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More Tricky Verb Tense from SC 1000: Smoker hostility

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More Tricky Verb Tense from SC 1000: Smoker hostility

by tonebeeze » Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:41 pm
Hello all,

I was wondering if someone could walk me through the grammar on each answer choice. I was able to narrow the answers choices down to (a) and (e), but I went with (a). I would appreciate any tips or advice you have on problems such as these. I am working hard to improve my SC, and Verb Tense is surely my Achilles heal. Thanks.


In reference to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety that their prospects for being hired and promote are being stunted by their habit.

a. In reference to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety that

b. Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety about

c. When referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently express anxiety about

d. With reference to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety about

e. Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smoker frequently express anxiety that
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by bblast » Tue Dec 21, 2010 10:08 pm
Are you sure this question is correct,,, just looking at it I can spot silly grammar mistakes in the answer choices and GMAT is unlikely to feature such questions !!

and how could you narrow down E, with a "smoker" in the sentence instead of smokers ???

e. Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smoker frequently express anxiety that

btw :
if i take the correct form of E->Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently express anxiety that

Slution would be :
Using rules of tenses u should be able to narrow down the choices to c and e. (since both have "express in present tense")

and finally go with E.

when referring to is awkward in c

E uses referring and that correctly.

hope this helps !!
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by jaymw » Tue Dec 21, 2010 11:01 pm
This question certainly isn't about verb tense only. Though grasping that aspect will help you narrow the choices down to C and E as has been said.

I assume that "smoker" in answer choice E is a typo and should really be smokers, otherwise you would be left with no correct answer. Also, I assume that it should be "promoted" instead of "promote" in the question stem.

This question is a wonderful example of the splits/re-splits technique.

Your first split can be the verb tense, i.e. you have to split the answer choice into "expressed" and "express"-options.

So, how do we know which one is is correct?

Read the question stem carrefully! It says something about current hostility. So there is really no good reason to use past tense in the later part of the sentence. Actually, it's impossible for smokers to have referred to an issue that is current and therefore didn't exist in the past.

For this reason, we are down to C and E now.

The next split could be the modifier "referring" as opposed to "when referring", but I personally wouldn't make the decision based on that one. Stylistically "referring" might be less wordy, but "when referring" isn't wrong either. So let's check if there's something else that might help us.

Indeed there is!

The split we can make use of is the one between "anxiety about" and "anxiety that". When using "anxiety about" we see that this doesn't really go together with the rest of the sentence. It's either "anxiety that their prospects are being stunted" OR "anxiety about their prospects being stunted". But we already now that we have to use the "are" because it's in the non-underlined part of the question.

Therefore, we have to go with E.

Hope that was helpful!
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by diebeatsthegmat » Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:45 pm
tonebeeze wrote:Hello all,

I was wondering if someone could walk me through the grammar on each answer choice. I was able to narrow the answers choices down to (a) and (e), but I went with (a). I would appreciate any tips or advice you have on problems such as these. I am working hard to improve my SC, and Verb Tense is surely my Achilles heal. Thanks.


In reference to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety that their prospects for being hired and promote are being stunted by their habit.

a. In reference to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety that

b. Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety about

c. When referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently express anxiety about

d. With reference to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety about

e. Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smoker frequently express anxiety that
the answer is just between A and E. however, smoker ...express doesnt sound right in E so i chose A
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by bubbliiiiiiii » Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:07 am
IMO A.

Could you please post the source of this question?
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by bblast » Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:26 am
guys this is an old post, however i rem answer is E(see existing explanations), source is 1000 sc

the question has errors, so stay away,,dont study this
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by vatsalroxy » Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:30 am
I concur with the typo error in choice E. Like ppl mentioned above E presents the same tense formation. (Present Tense) .

In C the error is with the word WHEN. It suggests that only when the smokers are referred to the current hostility toward smoking they express XYZ.

But logically its not true. Coz repulsion or anxiety doesn't generate in specific moments rather they always feel being stunted by their habit. So this is not a momentary impulse. But a continuous feeling in smokers.

Second thing about C is "express anxiety about" ....anxiety is never about something rather ...anxiety is something in itself hence the use of subjunctive clause therefor Anxiety THAT.

Thus E shall be it
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by aspirant2011 » Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:26 am
I am confused btw A and E............can anyone post the OA and explain it..................
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by GMATGuruNY » Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:44 pm
In reference to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety that their prospects for being hired and promoted are being stunted by their habit.

(A) In reference to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety that
(B) Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety about
(C) When referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently express anxiety about
(D) With reference to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently expressed anxiety about
(E) Referring to the current hostility toward smoking, smokers frequently express anxiety that
The correct version of the SC appears above.

In B, C and D, the preposition about makes no sense: smokers frequently express anxiety...about...their prospects...are being stunted. Eliminate B, C and D.

In A, the past tense verb expressed doesn't match the present tense verb are. Unless a change in tense is needed, all the verbs in the sentence should be in the same tense. Also, it doesn't make sense that the smokers expressed (in the past) anxiety about the current (present) hostility. Eliminate A.

The correct answer is E.
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by need720+ » Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:54 am
Can anyone tell why 'anxiety about' is wrong in this question?
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