SC - Meaning & Pronoun Antecedent agreement

[karthikpandian19]

Although the term "customer service" may imply supporting and assisting customers, they have come to signify widely ranging work in the financial sector, from managing basic inquiries and complaints to supplying analysis and investment advice.


(A) imply supporting and assisting customers, they have come to signify widely ranging

(B) imply supporting and assisting customers, it has come to signify a wide range of

(C) imply customer support and assistance, it has signified widely ranging

(D) have implied customer support and assistance, it has signified a wide range of

(E) have implied supporting and assisting customers, they have come to signify a wide range of

[Bill@VeritasPrep]

Although the term "customer service" may imply supporting and assisting customers, they have come to signify widely ranging work in the financial sector, from managing basic inquiries and complaints to supplying analysis and investment advice.


(A) imply supporting and assisting customers, they have come to signify widely ranging
(agreement error; "customer service" is singular)

(B) imply supporting and assisting customers, it has come to signify a wide range of
(correct; fixes the agreement error)


(C) imply customer support and assistance, it has signified widely ranging
(tense error; we want present perfect (not simple past) to indicate something that has occurred at an indefinite time before the present)

(D) have implied customer support and assistance, it has signified a wide range of
(tense error; we want the implication to be present tense and the change in meaning to be present perfect)

(E) have implied supporting and assisting customers, they have come to signify a wide range of
(agreement error as in A, tense error as in the first part of D)

[karthikpandian19]

Bill,

Btwn B & C - can you clarify once again?

In the explanation of C you have mentioned tense error. but B & C use the present perfect?

(B) imply supporting and assisting customers, it has come to signify a wide range of
(correct; fixes the agreement error)


(C) imply customer support and assistance, it has signified widely ranging
(tense error; we want present perfect (not simple past) to indicate something that has occurred at an indefinite time before the present)

Although the term "customer service" may imply supporting and assisting customers, they have come to signify widely ranging work in the financial sector, from managing basic inquiries and complaints to supplying analysis and investment advice.


(A) imply supporting and assisting customers, they have come to signify widely ranging
(agreement error; "customer service" is singular)

(B) imply supporting and assisting customers, it has come to signify a wide range of
(correct; fixes the agreement error)


(C) imply customer support and assistance, it has signified widely ranging
(tense error; we want present perfect (not simple past) to indicate something that has occurred at an indefinite time before the present)

(D) have implied customer support and assistance, it has signified a wide range of
(tense error; we want the implication to be present tense and the change in meaning to be present perfect)

(E) have implied supporting and assisting customers, they have come to signify a wide range of
(agreement error as in A, tense error as in the first part of D)

[Bill@VeritasPrep]

I misspoke there. We do need past perfect, which both B and C have. The key difference is that B uses "has come to signify", which implies a change over time...that "customer service" ma have started as supporting and assisting customers, but over time it has broadened to include other functions.

C uses "has signified", which implies that "customer service" has always included these other functions.