BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

OG11-SC45

Expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Legendary Member
Posts: 995
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:56 pmFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 31 times
by paes » Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:22 am
According to some analysts, the gains in the stock market reflect growing confidence that the economy will avoid the recession that many had feared earlier in the year and instead come in for a "soft landing," followed by a gradual increase in business activity.

(A) that the economy will avoid the recession that many had feared earlier in the year and instead come
(B) in the economy to avoid the recession, what many feared earlier in the year, rather to come
(C) in the economy's ability to avoid the recession, something earlier in the year many had feared, and instead to come
(D) in the economy to avoid the recession many were fearing earlier in the year, and rather to come
(E) that the economy will avoid the recession that was feared earlier this year by many, with it instead coming

[spoiler]OA later.
Please explain your reasoning to select one and avoid others.[/spoiler]
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Sentence Correction |
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1309
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:41 pmFollowed by: 5 members
Thanked: 33 times

by pradeepkaushal9518 » Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:32 am
imo c
A SMALL TOWN GUY
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:25 am
Thanked: 6 times
GMAT Score:620

by madhukumar_v » Thu Aug 19, 2010 11:11 am
1. Had Feared/Feared/Was Feared/Were Fearing

The only tense that works in this case is Past Perfect Tense, since past perfect tense relates to two events happening in the past and one precedes other. Then the earlier event gets a past perfect (HAD + PAST participle) and the later one gets a simple past.

In this q these are the events:

1. "Many economists feared earlier something will happen"
2. It didn't happen and it "come in for a soft landing"

3. Now "come" and feared are past tense.
4. Now 1 came before 2 (Economists predicted something but something else happened - prediction occured first)
5. so 1- Past perfect tense = Had Feared
6. 2 gets- simple past = Come

Only A,C satisfies. Since we need a future tense to mention that the economy will avoid recession in future so we need will, hence A.

Also A has this traditional GMAT pattern (that...that) that <the economy willl avoid...> that... (Its called something like subordinate clause )

Does any one know the difference between Confidence In vs Confidence that?
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 406
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:36 amFollowed by: 4 members
Location: Syracuse, NY
Thanked: 23 times
GMAT Score:740

by tomada » Thu Aug 19, 2010 11:14 am
IMO A
I'm really old, but I'll never be too old to become more educated.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 995
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:56 pmFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 31 times

by paes » Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:22 pm
OA is A.

But I am not filly convinced with 'past perfect' usage here.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Aug 20, 2010 3:42 am
paes wrote:According to some analysts, the gains in the stock market reflect growing confidence that the economy will avoid the recession that many had feared earlier in the year and instead come in for a "soft landing," followed by a gradual increase in business activity.

(A) that the economy will avoid the recession that many had feared earlier in the year and instead come
(B) in the economy to avoid the recession, what many feared earlier in the year, rather to come
(C) in the economy's ability to avoid the recession, something earlier in the year many had feared, and instead to come
(D) in the economy to avoid the recession many were fearing earlier in the year, and rather to come
(E) that the economy will avoid the recession that was feared earlier this year by many, with it instead coming

[spoiler]OA later.
Please explain your reasoning to select one and avoid others.[/spoiler]
In B and D, confidence in the economy to avoid the recession is not idiomatic. Eliminate B and D.

The correct idioms are:

confidence that X will Y (X=noun, Y=verb)
confidence in X (X=noun)

In C, it's unclear whether something refers to ability or to recession. Eliminate C.

In E, the pronoun it is ambiguous. The closest previous noun is recession, but the intended meaning of the sentence is that the economy will come in for a soft landing. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is A.

In A, the use of the past perfect indicates that many had feared a recession (in the past), but at some point (also in the past), they stopped fearing it.

Another example:

Many expected the economy to grow. (In the past, many expected the economy to grow.)
Many had expected the economy to grow. (In the past, many had expected the economy to grow, but at some point in the past, they stopped expecting the economy to grow.)

Hope this helps!
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 995
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:56 pmFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 31 times

by paes » Fri Aug 20, 2010 4:17 am
Thanks Guru.
It is good to eliminate B, C, D and E.

But in your example :

Many had expected the economy to grow. :-> where is the other event (simple past) ? I have always seen/learn that ON GMAT, past perfect will always come with some other past event.

e.g. By 2004, I had finished my study.
He had left the theatre before the movie finished.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Aug 20, 2010 4:30 am
paes wrote:Thanks Guru.
It is good to eliminate B, C, D and E.

But in your example :

Many had expected the economy to grow. :-> where is the other event (simple past) ? I have always seen/learn that ON GMAT, past perfect will always come with some other past event.

e.g. By 2004, I had finished my study.
He had left the theatre before the movie finished.
The other past event is not stated explicitly but is implied by the use of the past perfect.

Many had expected the economy to grow.

1st past event: many (had) expected the economy to grow
2nd implied past event: they stopped expecting the economy to grow

In the sentence above, the use of the past perfect indicates a past action (1st event) that stopped happening (2nd event) at some point in the past.

So in A, many had feared indicates 2 past actions:

1st: many had feared
2nd: many stopped fearing

Does this help?
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 995
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:56 pmFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 31 times

by paes » Fri Aug 20, 2010 4:38 am
Guru,

Can we say that 'earlier in the year' is the key here for past perfect usage.
i.e.

According to some analysts, the gains in the stock market reflect growing confidence that the economy will avoid the recession that many had feared earlier in the year and instead come in for a "soft landing," followed by a gradual increase in business activity. [ correct ]

According to some analysts, the gains in the stock market reflect growing confidence that the economy will avoid the recession that many feared and instead come in for a "soft landing," followed by a gradual increase in business activity. [ Correct ]

According to some analysts, the gains in the stock market reflect growing confidence that the economy will avoid the recession that many had feared and instead come in for a "soft landing," followed by a gradual increase in business activity. [ wrong ]
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Aug 20, 2010 7:36 am
paes wrote:Guru,

Can we say that 'earlier in the year' is the key here for past perfect usage.
i.e.

According to some analysts, the gains in the stock market reflect growing confidence that the economy will avoid the recession that many had feared earlier in the year and instead come in for a "soft landing," followed by a gradual increase in business activity. [ correct ]

According to some analysts, the gains in the stock market reflect growing confidence that the economy will avoid the recession that many feared and instead come in for a "soft landing," followed by a gradual increase in business activity. [ Correct ]

According to some analysts, the gains in the stock market reflect growing confidence that the economy will avoid the recession that many had feared and instead come in for a "soft landing," followed by a gradual increase in business activity. [ wrong ]
The key is that we have two past events:

1) fear that there would be recession
2) growing confidence in the economy (The modifier growing implies that confidence in the economy started to grow at some point in the past.)

The meaning of the sentence is that many had feared a recession, but they stopped fearing a recession once confidence started to grow. The past perfect makes the timeline clear.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 995
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:56 pmFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 31 times

by paes » Fri Aug 20, 2010 11:07 pm
Thanks Guru.
It makes sense.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1