“Accustomed to maintain” is habit-language. Habits are usually compared within the same situation unless the sentence tells you the situation changed. Pair that with “on very cold days,” and it strongly suggests: when it’s very cold, they used to keep it at X, now they keep it at Y, and Y is lower.
Grammatically, “on very cold days” lives inside the comparison clause (“accustomed to maintain”), not inside the main clause (“maintained a lower temperature”). So, strictly speaking, the sentence explicitly tells you the baseline is “what they were accustomed to on very cold days” (vs what they were not accustomed to on very cold days).
I don't understand how we could be comparing "accustomed to" and "now" when the verb maintained is in a simple past form. Without more context, we can be comparing recent events but nothing indicates current events.
Okay so I got #5 wrong when I answered it on my own. Here's my attempt to understand it after watching the video.
At least 59 percent of households [this is what "they" refers to] maintained a lower indoor temperature [in the present/now] than they [the 59 percent of households] had been accustomed to maintain [at some time in the past/not now] on very cold days [context for when the comparison applies].
I think what is confusing about this sentence is the fact that we are comparing two points in time which are ambiguous. Let's replace the temporal components with specific moments in time and all of a sudden it becomes much more clear what is happening.
At least 59 percent of households maintained a lower indoor temperature in the past three weeks than they had been accustomed to maintain in the three weeks prior on very cold days.
2. Maintaining a lower indoor temperature than accustomed to on a very cold day,
3. Most households.
I read through a bit of the discussion and it kinda seems like I'm the only one that didn't opt to compare their comfort, and I definitely did not realize that it was a comparison of accustomed to versus now. In hindsight it makes sense, but I seriously thought I was cooking. I think the percentage of households slipped me up, which I realize was probably the intention of writing it like that.
I got the others ones correct though, so not a total loss. I'm still working on understanding the more vague and abstract ways of writing these questions. I feel like number 5 was a good example of how abstract it could be, so its good practice.
When doing the "swing" on the comparative in Question 1, would you insert "more further advanced" into the original comparative, and then use "less further advanced?" I know the grammar isn't exactly right with both of those but if you do the "swing" for question 1 that would read "not further advanced" which would then mean that you've made it so they could be equal. I could be overthinking it or just can't think of the antonym for further lol.
I watched the video and stared at #5 for 10 minutes and I still dont understand how they got the correct answer. Just gonna skip that for now and pray thats not important lol
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145 comments
3/5. Confused the winner on 4, and I didn't have a standing chance against 5 lol
Gonna take 5 after number 5
“Accustomed to maintain” is habit-language. Habits are usually compared within the same situation unless the sentence tells you the situation changed. Pair that with “on very cold days,” and it strongly suggests: when it’s very cold, they used to keep it at X, now they keep it at Y, and Y is lower.
Grammatically, “on very cold days” lives inside the comparison clause (“accustomed to maintain”), not inside the main clause (“maintained a lower temperature”). So, strictly speaking, the sentence explicitly tells you the baseline is “what they were accustomed to on very cold days” (vs what they were not accustomed to on very cold days).
I got all correct, except for the "winner" answer to #5.
I only struggled on question five. I don't understand how indoor temperature tied in if it was accustomed to vs now.
#5 killed my family members
Can someone please help me with #5? After reading and watching the video explanation, I am still confused.
for some reason for 5, i wanted to compare very cold days to just regular cold days....could that still work?
#5 is lowkey diabolical if u got that ur done
this made my brain hurt
Number 5 confuses me
I don't understand how we could be comparing "accustomed to" and "now" when the verb maintained is in a simple past form. Without more context, we can be comparing recent events but nothing indicates current events.
can someone please explain Question 5...
last one hurt my head bro
Okay so I got #5 wrong when I answered it on my own. Here's my attempt to understand it after watching the video.
At least 59 percent of households [this is what "they" refers to] maintained a lower indoor temperature [in the present/now] than they [the 59 percent of households] had been accustomed to maintain [at some time in the past/not now] on very cold days [context for when the comparison applies].
I think what is confusing about this sentence is the fact that we are comparing two points in time which are ambiguous. Let's replace the temporal components with specific moments in time and all of a sudden it becomes much more clear what is happening.
At least 59 percent of households maintained a lower indoor temperature in the past three weeks than they had been accustomed to maintain in the three weeks prior on very cold days.
Make more sense?
Can someone breakdown #5 for me? I'm beyond confused...
5th one violates Genva convention.
For question 5 I put:
1. Most households versus some households,
2. Maintaining a lower indoor temperature than accustomed to on a very cold day,
3. Most households.
I read through a bit of the discussion and it kinda seems like I'm the only one that didn't opt to compare their comfort, and I definitely did not realize that it was a comparison of accustomed to versus now. In hindsight it makes sense, but I seriously thought I was cooking. I think the percentage of households slipped me up, which I realize was probably the intention of writing it like that.
I got the others ones correct though, so not a total loss. I'm still working on understanding the more vague and abstract ways of writing these questions. I feel like number 5 was a good example of how abstract it could be, so its good practice.
FIRST 5/5 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FPREVER YAYAYAYAAA
the 5th one is diabolical
For Q5, I don;t know why but I really am a bit confused with what this is saying. So I thought of another way to think of the two comparisons to be
not had been accustomed to maintain
vs
accustomed to maintain
would this be a fair way to interpret it the sentence?
When doing the "swing" on the comparative in Question 1, would you insert "more further advanced" into the original comparative, and then use "less further advanced?" I know the grammar isn't exactly right with both of those but if you do the "swing" for question 1 that would read "not further advanced" which would then mean that you've made it so they could be equal. I could be overthinking it or just can't think of the antonym for further lol.
I watched the video and stared at #5 for 10 minutes and I still dont understand how they got the correct answer. Just gonna skip that for now and pray thats not important lol
I don't like question 5. please burn it.
Why puppies? I love puppies.