gmat_dec wrote:The reasons for the pollution of Ganges were either because it is an easy target for effluents with several of its tributaries like Yamuna, Gomati etc flowing through industrial belts or for the simple reason that it had a massive catchment area in the thickly populated North India.

A. that it had a massive catchment area in the thickly populated North India
B. that its catchment area was massive in the thickly populated North India
C. that it caught massive areas in the thickly populated North India
D. of its massive catchment area in the thickly populated North India
E. of its thick catchment area in the massively populated North India
[spoiler]OA.A
Why use had here ?? is there any action happening after "massive catchment". Isn't the question same to the one given below. Both have only one action that actually occurred in past.

[/spoiler]

B -uses "its" which refers to "catchment area of Ganges" while "either because it is an easy" represents "Ganges"

wrong comparison -- we cannot compare catchment with ganges

Note : its either --or (which is comparison -either this or that)

A correctly compares "ganges" in both parts of "either -or"

His studies of ice-polished rocks in his Alpine homeland, far outside the range of present-day glaciers, led Louis Agassiz in 1837 to propose the concept of an age in which great ice sheets had existed in now currently temperate areas.
(A) in which great ice sheets had existed in now currently temperate areas
(B) in which great ice sheets existed in what are now temperate areas
(C) when great ice sheets existed where there were areas now temperate
(D) when great ice sheets had existed in current temperate areas
(E) when great ice sheets existed in areas now that are temperate

Here we are not talking about "age", we are takling about "concept of an age" -so it should be "in which" and not "when"

Now, A "now -currently " are redundant
Also, "concept of ice age " is still existing while "had existed" indicates it does not exist now.

Hence B -"existed" is correct.

papgust wrote:From where did you get those questions? The first question in particular looks a bad sentence to me. There is no parallelism in either..or construction. If it is not from a good source, it is better to stay away from it.

Check this out for the 2nd question.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/past-perfect ... 18005.html

Remember,

i. you must first search the forum before you start a new thread.
ii. you should not post more than 1 question in a thread.

gmat_dec wrote: i ALREADY understand the explanation for Question B. As written i had put the second question for a comparison.
had i posted the question in a new post it wouldn't have made sense.