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Pronoun Usage

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Pronoun Usage

by tgonza » Wed Aug 05, 2009 5:20 pm
Can someone explain why answer A is better than C?

Statement: In many upper-class Egyptian homes, French was spoken within the family, just as it had once been among the Russian aristocracy.

A) underlined above
B) just like it once had been among the Russian aristocracy
C) just as the Russian artistocracy had once done
D) similar to what the Russian artistocracy had done once
E) like what had once been done by the Russian aristocracy
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Re: Pronoun Usage

by riteshbindal » Wed Aug 05, 2009 6:19 pm
tgonza wrote:Can someone explain why answer A is better than C?

Statement: In many upper-class Egyptian homes, French was spoken within the family, just as it had once been among the Russian aristocracy.

A) underlined above
B) just like it once had been among the Russian aristocracy
C) just as the Russian artistocracy had once done
D) similar to what the Russian artistocracy had done once
E) like what had once been done by the Russian aristocracy
Once had been done signifies that it was just done at one moment. E.g., Ferrari was once driven by me. --> Signifies that I once drove it.
I had been driving Ferrari. --> Signifies that I once used to drive it.

Let me know if this is not still clear. I am pretty bad in explanations :(
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by tom4lax » Fri Aug 07, 2009 2:01 pm
I think I am beginning to more fully understand this question.

Answer A "just as it had once been among the Russian aristocracy" loosely translates to

"just as (French had once been spoken) among the Russian aristocracy"

Answer C however "just as the Russian artistocracy had once done" loosely translates to

"just as the Russian aristocracy had once (spoken French)"

The difference between the two is quite subtle, so stick with the original meaning because there is no problem with A??
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