SC princeton Review

This topic has expert replies
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:15 am

SC princeton Review

by KSR » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:57 pm
In the 1970’s an elite preschool in New York City had approximately 150 applications per year, and by the 1990’s, this number rose to 3,000.


A) this number rose

B)the number had risen

C)the amount had risen

D)this number was raised

E)the number of applications had risen



OA:B

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 435
Joined: Sat May 02, 2009 3:55 am
Thanked: 17 times

Re: SC princeton Review

by madhur_ahuja » Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:14 pm
In the 1970’s an elite preschool in New York City had approximately 150 applications per year, and by the 1990’s, this number rose to 3,000.


A) this number rose .. this refer to 1990

B)the number had risen

C)the amount had risen .. its not the amount ..

D)this number was raised .... it was not raised ..

E)the number of applications had risen ... wordy

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:15 am

by KSR » Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:47 pm
sorry, what is your answer?

Is it A or B and why?

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:12 am
Thanked: 1 times
GMAT Score:740

by mbhusal76 » Sat Sep 05, 2009 9:44 pm
Can anyone please explain why A is not correct here.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 10:12 pm
Thanked: 3 times

by shilpi84 » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:37 pm
Why 'Had risen' is getting used?Why not simple past tense

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 399
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:48 am
Location: india
Thanked: 39 times

by xcusemeplz2009 » Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:00 am
madhur
in A instead of this if the is used then would it have been preffered over B.

and even if no change is made can u clear the role of two HAD if B is correct
It does not matter how many times you get knocked down , but how many times you get up

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:52 am
Thanked: 3 times

by M09 » Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:16 am
Even I have the same Q

Why 'Had risen' is getting used?Why not simple past tense

Both the instances,1970 & 1990, talk about the past
then why not simple past for the latter half of the sentence?

Am I missing something out here ?
Please comment. Thanks!

Legendary Member
Posts: 833
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:56 am
Thanked: 13 times

by vivek.kapoor83 » Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:17 am
in case of 2 past events, the previous event is in past perfect and later in simple past. and i think 1970 is earlier past event.
So, past perfect, if had to u use, should be use in 1970
not in 1990

i dont agree with OA

Wht is the source of ques ? is it authentic source?

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 77
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 10:25 am
Location: Germany
Thanked: 7 times

by Nermal » Sun Sep 06, 2009 2:39 am
I think you have to use past perfect because of the word "by".
The sentence is saying that the number of applications had risen to 3000 "by 1990" which means that the number did not jump but had risen steadily throughout those years.
Therefore it is not a single event we are talking about but a period of time.

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 268
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:22 am
Thanked: 19 times
Followed by:1 members
GMAT Score:700

by capnx » Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:46 am
Nermal is right. There're 2 past time periods in this sentence: 1970s and 1970-1990s (by 1990s)

1970s came before 1990s, so need past perfect.

"by the 1990s" clearly dictates that the action was started before and finished at that specific time which is the 1990s. Because 1990s happened in the past, and the action came before the past, need past perfect