, again, because of the unidiomatic style of setting this up. In my opinion, there are two correct ways to write this sentence (comparisons in quotes):

"X" is 4 times as likely as "Y" to do something.
or
It is 4 times as likely that "X does something", as it is that "Y does that same thing".

Answer choice C goes with the first (and simpler) construction- compares nouns to nouns. Answer choices D & E both attempt the second construction, but fail to compare what X DOES with what Y DOES. If you wanted to use that construction properly, you would need a sentence like:

it is nearly four times more likely that minority graduates will plan to practice in socioeconomically deprived areas, than other graduates will plan to.

[Haibara]

Ron and Joe, thank you very much for clear explanation.
I have to say, as a non-native speaker, I'm kind of frustrated when you say "it's just not the way that the English language says it". Because it implies that I have no weapon to tackle such sentences as "It is nearly four times as likely for minority graduates as for other graduates to plan to practice..." and "It is nearly four times more likely that minority graduates than other graduates will plan to practice...", except memorise them as incorrect expressions one by one.

Thanks anyway! This forum has already helped me a lot.

[RonPurewal]

"It is nearly four times as likely for minority graduates as for other graduates to plan to practice...

"Likely for (someone) to (verb)" isn't a thing. Once you've seen that, you've seen that; the issue has nothing to do with the comparison.

" and "It is nearly four times more likely that minority graduates than other graduates will plan to practice...", except memorise them as incorrect expressions one by one.

If the sentence starts out with "It is more likely that...", then you can't break up the clause starting with "that", just as you wouldn't want to break up any other construction that is one of the two things being compared.
Unlike the idiom above, this one requires no knowledge beyond "don't break up stuff that shouldn't be broken up".

[Haibara]

If the sentence starts out with "It is more likely that...", then you can't break up the clause starting with "that", just as you wouldn't want to break up any other construction that is one of the two things being compared.
Unlike the idiom above, this one requires no knowledge beyond "don't break up stuff that shouldn't be broken up".

Thank you Ron very much, I now get it.

[RonPurewal]

You're welcome.

[RomanN658]

Hi Ron,

I eliminated (C) and choose (A) because I thought (C) changes the original meaning of the sentence. In my perspective, "four times more likely" and "four times as likely as" convey entirely different meaning. However, since you mentioned that the difference is only a mathematical problem, Could you please explain from a native speaker perspective why this difference is not a meaning issue? Furthermore, what kind of choice can be eliminated because it distorts the intended meaning of the sentence?

[RonPurewal]

Hi Ron,

I eliminated (C) and choose (A) because I thought (C) changes the original meaning of the sentence. In my perspective, "four times more likely" and "four times as likely as" convey entirely different meaning. However, since you mentioned that the difference is only a mathematical problem, Could you please explain from a native speaker perspective why this difference is not a meaning issue?

"Meaning issues" only exist when something is actually nonsense.

If you are choosing between two or more reasonable meanings, then either one is fine. (In particular, the meaning of choice A is not sacrosanct or "preferred" in any way.)

[750plus]

1. Could you please clarify the difference bt "four times more likely than" and "four times as likely as"?

replicated from this post. this post addresses more than just your question, but your answer is in there:

heh.

mathematically speaking, there's a difference between '4 times more likely' and '4 times as likely'. Specifically, '4 times more likely' is actually the same as '5 times as likely', although even experts accidentally conflate the two constructions on occasion.

but this is a verbal question, so let's set the mathematical nitpicking aside; there is no language-based reason to prefer one or the other of these constructions.

the biggest problem with D is its poor idiomatic construction. you don't say 'it is X times MORE likely that A will happen, RATHER THAN B'; 'more' is supposed to go with 'THAN', and is incompatible with 'rather than'. the proper construction would be 'it is X times more likely that A will happen than that B will happen.' better than either of these, though, is the more compact form: 'A is X times more likely to happen than is B.'

hth.

2. Is "plan to" a wrong idiom? is "plan on" the correct idiom?

no, "plan to" is fine.
but you missed the idiom that actually _is_ incorrect in this sentence: "likely ... in planning" (incorrect, in (a)) vs. "likely ... to plan" (correct, in (b)).
"likely" must be used with an infinitive. in their usual dastardly way, the gmat writers have camouflaged this poor idiomatic usage behind not only lots of noise (the words between "likely" and "in"), but also a second, correct idiom (the one you singled out).
that's tough.

Dear Instructors,

Thank You for the discussion. It has already answer most of my doubts.

But there is one doubt that is not addressed. Some one has asked it already but it was answered in directly.

Is PLAN ON a correct idiom ?

I am asking this question when I know that the problem with choice A is 'Likely....In planning' Moreover, I know the correct form that we use is 'Likely to + verb'

Warm Regards

[RonPurewal]

Is PLAN ON a correct idiom ?

it's in the correct choice, so, you already know the answer to this question.

[750plus]

I see. Thanks !

[RonPurewal]

sure.

[TooLong150]

Can one of the instructors explain why A is wrong? I've looked at it for 15 minutes, and I can't see the error. Thanks. By the way, I scanned through the entire topic on this forum, but I didn't see an extensive explanation for the error made in A.

[RonPurewal]

if you come upon this sort of impasse, try to make shorter sentences, with easier words, that contain the same difference.

e.g.,
My team is more likely ____ than your team. (or, My team is more likely than your team _____.)
• to win?
• in winning?
hopefully this one isn't too hard. if it's not, then you know everything you need to know.

[RonPurewal]

incidentally, a correct sentence can contain both 'likely' and 'in X'... but only as separate constructions.

e.g.,
Car accidents are especially likely in bad weather.

note that this sentence could just as well be written as In bad weather, car accidents are especially likely.
we're NOT saying that accidents are likely to do anything; we're just saying that they are likely. (it would clearly be nonsense to say that a PERSON 'is likely'. therefore, choice A is nonsense.)

(and of course you can have all three: Drivers are especially likely to have accidents in bad weather.)