Sentence Correction

mundasingh123 wrote:So Gmat Guru , a pronoun could only refer to a noun that precedes and not a noun that comes after it

GMATGuruNY wrote:

simplyjat wrote:Affording strategic proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco was also of interest to the French throughout the first half of the twentieth century because they assumed that if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure.

(A) if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure
(B) without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure
(C) their grip on Algeria was not ever secure if they did not hold it
(D) without that, they could never be secure about their grip on Algeria
(E) never would their grip on Algeria be secure if they did not hold it

OA B

Here is the approach that I would use:

In A and C, was is the incorrect tense. Since the sentence is discussing a conditional situation, the tense needed is would. Eliminate A and C.

how did you derive that this is a conditional situation?

In D, secure about is not idiomatic. Eliminate D.

In E, the pronoun it seems to refer to Algeria (the closest noun), but the intended meaning of the sentence is that the French needed to hold onto Morocco. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is B.

rishijhawar wrote:GMATGuruNY, can you please explain why 'that' in D is in correct. To me THAT correctly refers to Morocco as does IT (in A). Is there any other reason to exclude D.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

simplyjat wrote:Affording strategic proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco was also of interest to the French throughout the first half of the twentieth century because they assumed that if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure.

(A) if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure
(B) without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure
(C) their grip on Algeria was not ever secure if they did not hold it
(D) without that, they could never be secure about their grip on Algeria
(E) never would their grip on Algeria be secure if they did not hold it

OA B

Here is the approach that I would use:

In A and C, was is the incorrect tense. Since the sentence is discussing a conditional situation, the tense needed is would. Eliminate A and C.

In D, secure about is not idiomatic. Eliminate D.

In E, the pronoun it seems to refer to Algeria (the closest noun), but the intended meaning of the sentence is that the French needed to hold onto Morocco. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is B.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

simplyjat wrote:Affording strategic proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco was also of interest to the French throughout the first half of the twentieth century because they assumed that if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure.

(A) if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure
(B) without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure
(C) their grip on Algeria was not ever secure if they did not hold it
(D) without that, they could never be secure about their grip on Algeria
(E) never would their grip on Algeria be secure if they did not hold it

OA B

Here is the approach that I would use:

In A and C, was is the incorrect tense. Since the sentence is discussing a conditional situation, the tense needed is would. Eliminate A and C.

In D, secure about is not idiomatic. Eliminate D.

In E, the pronoun it seems to refer to Algeria (the closest noun), but the intended meaning of the sentence is that the French needed to hold onto Morocco. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is B.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

simplyjat wrote:Affording strategic proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco was also of interest to the French throughout the first half of the twentieth century because they assumed that if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure.

(A) if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure
(B) without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure
(C) their grip on Algeria was not ever secure if they did not hold it
(D) without that, they could never be secure about their grip on Algeria
(E) never would their grip on Algeria be secure if they did not hold it

OA B

Here is the approach that I would use:

In A and C, was is the incorrect tense. Since the sentence is discussing a conditional situation, the tense needed is would. Eliminate A and C.

In D, secure about is not idiomatic. Eliminate D.

In E, the pronoun it seems to refer to Algeria (the closest noun), but the intended meaning of the sentence is that the French needed to hold onto Morocco. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is B.

vietmoi999 wrote:Dear expert, pls help
we have 2 pattern which are different
if we do this, we (will)have that
this is a fact which mean "everytime we do this, we have that". This sentence is not conditional

why
they assume that every time they do not hold it, their grip is not secure
is incorrect.
we can assume a fact. for examle
"I assumed he came" is correct.

why in this sentence we can not use a fact after "assumes" ?. Why do we have to use "conditiona" after "assume". This is the reason A and C is eliminated.

pls help

GMATGuruNY wrote:

vietmoi999 wrote:Dear expert, pls help
we have 2 pattern which are different
if we do this, we (will)have that
this is a fact which mean "everytime we do this, we have that". This sentence is not conditional

why
they assume that every time they do not hold it, their grip is not secure
is incorrect.
we can assume a fact. for examle
"I assumed he came" is correct.

why in this sentence we can not use a fact after "assumes" ?. Why do we have to use "conditiona" after "assume". This is the reason A and C is eliminated.

pls help

The use of assumed is not the issue.
The issue here is WHAT the French assumed.
The French did not assume a fact.
Rather, they assumed a POSSIBILITY dependent on a certain condition:
That without Morocco -- that if they failed to hold Morocco -- something bad WOULD happen:
Their grip on Algeria WOULD never be secure.
It is for this reason that we must use would.

A quick refresher on conditionals:

Present conditional:
John knows that if he MISSES the train, he WILL be late.

Past conditional:
John knew that if he MISSED the train, he WOULD be late.

vietmoi999 wrote:normally, grammar book teach us 4 kinds
- a fact: if some one pass gmat, he can go to usa for mba
- a condition which is real and at present: If I go home, I will have a dinner
- a condition which is likely to be unreal and at present: If I went home, I would have a dinner
- a condition which is likely to be unreal and in the past: if I had gone home yesterday, I would have had a dinner.

the question which we are discussing belong to which pattern , 1,2,3, or 4?// pls explain