very difficult SC

wangshu0306 · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject: very difficult SC

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) had long been expected to announce a reduction in output to bolster sagging oil prices, but officials of the organization just recently announced that the group will pare daily production by 1.5 million barrels by the beginning of next year, but only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were to trim output by a total of 500,000 barrels a day.

A.year, but only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were to trim output
B.year, but only if the output of non-OPEC nations, which includes Norway, Mexico, and Russia, is trimmed
C.year only if the output of non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, would be trimmed
D.year only if non-OPEC nations, which includes Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were trimming output
E.year only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, trim output

I think the answer is A. OA is E
Pls explain this question for me.

bourne159 · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject:

The sentence before the underlined portion introduces a clause using but and so there is no need to break the underlined sentence from that clause.

but officials of the organization just recently announced that....................... year only if ........... is the right construction

A. No need to break the sentence and no need of the redundant but
B. same as A
C. wrong tense 'would be trimmed' just need simple present tense
D. wrong tense 'were trimming' no need of continuous tense
E. nations ,........, trim output has the correct tense.

I pick E

samesame · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:35 pm Post subject:

The dead give-away should be the double use of 'but' is unidiomatic and not proper grammar.

wangshu0306 · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:20 pm Post subject: Re: very difficult SC

I think the key of this question is subjunctive mood. Let us view the question carefully.
the first 'but' implys that the official's announcement doesn't mean to reduce the oil production, but just want to look for an excuse for why the OPEC won't reduce production. 'were to' means actually the non-OPEC will never reduce. So the only perspective choices are A and C. But C has a problem of dangling modification: 'including...'can modify either 'output' or 'nations'.

'But only if', I think, just emphasizes the 'only if' condition, which implys the OPEC will not reduce unless the non-OPCE also reduces. 'but' here is not a conj., but an adv., so there is no problem of breaking the main clause.
So I chose A but i am not sure. to be discussed...