Sentence Correction

74. A 1972 agreement between Canada and the United
States reduced the amount of phosphates that
municipalities had been allowed to dump into the
Great Lakes.
(A) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities had been allowed to dump
(B) reduced the phosphate amount that municipalities had been dumping
(C) reduces the phosphate amount municipalities have been allowed to dump
(D) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities are allowed to dump
(E) reduces the amount of phosphates allowed for dumping by municipalities

Answer can be either A or D as both seem correct. Can anyone or any Expert please explain and confirm the correct answer ?

anks17 wrote:74. A 1972 agreement between Canada and the United
States reduced the amount of phosphates that
municipalities had been allowed to dump into the
Great Lakes.
(A) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities had been allowed to dump
(B) reduced the phosphate amount that municipalities had been dumping
(C) reduces the phosphate amount municipalities have been allowed to dump
(D) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities are allowed to dump
(E) reduces the amount of phosphates allowed for dumping by municipalities

Answer can be either A or D as both seem correct. Can anyone or any Expert please explain and confirm the correct answer ?

HAD BEEN ALLOWED implies the dumping activity happened before the agreement REDUCED the amount of phos. This does not make sense - someone will reduce the amount only when the dumping activity is happening at that point in time. This calls for usage of either present simple or present perfect - C or D. But C has another problem (REDUCES) - simple present not used for past activity. Therefore IMO D

Right , but can't we analyse as below:-

More Dumping was happening before agreement was passed and only after agreement was passed, dumping amount was reduced. Thus, for a prior past action i.e. more dumping which was hapeening before, past perfect is required.

anks17 wrote:Right , but can't we analyse as below:-

More Dumping was happening before agreement was passed and only after agreement was passed, dumping amount was reduced. Thus, for a prior past action i.e. more dumping which was hapeening before, past perfect is required.

Hi anks17,

I would again reiterate Ron's words : Sentences, testing Tenses are 100% based on MEANING and 0% GRAMMAR.

Note that the dumping has not stopped. It has only reduced. That means municipalities are sill allowed to dump into the Great Lakes. Hence, D is correct.

Let me know if the explanation didn't help.