SC question:Tense usage (Princeton review)

This topic has expert replies
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:20 am
Thanked: 2 times

SC question:Tense usage (Princeton review)

by AndyMann » Sun Feb 15, 2015 4:40 pm
The biography of the James family, which included Henry, the literary master, and William, the famed psychologist-philosopher, showed that this extraordinary family was not immune to the kind of Victorian-era dysfunction that contributed to the insanity and early death of Henry and William's sister Alice.

1) that this extraordinary family was not immune to the kind of Victorian-era dysfunction that contributed


2) that this extraordinary family had no immunity to the kind of Victorian-era dysfunction contributing


3) this extraordinary family not to be immune from the kind of Victorian-era dysfunction that was a contribution


4) this extraordinary family as having no immunity from the kind of Victorian-era dysfunction contributing


5) this extraordinary family was not immune to the kind of Victorian-era dysfunction, and it contributed

Answer: A


In option A we have "showed" in the simple past tense, so does it make sense to have a past perfect after that for the sentence "extraordinary family had no immunity to the kind" rather than having simple past again " extraordinary family was not immune to the kind"?


Thanks,
Andy

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2663
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
Location: Boston, MA
Thanked: 1153 times
Followed by:128 members
GMAT Score:770

by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Sun Feb 15, 2015 5:22 pm
In this case "had" isn't past perfect, but rather, the simple past version of "has," as in 'possessed.'

Simple past: I had a sandwich.
Past perfect: I had had a sandwich

(The second might elicit giggles, but it's technically okay.)
Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor

Veritas Prep Reviews
Save $100 off any live Veritas Prep GMAT Course