Magoosh SC qn

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Magoosh SC qn

by conquistador » Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:57 am
how come originated and has been expanding parallel.

The Atlantic Ocean, the second youngest of Earth's five oceans, originated 130 million years ago when the Americas separated from Africa and, as Earth's plates continue to move, has been expanding ever since.

a. originated 130 million years ago when the Americas separated from Africa and, as Earth's plates continue to move, has been expanding

b. originated 130 million years ago with the Americas separating from Africa and, as Earth's plates continue to move, expanding

c. had originated 130 million years ago as the Americas separated from Africa and, with Earth's plates continuing their motion, is expanding

d. had originated 130 million years ago because the Americas separated from Africa and, while Earth's plates continue to move, expanding

e. originated 130 million years ago with the Americas separating from Africa and, as Earth's plates continue their motion, was expanding

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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Apr 04, 2015 2:29 pm
Mechmeera wrote:The Atlantic Ocean, the second youngest of Earth's five oceans, originated 130 million years ago when the Americas separated from Africa and, as Earth's plates continue to move, has been expanding ever since.

a. originated 130 million years ago when the Americas separated from Africa and, as Earth's plates continue to move, has been expanding

b. originated 130 million years ago with the Americas separating from Africa and, as Earth's plates continue to move, expanding

c. had originated 130 million years ago as the Americas separated from Africa and, with Earth's plates continuing their motion, is expanding

d. had originated 130 million years ago because the Americas separated from Africa and, while Earth's plates continue to move, expanding

e. originated 130 million years ago with the Americas separating from Africa and, as Earth's plates continue their motion, was expanding
Because ever since implies an action that started in the past and might still be happening, the PRESENT PERFECT tense is required.
Only A offers the required tense:
The Atlantic Ocean...HAS BEEN EXPANDING ever since.

The correct answer is A.
how come originated and has been expanding parallel.
A conjunction such as and must serve to connect PARALLEL FORMS:
VERB and VERB
ADJECTIVE and ADJECTIVE
NOUN and NOUN.

Verbs connected by a conjunction such as and do NOT have to be in the same tense.
OA: The Atlantic Ocean ORIGINATED 130 million years ago...and HAS BEEN EXPANDING ever since.
Here, and correctly links originated (a past tense verb) to has been expanding (a present perfect tense verb).
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by conquistador » Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:01 pm
Hello Mitch,

I feel that since because "ever since" implies an action that started in the past and might still be happening,
using HAS BEEN EXPANDING again will make the sentence redundant.

In that case it should be
"originated and expanding".

Please explain.

Thanks
Meera

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by GMATGuruNY » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:17 am
Mechmeera wrote:Hello Mitch,

I feel that since because "ever since" implies an action that started in the past and might still be happening,
using HAS BEEN EXPANDING again will make the sentence redundant.
There is no redundancy: ever since MUST serve to modify a verb in the present perfect tense.
The OA to SC10 in the OG13:
The widely accepted big bang theory holds that the universe began in an explosive instant ten to twenty billion years ago and has been expanding ever since.
Here -- just as in the SC above -- ever since serves to modify has been expanding (present perfect).
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