prabsahi wrote:Trans World Entertainment Corporation, which owns the RecordTown and Saturday Matinee retail chains, announced that since sales of up to one-fourth of its stores are poor, they will be closed
A. that since sales of up to one-fourth of its stores are poor, they will be closed
B. it is closing up to one-fourth of its stores, which accounted for its poor sales
C. it was closing up to one fourth of its stores because of poor sales
D. to be closing, on account of poor sales, up to one-fourth of its stores
E. having poor sales, such that up to one-fourth of its stores will be closed
The default referent for a subject pronoun is the SUBJECT OF THE PRECEDING CLAUSE.
In A,
they (subject pronoun) seems to refer to
sales (the subject of the preceding clause), implying that SALES will be closed.
Not the intended meaning.
The intended meaning is that the unsuccessful STORES will be closed.
Eliminate A.
B:
its stores, which accounted for its poor sales
Here,
which seems to refer to
its stores, implying that ALL of Trans World's stores were responsible for the company's poor sales.
Not the intended meaning.
The intended meaning is that only ONE-FOURTH of the stores were unsuccessful.
Eliminate B.
Generally, an infinitive modifier serves to refer to the PRECEDING SUBJECT.
D:
Trans World Entertainment Corporation...announced to be closing.
Here,
announced to be closing is unidiomatic.
Worse, the implication of
to be closing is that
Trans World Entertainment Corporation (the preceding subject) is about TO BE CLOSING.
Not the intended meaning.
The intended meaning is that UP TO ONE-FOURTH OF THE STORES will be closing.
Eliminate D.
E:
announced having poor sales
Here,
having seems to serve as the direct object of
announced, implying that Trans World announced the ACT OF HAVING POOR SALES.
Not the intended meaning.
The intended meaning is that the company announced IT WAS CLOSING UP TO ONE-FOURTH OF ITS STORES.
Eliminate E.
The correct answer is
C.
In most cases on the GMAT, a reporting verb such as
announced will be followed by
that.
This SC -- which is from GMATPrep -- illustrates an important exception to this rule:
When a subject is reporting information about ITSELF, the GMAT may omit
that from the noun-clause serving as the direct object of the reporting verb.
The typical construction is as follows:
SUBJECT + REPORTING VERB +
it + VERB.
OA:
Trans World Entertainment Corporation announced it was closing up to one fourth of its stores.
Here, Trans World is reporting information about itself.
As a result, it is permissible to omit
that after the reporting verb
announced.
SC48 in the OG for Verbal:
The seven-store retailer said it would start a three-month liquidation sale.
Here, the seven-store retailer is reporting information about itself.
As a result, it is permissible to omit
that after the reporting verb
said.
In some cases, the GMAT will INCLUDE
that when the subject is reporting information about itself.
SC79 in the OG for Verbal:
The computer company has announced that it will purchase the color-printing division of a rival company.
Here, even though the computer company is reporting information about itself, the reporting verb
has announced is followed by
that.
Bottom line:
If a subject is reporting information about itself, a reporting verb such as
announced may or may not be followed by
that.
Thus, do not eliminate an answer choice solely because it includes or omits
that after the reporting verb.
Instead, look for other reasons to eliminate answer choices.
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