Unlike other mayan cities --- what follows this should be Cancun ( a city that compares to other cities) that leaves us with d and e.
Sine we are talking about something that Cancun started in the past but is still doing, it should be present tense hence E. also "to become" is better than "in becoming".

I would say E for this question.
I directly eliminate choices A, B and C because they compare two unlike things.
Option D is not correct because of 'seemed to be using'

IMO E. other choices are out. because of either nonparallel comparison or verb tense issues.

What is the correct answer?

gmat_perfect wrote:Unlike other Mayan cities, Cancun's commercial power throughout the lowlands seems to be from using its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, which were a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities.

a. Cancun's commercial power throughout the lowlands seems to be from using its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, which were a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities

b. Cancun's commercial power throughout the lowlands seems to have come from using its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities.

c. the commercial power of Cancun's throughout the lowlands seemed to have come from using its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities.

d. Cancun seemed to be using its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, which was a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities, in becoming a commercial power throughout the lowlands.

e. Cancun seems to have used its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities, to become a commercial power throughout the lowlands.

[spoiler]OA: E[/spoiler]

Edited by Gmat_perfect due to wrong in the correct option.

finrahul99 wrote:What is the correct answer?

[spoiler]{E}[/spoiler]

I have a doubt. Can someone help me?

In option E. "Seems to have used" is used.. this implies progressive continues. Is it okay to use it this way?

Please someone tell me.

mathrupradeep wrote:I have a doubt. Can someone help me?

In option E. "Seems to have used" is used.. this implies progressive continues. Is it okay to use it this way?

Please someone tell me.

Hello!

"Seems to have used" is implying that people see it that way in the present ("seems" is a verb in Present Simple), but Cancun used its strategic position in the past ("to have used" is a perfect infinitive and indicates the past).

Compare:
They seemed to be happy --- people thought that they were happy at that time (in the past). The main verb (seemed) is in the past, and the infinitive (to be) indicates here the concurrent state (seemed -> in the past, to be -> in the past).
They seem to be happy --- people think now that they are happy (now).
They seem to have been happy --- people think now that they were happy in the past.
They seemed to have been happy --- this isn't going to appear on the GMAT, probably, but logically: people thought (in the past) that they had been happy (some time previously before people thought).

So, the perfect infinitive takes us one step back from the tense of the main verb.

Unlike other Mayan cities, Cancun's commercial power throughout the lowlands seems to be from using its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, which were a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities.

(A) Cancun's commercial power throughout the lowlands seems to be from using its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, which were a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities.
(B) Cancun's commercial power throughout the lowlands seems to have come from using its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities.
(C) the commercial power of Cancun's throughout the lowlands seemed to have come from using its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities.
(D) Cancun seemed to be using its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, which was a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities, in becoming a commercial power throughout the lowlands.
(E) Cancun seems to have used its strategic position at the foot of the highlands, a source of jade, obsidian, and other valuable commodities, to become a commercial power throughout the lowlands.

A, B, C -eliminated bcz cities should be compared to city (cities), not with "Cancun's commercial power"
From D and E, E is the better option.

A,B,C can be eliminated at first sight due to wrong comparison.

D is eliminated as wrong tense. in becoming phrase is wrong.

E is the correct answer.