According to a study by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, companies in the United States are providing job training and general education for nearly eight million people, about equivalent to the enrollment of the nation’s four-year colleges and universities.
A. equivalent to the enrollment of
B. the equivalent of those enrolled in
C. equal to those who are enrolled in
D. as many as the enrollment of
E. as many as are enrolled in
In-depth Explanation and Correct Answer Below (so you don’t see it while reviewing the question)
According to a study by the Carnegie Foundation… Explanation
According to a study by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, companies in the United States are providing job training and general education for nearly eight million people, about equivalent to the enrollment of the nation’s four-year colleges and universities.
(A) equivalent to the enrollment of
The meaning is off. The “8 million people” are not “equivalent” to the “enrollment of” in the colleges and universities.
(B) the equivalent of those enrolled in
The meaning is off. The “8 million people” are not “equivalent” to the people enrolled in the colleges and universities.
(C) equal to those who are enrolled in
The meaning is off. The “8 million people” are not “equal” to the people enrolled in the colleges and universities.
(D) as many as the enrollment of
8 million people, as many people as the enrollment of the nation’s four year colleges. Similar issue to the one in A, B, and C. You want to compare the 8 million people to the people in the nation’s four year colleges. This one compares the 8 million people to the enrollment. Yes, the enrollment is composed of people but it’s a bit off to compare the people to the enrollment. And, (E) is much better in that regard.
(E) as many as are enrolled in
8 million people, as many people as are enrolled in the nation’s four year colleges. This one makes a clear comparison between the 8 million people in job training programs and the people enrolled in four-year colleges.
Correct Answer: D
For some SC guidance, here’s a link to a breakdown of GMAT sentence correction.