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

Redeem

Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

★★★★★5.0559 reviews
Vote for Target Test Prep, Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards 2026
NEWSWEEK READERS’ CHOICE 2026

BIG NEWS! Target Test Prep has been nominated, and they’d love your vote!

TTP has worked incredibly hard to build the best test prep experience possible, and winning Newsweek’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Test Prep would mean a lot to them. If TTP has helped you, they’d be incredibly grateful for your vote. You can vote once each day through September 9.

Vote for TTP
GMATLiveTeach 7 seats left
Chris Peckover
NEXT LIVE COHORT

Oct 13 to Jan 7, 2027

with Chris Peckover

Schedule
Tue, Thu · 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET
Included
40 live hours + 6 months of GMAT OnDemand
  • Live instruction and real-time questions
  • Class recordings and assigned practice
View class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeach 5 seats left
Logan Thompson
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Sep 6 to Dec 6, 2026

with Logan Thompson

Schedule
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes plus six months of access to the complete TTP EA OnDemand course.
  • 165+ EA Score Guarantee
  • 4,100+ Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions
  • 400+ hours of in-depth video lessons
  • 3,000+ step-by-step video solutions
View EA class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemand Start anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

715+ score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions

Compare the format, schedule, and included access before enrolling. Prices and seat counts shown reflect the supplied offer details.

Da Vinci first sketched the Mona Lisa

Expert replies
by Ryan Ziemba » Tue Sep 14, 2010 4:04 pm
I found this problem on one of the old paper test, so there is no explanation. I incorrectly answered D and have a feeling my error partly involved tense, although I'm not sure the the exact rules as they apply here.

Any insight would be much appreciated.


Art historians are using a process known as infrared scanning in analyzing the Mona Lisa to determine if it has been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as done by many artists of the time.

(A) if it has been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as done

(B) if it had been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice employed

(C) whether it has been altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice employed

(D) whether it was altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as was done

(E) whether it had been altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice done
Join the discussion
Source: — Sentence Correction |

by Gurpinder » Tue Sep 14, 2010 4:34 pm
IMO (C).


(A) if it has been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as done

(B) if it had been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice employed

(C) whether it has been altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice employed
--> this one looks good.

(D) whether it was altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as was done

(E) whether it had been altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice done
"Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress."
- Alfred A. Montapert, Philosopher.
Join the discussion

by navami » Thu Sep 16, 2010 3:30 am
which one is better here: whether or if.
Join the discussion

by niksworth » Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:13 am
C looks best.

First,

whether is the right choice here, not if. If is used for conditional statements.

To distinguish between whether and if look for the following missing elements used to answer the question -
Whether - whether or not- or not is missing.
If - If..then - then is missing.

See which if the two makes sense in the sentence (whether or not / if...then). Choose accordingly.

Second,

altered since completion indicates that the alteration might have happened anytime from the completion of the painting to the present day. Thus the use of present perfect has been is necessary.

Note that had the sentence been something like - ... to determine whether it ----- altered in the 18th century, use of was would have been correct.

Only C satisfies these criteria.
scio me nihil scire
Join the discussion

by reply2spg » Thu Sep 16, 2010 7:39 am
Use of whether and if

whether - Use whenever you want to choose between the options.

Correct - I am not sure whether to go to India or to UK in winter.
Wrong - I am not sure if I go to India or to UK in winter.

IF - Use if only and only when you have conditional clause. That means whenever you see if X, then Y construction use if

Correct - If I study hard for GMAT, I will get more than 700.
Wrong - whether I study hard for GMAT, I will get more than 700.

HTH!!!!
navami wrote:which one is better here: whether or if.
Sudhanshu
(have lot of things to learn from all of you)
Join the discussion

by prnaidu » Thu Sep 16, 2010 11:02 am
Best Answer : A

Ryan - can you please post the answer?
Join the discussion

by Maciek » Thu Sep 16, 2010 2:10 pm
Hi all!

IMO C

Main issues here are 'if' versus 'whether' and verb tenses.
'Whether' should be used here.
It is used to introduce a clause after a verb expressing or implying doubt or choice in order to indicate two or more alternatives. [1]
Hence, we should eliminate answer choices A and B.
Answers D and E include inappropriate verb tenses.

[1] https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/whether

Read "Top 10 Tips for the Sentence Correction Section" by Chris Black
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/09/ ... on-section

Hope it helps!
Best,
Maciek
"There is no greater wealth in a nation than that of being made up of learned citizens." Pope John Paul II

if you have any questions, send me a private message!

should you find this post useful, please click on "thanks" button :)
Join the discussion

by ankurmit » Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:31 am
IMO C
--------
Ankur mittal
Join the discussion

by anantbhatia » Sun Sep 19, 2010 10:38 pm
(C) looks the best. But 'if' would have suited here better than 'whether'. I am still a tad confused with the usage.
Join the discussion

by navami » Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:25 am
Thanks guys!!
Join the discussion

• Page 1 of 1