Sentence Correction

gmatjeet wrote:Reporting that one of its many problems had been the recent extended sales slump in women's apparel, the seven-store retailer said it would start a three month liquidation sale in all of its stores.
(A) its many problems had been the recent

OA :A

Very specific doubts.

- How to choose Recent vs Recently and decide correct?
I did not understand the difference between these? In any other question if i face similar situation how to decide?

BOTH Extended and RECENT are meant to modify sales SLUMP(noun)
you replace slump with deterioration
RECENT EXTENDED sales deterioration: means - recent sales deterioration, which extended more than expected.
RECENTLY EXTENDED sales deterioration: makes it seem as if the sales deterioration was purposely extended.

- Please explain why HAD BEEN is better than HAS BEEN?

Reporting that one of its many problems has been the recently extended sales slump in women's apparel, the seven-store retailer said it would start a three month liquidation sale in all of its stores.

This would certainly change the meaning. It would show as if the process is going on, whereas in original it means the process is over. Also the word REPORTING points towards the change in verb tenses.
The company executive would have said: one of its many problems WAS the recent extended sales slump in women's apparel, and IT WILL start a three month liquidation sale in all of its stores.

when reporting
past changes to past perfect.
future changes to conditional.

I view the events as below: The retailer said - past about starting a sale. Problem was there from before past and because there is mention that the problem is also related with a word RECENTLY so HAS BEEN seems to be correct.

- One of its many problems IS -> Should the verb be IS? WHAT IS THE SUBJECT HERE? Problems or One?

ONE

Eg: ONE of the boys IS missing
ONE of the boys THAT were playing IS missing

I know quite a lot of questions but i am unable to make sense of the OG V explanation here.

divineacclivity wrote:One of its problems was the slump and it will start the sales -> Doesn't it say the problem was there but now it is not there. So, why would it need to start sales?

Shouldn't it be like this:
One of the problems is the slump and hence it'll start the sales. -> Isn't "is" a better choice?

Please explain. Thanks.

gmatjeet wrote:Reporting that one of its many problems had been the recent extended sales slump in women's apparel, the seven-store retailer said it would start a three month liquidation sale in all of its 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

Very specific doubts.

- How to choose Recent vs Recently and decide correct?
I did not understand the difference between these? In any other question if i face similar situation how to decide?

- Please explain why HAD BEEN is better than HAS BEEN?

Reporting that one of its many problems has been the recently extended sales slump in women's apparel, the seven-store retailer said it would start a three month liquidation sale in all of its stores.

I view the events as below: The retailer said - past about starting a sale. Problem was there from before past and because there is mention that the problem is also related with a word RECENTLY so HAS BEEN seems to be correct.

- One of its many problems -> Should the verb be IS? WHAT IS THE SUBJECT HERE? Problems or One?

GMATGuruNY wrote: RECENTLY EXTENDED sales slump.
Here, recently serves as an ADVERB modifying extended.
HOW was the slump extended?
It was extended RECENTLY.
The implication is that someone or something RECENTLY -- and perhaps even ON PURPOSE -- extended the sales slump.
Not the intended meaning.

RECENT extended sales SLUMP.
Here, recent, extended and sales all serve as ADJECTIVES modifying slump.
What KIND of slump?
A SALES slump.
What KIND of sales slump?
An EXTENDED sales slump.
What KIND of extended sales slump?
The RECENT extended sales slump.

RBBmba@2014 wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote: RECENTLY EXTENDED sales slump.
Here, recently serves as an ADVERB modifying extended.
HOW was the slump extended?
It was extended RECENTLY.
The implication is that someone or something RECENTLY -- and perhaps even ON PURPOSE -- extended the sales slump.
Not the intended meaning.

RECENT extended sales SLUMP.
Here, recent, extended and sales all serve as ADJECTIVES modifying slump.
What KIND of slump?
A SALES slump.
What KIND of sales slump?
An EXTENDED sales slump.
What KIND of extended sales slump?
The RECENT extended sales slump.

I guess, following is another reason to eliminate option B -

RECENTLY is as an ADVERB. So, an ADVERB can't modify any NOUN Phrase - extended sales slump.

Is this interpretation correct ?