An economic recession can result from a lowering of employment rates triggered by a drop in investment, which causes people to cut consumer spending and starts a cycle of layoffs leading back to even lower employment rates.
(A) lowering of employment rates triggered by a drop in investment, which causes people to cut consumer spending and start a cycle of layoffs leading back to even lower employment rates.
(B) lowering of employment rates triggered by dropping investment, which causes people to cut consumer spending and starts a cycle of layoffs leading back to even lower employment rates.
(C) falling employment rates triggered by a drop in investment, which cause cutbacks in consumer spending, starting a cycle of layoffs that lead to even lower employment rates.
(D) falling employment rates that are triggered by a drop in investment, causing people to cut consumer spending and starting a cycle of layoffs that lead back to even lower employment rates.
(E) falling employment rates that are triggered by a drop in investment, causing cutbacks in consumer spending and starting a cycle of layoffs leading to even lower employment rates.
First:
The use of "Which":
Which refers to the immediate eligible NOUN before which. Eligible means the following:
--> The NOUN must match with the Verb after which.
--> The NOUN must match singular/Plural.
Example:
The list of animals, which has been prepared by the experts, has been lost.
=> Which + has been
Has = Singular
Which =Singular
=> Which MUST refer to a singular NOUN.
So, which refers to "the list".
This is grammatical deal.
Meaning deal can also be applied in some cases:
The list of animals, which has been prepared by the experts, has been lost.
"Which has been prepared by experts" => If which refers to animals, it seems that animals has been prepared by experts. Does it make sense? NO. So, which cannot logically refer to "animals".
The same deal here:
Take the options one by one:
A. lowering of employment rates triggered by a drop in investment, which causes people to cut consumer spending and start a cycle of layoffs leading back to even lower employment rates.
Here, "which causes" indicates that which refers to the singular noun, a drop in investment.
Come to the meaning: A drop in investment causes people to cut consumer spending.
Investment may drop. But does it make sense that a drop in investment causes people to cut consumer spending?
If people are unemployed, they will NOT spend more.
So, it is illogical to say that "a drop in investment" causes..
A is wrong for this reason.
B. Same logic is applied in case of B.
Second:
The building that was built in 1990 has been destroyed.
=> The building built in 1990 has been destroyed. ----> GMAT likes conciseness. if two options express the same meaning, the shorter one is preferred.
In that sense:
"Rates triggered" is preferable to "rates that are triggered"
So, the options D and E are out.
Answer is C.
(A) lowering of employment rates triggered by a drop in investment, which causes people to cut consumer spending and start a cycle of layoffs leading back to even lower employment rates.
(B) lowering of employment rates triggered by dropping investment, which causes people to cut consumer spending and starts a cycle of layoffs leading back to even lower employment rates.
(C) falling employment rates triggered by a drop in investment, which cause cutbacks in consumer spending, starting a cycle of layoffs that lead to even lower employment rates.
(D) falling employment rates that are triggered by a drop in investment, causing people to cut consumer spending and starting a cycle of layoffs that lead back to even lower employment rates.
(E) falling employment rates that are triggered by a drop in investment, causing cutbacks in consumer spending and starting a cycle of layoffs leading to even lower employment rates.
First:
The use of "Which":
Which refers to the immediate eligible NOUN before which. Eligible means the following:
--> The NOUN must match with the Verb after which.
--> The NOUN must match singular/Plural.
Example:
The list of animals, which has been prepared by the experts, has been lost.
=> Which + has been
Has = Singular
Which =Singular
=> Which MUST refer to a singular NOUN.
So, which refers to "the list".
This is grammatical deal.
Meaning deal can also be applied in some cases:
The list of animals, which has been prepared by the experts, has been lost.
"Which has been prepared by experts" => If which refers to animals, it seems that animals has been prepared by experts. Does it make sense? NO. So, which cannot logically refer to "animals".
The same deal here:
Take the options one by one:
A. lowering of employment rates triggered by a drop in investment, which causes people to cut consumer spending and start a cycle of layoffs leading back to even lower employment rates.
Here, "which causes" indicates that which refers to the singular noun, a drop in investment.
Come to the meaning: A drop in investment causes people to cut consumer spending.
Investment may drop. But does it make sense that a drop in investment causes people to cut consumer spending?
If people are unemployed, they will NOT spend more.
So, it is illogical to say that "a drop in investment" causes..
A is wrong for this reason.
B. Same logic is applied in case of B.
Second:
The building that was built in 1990 has been destroyed.
=> The building built in 1990 has been destroyed. ----> GMAT likes conciseness. if two options express the same meaning, the shorter one is preferred.
In that sense:
"Rates triggered" is preferable to "rates that are triggered"
So, the options D and E are out.
Answer is C.
