Sentence Correction- Help Required.

This topic has expert replies
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 5:43 am

Sentence Correction- Help Required.

by AkiB » Fri Jun 27, 2014 2:22 pm
Reporting that one of its many problems had been the recent extended sales slump in the women's apparel, the seven store retailer said it would start a three month liquidation sale in all of the stores.

a) its many problems had been the recent

b) its many problems has been the recently

c) its many problems is the recently

d) their many problems is the recent

e) their many problems had been the recent

OA A

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
Followed by:511 members
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Fri Jun 27, 2014 2:37 pm
Hi AkiB,

This SC is based on a couple of standard grammar rules that you will see on Test Day:

1) Pronouns - The subject "the seven store retailer" is a singular noun. While some people think that it's plural, the phrase "the...retailer" is singular. There is another reference to the singular subject later on in the sentence ("IT would start a three month liquidation sale"). Eliminate D and E.

2) Verbs - The sentence references that "the...retailer SAID", which is a past tense verb. The sentence also references an event the precedes this event (the "extended sales slump" precedes what the store said about the "liquidation sale"). With two past events, you need to include the word "HAD." Eliminate B and C.

Final Answer: A

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 16207
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC
Thanked: 5254 times
Followed by:1268 members
GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Fri Jun 27, 2014 3:07 pm
AkiB wrote:Reporting that one of its many problems had been the recent extended sales slump in the women's apparel, the seven store retailer said it would start a three month liquidation sale in all of the stores.

a) its many problems had been the recent

b) its many problems has been the recently

c) its many problems is the recently

d) their many problems is the recent

e) their many problems had been the recent

OA A
"the seven store retailer said" indicates and event that happened in the past. BEFORE that event, there was a sales slump.
When an action happens (and is completed) in the past BEFORE another event in the past, we typically need to use the PAST PERFECT ("had" + participle).
Answer choices A and E are written in PAST PERFECT. Eliminate B, C and D

Aside: we have a free video on perfect tenses: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... on?id=1178

Next, the subject of this sentence is "retailer," which is SINGULAR. So, we need to use a SINGULAR pronoun "its" (not "their"). Eliminate E

Answer: A

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
Image

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:46 pm

by ahahkhyati.j » Fri Oct 09, 2015 7:53 am
Generally the rule is present with future (will) and past with conditional (would).This sentence uses would so i need a past verb. After figuring out that pronoun its is appropriate i have only one option A.

User avatar
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2017 7:15 pm

by abhishek095 » Sun Jan 15, 2017 7:26 pm
But doesn't it sound wrong that "recent" modifies "extended sales slump" it should be "recently" modifying the same brent please let me know.
Brent@GMATPrepNow wrote:
AkiB wrote:Reporting that one of its many problems had been the recent extended sales slump in the women's apparel, the seven store retailer said it would start a three month liquidation sale in all of the stores.

a) its many problems had been the recent

b) its many problems has been the recently

c) its many problems is the recently

d) their many problems is the recent

e) their many problems had been the recent

OA A
"the seven store retailer said" indicates and event that happened in the past. BEFORE that event, there was a sales slump.
When an action happens (and is completed) in the past BEFORE another event in the past, we typically need to use the PAST PERFECT ("had" + participle).
Answer choices A and E are written in PAST PERFECT. Eliminate B, C and D

Aside: we have a free video on perfect tenses: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... on?id=1178

Next, the subject of this sentence is "retailer," which is SINGULAR. So, we need to use a SINGULAR pronoun "its" (not "their"). Eliminate E

Answer: A

Cheers,
Brent

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:40 am
abhishek095 wrote:But doesn't it sound wrong that "recent" modifies "extended sales slump" it should be "recently" modifying the same
B and C: the recently extended sales slump
Here, recently is an ADVERB serving to modify extended, expressing WHEN the sales slump was extended.
Question: WHEN was the sales slump extended?
Answer: It was RECENTLY extended.
The implication is that someone recently -- and purposefully -- added extra days to the sales slump.
Not the intended meaning.
No one purposefully added extra days to the sales slump.
Eliminate B and C.

OA: the recent extended sales slump
Here, recent is an ADJECTIVE serving to modify extended sales slump, indicating what KIND of extended sales slump is under discussion.
Question: What KIND of extended sales slump?
Answer: the RECENT extended sales slump.
The implication is that -- over the last few months -- there was a lengthy sales slump.
This meaning is logical.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3