a larger percentage of the gross national

[manhhiep2509]

In Holland, a larger percentage of the gross national product is spent on defense of their coasts from rising seas than is spent on military defense in the United States.

(A) In Holland, a larger percentage of the gross national product is spent on defense of their coasts from rising seas than is spent on military defense in the United States.

(B) In Holland they spend a larger percentage of their gross national product on defending their coasts from rising seas than the United States does on military defense.

(C) A larger percentage of Holland’s gross national product is spent on defending their coasts from rising seas than the United States spends on military defense.

(D) Holland spends a larger percentage of its gross national product defending its coasts from rising seas than the military defense spending of the United States.

(E) Holland spends a larger percentage of its gross national product on defending its coasts from rising seas than the United States does on military defense.

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I eliminate choice D because it seems, at best, to compare percentage of GDP of Holland and amount of money spent on US military.

Is my understanding of choice D correct?

Thank you.
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*Source: in the below blog Stacey Koprince said that the question is from GMAT PREP.
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -gmatprep/

[RonPurewal]

I eliminate choice D because it seems, at best, to compare percentage of GDP of Holland and amount of money spent on US military.

Is my understanding of choice D correct?

Yeah. "The military defense spending..." is a noun; there's no analogous noun in the other half of the comparison.

Even if you were to change the first part into a noun form (...on defending its coasts...), you'd still have a nonsense sentence; in that case, you'd be implying that U.S. military defense is an item in the Dutch national budget.

[sandeepr433]

Hi Ron,

Please help me with my understanding on this issue pertaining to comparisons.

I quickly eliminated options A,B and C by chucking off "their".

I eliminated E because I transformed the sentence to-

Holland spends a larger percentage of its gross national product on defending its coasts from rising seas than the (percentage) United States (spends) on military defense.

"Spends" is replaced by "does" and is acceptable.
But,I thought that (percentage) should be repeated or replaced with "what".

So I was expecting the right answer choice to be -
Holland spends a larger percentage of its gross national product on defending its coasts from rising seas than what the United States does on military defense.

Can I just ignore the "what" ?Is it just understood that way by common sense?


Thanks Ron!

[RonPurewal]

https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... ml#p113659

[RichaChampion]

Ron Sir,

Options C, D, and E are clear, but I have some doubts in Option A and Option B. Let me summarize my understanding of Option C, Option D, and Option E.

Option C: A larger percentage of Holland’s gross national product is compared to the United States.
Option D: As discussed above action is compared to a noun.
Option E: Action is compared to an action.

Can you please discuss option A and B, Please.

[RonPurewal]

Can you please discuss option A and B, Please.

umm...
specific question(s)?
(you can't just say "please discuss these choices"... what does that even mean? that means nothing!)

thanks