12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 11: In recent years, many : Sentence Correction (SC)

12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

In recent years, many prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing, in part that their Chinese branches should acquire new customers and partly because the Chinese Diaspora is projected to increase substantially over the next decade.

(A) in part that their Chinese branches should acquire new customers
(B) in part for the acquisition of new customers by their Chinese branches
(C) partly because of their Chinese branches acquiring new customers
(D) partly to acquire new customers for their Chinese branches
(E) partly because new customers should be acquired by their Chinese branches

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Bunuel wrote:12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

In recent years, many prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing, in part that their Chinese branches should acquire new customers and partly because the Chinese Diaspora is projected to increase substantially over the next decade.

(A) in part that their Chinese branches should acquire new customers
(B) in part for the acquisition of new customers by their Chinese branches
(C) partly because of their Chinese branches acquiring new customers
(D) partly to acquire new customers for their Chinese branches
(E) partly because new customers should be acquired by their Chinese branches

This question was provided by Experts'Global for the 12 Days of Christmas Competition Win $30,000 in prizes: Courses, Tests & more

 

Experts' Global Official Explanation

Parallelism + Grammatical Construction + Meaning + Redundancy/Awkwardness

Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing, partly for the purpose of acquiring new customers for their Chinese branches.

• Any elements linked by a conjunction (“and” in this sentence) must be parallel.
• “should” is used to convey a sense of obligation/desirability.

A. This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “should acquire new customers”; the use of the word “should” incorrectly implies that prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing partly because it is necessary/desirable that their Chinese branches acquire new customers; the intended meaning is that prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing partly for the purpose of acquiring new customers for their Chinese branches. Further, Option A fails to maintain parallelism between “in part their…” and “partly because…”; please remember, any elements linked by a conjunction (“and” in this sentence) must be parallel. Additionally, Option A uses the needlessly wordy phrase “in part that”, leading to awkwardness.

B. This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between “in part for the…” and “partly because…”; please remember, any elements linked by a conjunction (“and” in this sentence) must be parallel. Further, Option B uses the needlessly wordy phrase “in part for the acquisition of”, leading to awkwardness.

C. This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “partly because of their Chinese branches acquiring new customers”; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing partly because their Chinese branches have already acquired new customers; the intended meaning is that prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing partly for the purpose of acquiring new customers for their Chinese branches.

D. Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase “partly to acquire new customers…”, conveying the intended meaning- that prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing partly for the purpose of acquiring new customers for their Chinese branches. Further, Option D maintains parallelism between “partly to acquire…” and “partly because…”. Additionally, Option D is free of awkwardness and redundancy.

E. Trap. This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “new customers should be acquired”; the use of the word “should” incorrectly implies that prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing partly because it is necessary/desirable that their Chinese branches acquire new customers; the intended meaning is that prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing partly for the purpose of acquiring new customers for their Chinese branches. Further, Option E uses the passive voice construction “new customers should be acquired”, rendering it needlessly indirect and wordy.

D is the best answer choice.

In recent years, many prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing, in part that their Chinese branches should acquire new customers and partly because the Chinese Diaspora is projected to increase substantially over the next decade.

(A) in part that their Chinese branches should acquire new customers
-not parallel
(B) in part for the acquisition of new customers by their Chinese branches
-not parallel
(C) partly because of their Chinese branches acquiring new customers
-parallel but acquiring new customers is non-idiomatic
(D) partly to acquire new customers for their Chinese branches
-parallel , to acquire is correct
(E) partly because new customers should be acquired by their Chinese branches
- parallel but "should be acquired" is twisting the meaning

In recent years, many prominent consumer goods retailers have increasingly invested in Mandarin-language marketing, in part that their Chinese branches should acquire new customers and partly because the Chinese Diaspora is projected to increase substantially over the next decade.

(A) in part that their Chinese branches should acquire new customers
(B) in part for the acquisition of new customers by their Chinese branches
(C) partly because of their Chinese branches acquiring new customers
(D) partly to acquire new customers for their Chinese branches
(E) partly because new customers should be acquired by their Chinese branches

IMO D

A. 'in part' not parallel with 'partly'
B. same as A.
C. meaning of the original sentence is changed. they want to acquire new customers.
D. Correct
E. "should be" is incorrect