Although various eighteenth- and nineteenth-century
American poets had professed an interest in
Native American poetry and had pretended to imitate
Native American forms in their own works, until almost
1900, scholars and critics did not begin seriously to
study traditional Native American poetry in native
languages.
(A) until almost 1900, scholars and critics did not
begin seriously to study
(B) until almost 1900 scholars and critics had not
begun seriously studying
(C) not until almost 1900 were scholars and critics
to begin seriously to study
(D) it was not almost until 1900 when scholars and
critics began to seriously study
(E) it was not until almost 1900 that scholars and
critics seriously began studying
OA is E what is wrong with D.
OG says not almost until is nonsensical sequence of
modifiers
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vineetbatra
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papgust
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suchoudh wrote:Can you please underline the sentence?
It's done. @poster, please underline the sentence whenever you post a SC question.
Coming to the question, "almost" must be close to "1900" and it must not modify "until". Also, the placement of "seriously" in b/w "to" and "study is wrong. It must be "began to study seriously" or "began studying seriously".
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Shawshank
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Wht does "it" refer to in D and E.. ????papgust wrote:suchoudh wrote:Can you please underline the sentence?
It's done. @poster, please underline the sentence whenever you post a SC question.
Coming to the question, "almost" must be close to "1900" and it must not modify "until". Also, the placement of "seriously" in b/w "to" and "study is wrong. It must be "began to study seriously" or "began studying seriously".
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vineetbatra
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Stacey Koprince
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Received a PM asking me to reply.
I can't discuss this problem in much detail because it's an OG problem, but I can discuss the "it" issue (which is what the poster requested from me).
The word "it" can sometimes be used without an actual antecedent. For example, in the sentence "it is raining outside," the pronoun "it" does not refer to another noun. What noun could that "it" refer to? The sky is raining? The clouds are raining? Mother nature is raining? The pronoun isn't actually referring to anything specific. The pronoun is indicating a "state of being" - "there is rain falling from the sky."
So, let's try this sentence: "it was not until last year that I first began to play basketball."
The "it" doesn't refer to a noun in the sentence. Is there some noun in the world that the "it" could refer to? No, actually. This example is similar to the "it is raining outside" example - the "it" is indicating a "state of being." This thing is true: it was not until last year that I first began to play basketball.
This is tricky. It's not really easy to see when you don't have to have an antecedent for "it." That's why I like the "it is raining outside" example - I can ask myself, "Okay, is this sentence like that one? If so, then I don't need an antecedent for "it."
I can't discuss this problem in much detail because it's an OG problem, but I can discuss the "it" issue (which is what the poster requested from me).
The word "it" can sometimes be used without an actual antecedent. For example, in the sentence "it is raining outside," the pronoun "it" does not refer to another noun. What noun could that "it" refer to? The sky is raining? The clouds are raining? Mother nature is raining? The pronoun isn't actually referring to anything specific. The pronoun is indicating a "state of being" - "there is rain falling from the sky."
So, let's try this sentence: "it was not until last year that I first began to play basketball."
The "it" doesn't refer to a noun in the sentence. Is there some noun in the world that the "it" could refer to? No, actually. This example is similar to the "it is raining outside" example - the "it" is indicating a "state of being." This thing is true: it was not until last year that I first began to play basketball.
This is tricky. It's not really easy to see when you don't have to have an antecedent for "it." That's why I like the "it is raining outside" example - I can ask myself, "Okay, is this sentence like that one? If so, then I don't need an antecedent for "it."
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gauravgundal
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D is incorrect
First : The sentence has adverb between "to" and verb 'study'
I think that adverb must never come between to and verb .
Second reason : it was not almost untill 1990 ,or it was not until almost 1990
Almost --very nearly but not exactly or entirely
so "Almost" must modify year and not 'untill'.
First : The sentence has adverb between "to" and verb 'study'
I think that adverb must never come between to and verb .
Second reason : it was not almost untill 1990 ,or it was not until almost 1990
Almost --very nearly but not exactly or entirely
so "Almost" must modify year and not 'untill'.
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Shawshank
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Thanks a TON Stacey....Stacey Koprince wrote:Received a PM asking me to reply.
I can't discuss this problem in much detail because it's an OG problem, but I can discuss the "it" issue (which is what the poster requested from me).
The word "it" can sometimes be used without an actual antecedent. For example, in the sentence "it is raining outside," the pronoun "it" does not refer to another noun. What noun could that "it" refer to? The sky is raining? The clouds are raining? Mother nature is raining? The pronoun isn't actually referring to anything specific. The pronoun is indicating a "state of being" - "there is rain falling from the sky."
So, let's try this sentence: "it was not until last year that I first began to play basketball."
The "it" doesn't refer to a noun in the sentence. Is there some noun in the world that the "it" could refer to? No, actually. This example is similar to the "it is raining outside" example - the "it" is indicating a "state of being." This thing is true: it was not until last year that I first began to play basketball.
This is tricky. It's not really easy to see when you don't have to have an antecedent for "it." That's why I like the "it is raining outside" example - I can ask myself, "Okay, is this sentence like that one? If so, then I don't need an antecedent for "it."
It is helping --
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RumpelThickSkin
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Great explanation. So Stacey and others - can we safely conclude that when IT does have an antecedant, it must always refer to a 'state of being'? i.e. It is raining, It is helping etc.Stacey Koprince wrote:Received a PM asking me to reply.
I can't discuss this problem in much detail because it's an OG problem, but I can discuss the "it" issue (which is what the poster requested from me).
The word "it" can sometimes be used without an actual antecedent. For example, in the sentence "it is raining outside," the pronoun "it" does not refer to another noun. What noun could that "it" refer to? The sky is raining? The clouds are raining? Mother nature is raining? The pronoun isn't actually referring to anything specific. The pronoun is indicating a "state of being" - "there is rain falling from the sky."
So, let's try this sentence: "it was not until last year that I first began to play basketball."
The "it" doesn't refer to a noun in the sentence. Is there some noun in the world that the "it" could refer to? No, actually. This example is similar to the "it is raining outside" example - the "it" is indicating a "state of being." This thing is true: it was not until last year that I first began to play basketball.
This is tricky. It's not really easy to see when you don't have to have an antecedent for "it." That's why I like the "it is raining outside" example - I can ask myself, "Okay, is this sentence like that one? If so, then I don't need an antecedent for "it."
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Stacey Koprince
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When "it" does NOT have an explicit antecedent, AND "it" is used correctly in the sentence, then the pronoun is referring to this "state of being" idea I wrote about above.So Stacey and others - can we safely conclude that when IT does have an antecedant, it must always refer to a 'state of being'? i.e. It is raining, It is helping etc.
On the GMAT, this can be a little tricky. Basically, ask yourself what noun or concept would logically fit into the spot where the "it" pronoun currently is. If what you think of is similar to the idea behind "it is raining outside," then don't worry about finding an antecedent. If what you think of is really a discrete noun, then look for it in the sentence.
Note: another way in which "it" is used incorrectly is in the expression "do it." He wanted to study last night and she told him to do it. What does "it" refer to there?
It refers to "study": she told him to study. Hmm. "Study" is a verb, not a noun. I can't use "it" to refer to a verb. A correct choice might say something like "He wanted to study last night and she told him to do so." "So" can refer back to a verb.
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