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OG10#88 - verb tense confusion ?

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by sui generis » Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:23 am
The Emperor Augustus, it appears, commissioned an idealized sculpture portrait, the features of which are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an "artificial face."

(A) so unrealistic as to constitute
(B) so unrealistic they constituted
(C) so unrealistic that they have constituted
(D) unrealistic enough so that they constitute
(E) unrealistic enough so as to constitute

OA: A

The official explanation states: The verbs are and calls indicate that the sculpture is being viewed and judged in the present. Thus, neither the past tense verb constituted (in B) nor the present perfect verb have constituted (in C) is correct; both suggest that the statue's features once constituted an artificial face but no longer do so.

I couldn't get how 'have constituted' can be rejected on the aforementioned grounds.
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by GMATGuruNY » Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:22 am
sui generis wrote:The Emperor Augustus, it appears, commissioned an idealized sculpture portrait, the features of which are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an "artificial face."

(A) so unrealistic as to constitute
(B) so unrealistic they constituted
(C) so unrealistic that they have constituted
(D) unrealistic enough so that they constitute
(E) unrealistic enough so as to constitute

OA: A

The official explanation states: The verbs are and calls indicate that the sculpture is being viewed and judged in the present. Thus, neither the past tense verb constituted (in B) nor the present perfect verb have constituted (in C) is correct; both suggest that the statue's features once constituted an artificial face but no longer do so.

I couldn't get how 'have constituted' can be rejected on the aforementioned grounds.
To indicate a GENERAL TRUTH -- something that is true now and will remain true in the future -- we use the PRESENT TENSE.
The features of the sculpture are a general truth.
Thus, the present tense is appropriate here:
The features ARE so unrealistic as TO CONSTITUTE what one scholar CALLS an "artificial face".

The correct answer is A.
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by sui generis » Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:29 am
Thanks Mitch for the quick reply.

I concur with your reasoning; definitely A is better than C. However, in absence of choice A would choice C be correct ? As such I don't see any problem with 'have constituted'.
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by hey_thr67 » Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:39 am
why not D is correct ?
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by katy_123 » Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:32 am
the correct idiom is "so X as to Y"
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by sui generis » Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:45 am
why not D is correct ?
D uses both 'enough' and 'so that', making the construction redundant and awkward.

Using either is the correct usage.
e.g. - X are unrealistic enough to constitute Y
OR X are so unrealistic that they constitute Y
OR X are so unrealistic as to constitute Y
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by EducationAisle » Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:45 am
katy_123 wrote:the correct idiom is "so X as to Y"
Looks like this is debatable. While I seem to remember coming across a recent GMATPrep question that uses this idiom, it is interesting to note the OE for OG 12 #37, option C:

The construction so x as to y is not a correct idiom.

But then, some of the OEs are known to be not exactly high class.
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by mv12 » Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:01 am
My pick A
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by bubbliiiiiiii » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:13 am
sui generis wrote:The Emperor Augustus, it appears, commissioned an idealized sculpture portrait, the features of which are so unrealistic as to constitute what one scholar calls an "artificial face."

(A) so unrealistic as to constitute
(B) so unrealistic they constituted
(C) so unrealistic that they have constituted
(D) unrealistic enough so that they constitute
(E) unrealistic enough so as to constitute
Between A and E, I preferred A for idiomatic usage.
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