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To this day, researchers and theorists

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Kannn
 Post subject: To this day, researchers and theorists
 Post Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:00 am 
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Students


Posts: 5
To this day, researchers and theorists debate whether bubonic plague caused The Black Death, a pandemic that swept the world in the middle of the fourteenth century.

a) whether
b) whether or not
c) about whether
d) as to whether
e) if

Scroll for OA (Not sure how to hide the OA)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
B and E are obviously wrong.

What is wrong with C & D?

Explanation says that,

(C) "About whether" is both redundant and awkward.

(D) "As to whether" is both redundant and awkward.

What is redundant here? Isn't 'debate about' correct idiom?

Can experts help please?

Thanks
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jnelson0612
 Post subject: Re: To this day, researchers and theorists
 Post Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:07 am 
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ManhattanGMAT Staff


Posts: 1857
Kannn wrote:
To this day, researchers and theorists debate whether bubonic plague caused The Black Death, a pandemic that swept the world in the middle of the fourteenth century.

a) whether
b) whether or not
c) about whether
d) as to whether
e) if

Scroll for OA (Not sure how to hide the OA)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
B and E are obviously wrong.

What is wrong with C & D?

Explanation says that,

(C) "About whether" is both redundant and awkward.

(D) "As to whether" is both redundant and awkward.

What is redundant here? Isn't 'debate about' correct idiom?

Can experts help please?

Thanks


"Debate about" is not the correct idiom and is redundant. You are going to debate "a topic"; you don't need to say the you are going to debate "about a topic". You just launch right into the word "whether" after "debate.

For example, "We will debate whether solar energy is feasible."

_________________
Jamie Nelson
ManhattanGMAT Instructor
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K. Ali
 Post subject: Re: To this day, researchers and theorists
 Post Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:52 am 
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Forum Guests


Posts: 11
Jemie,

But there is not alternative given. They should be debating between alternative causes of the pandemic. But there is no alternative at all.

How to know that I will put "whether" here?
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tim
 Post subject: Re: To this day, researchers and theorists
 Post Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:52 am 
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ManhattanGMAT Staff


Posts: 2242
Location: Southwest Airlines, seat 21C
"whether" is EXACTLY the word that creates a dichotomy between the thing that is mentioned and its unmentioned opposite. if i wonder whether it will rain, i am basically presenting the possibility that it will rain alongside the possibility that it won't. this is how "whether" is used on the GMAT..

_________________
Tim Sanders
Manhattan GMAT Instructor
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