prep T2 Q185 有疑问，请大家讨论下吧

zaqsdvfr

When drive-ins were at the height of their popularity in the late 1950s, some 4,000 existed in the United States, but today there are less than one-quarter that many
A. there are less than one-quarter that many
B. there are fewer than one-quarter as many
C. there are fewer than one-quarter of that amount
D. the number is less than one-quarter the amount
E. it is less than one-quarter of that amount

答案 B  我觉得B结构不好
原句 A 的 "less" 是修饰 one-quarter, "one-quarter that many" 是 uncountable (不可数）
但是， C 句用了 “one-quarter of the amount", amount 可以是可数也可以是不可数。如果光是看单句的话，这里的 "one-quarter of the amout" 应该是不可数。但是文中提到了 "4000"一个有概念的数量，所以这里的 "the amount" 是 指"4000"，也就是可数,同样 "one-quarter of the amount" 就可数了。

mudiduange

amount在GMAT就是不可数，记住这一点即可

zaqsdvfr

The usage of 'AMOUNT" seems to be the apparent error in C. In syntax, it seems wrong. But,
In Longman Dictionary, although it is said that amount can be used as uncountable and countable.
But after reading the examples given carefully, it is clear that only when it means plenty of sth, amount can be considered as countable. Especially this amount is known.

zaqsdvfr

更主要的问题是,这句没有用带任何指示代词