Sentence Correction

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

[spoiler]The OA is E but what does 'it' in E refer to.[/spoiler]

"it" in the option E refers to nothing, like in those sentences.

It will take us three days to finish this task.

or

It has already been three years since the war that Russia and Georgia fought over the recognition of independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"it" here is just a way to talk indirectly about a problem or to shift the sentence emphasis:

It will take us three days to finish this task. --- The emphasis is "three days"
-> We will finish this task in three days. --- The emphasis is "finish this task"

It has already been three years since the war that Russia and Georgia fought over the recognition of independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia. --- The emphasis is "three years"
-> Russia and Georgia fought over the recognition of independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia three years ago. --- The emphasis is "fought over the recognition of independence".

limestone wrote:"it" in the option E refers to nothing, like in those sentences.

It will take us three days to finish this task.

or

It has already been three years since the war that Russia and Georgia fought over the recognition of independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"it" here is just a way to talk indirectly about a problem or to shift the sentence emphasis:

It will take us three days to finish this task. --- The emphasis is "three days"
-> We will finish this task in three days. --- The emphasis is "finish this task"

It has already been three years since the war that Russia and Georgia fought over the recognition of independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia. --- The emphasis is "three years"
-> Russia and Georgia fought over the recognition of independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia three years ago. --- The emphasis is "fought over the recognition of independence".

But shouldn't all pronouns in an SC refer to something

Regards,
vishal

Actually, "it" here is not a pronoun; thus it does not need to refer to anything.

"It" here is a kind of expletives.

An expletive is a place-holding word such as it, there, and what that fills a vacancy in a sentence without adding to its meaning. In the sentences, "It is fun to read" and "There are three secrects to writing a great novel", it and there merely occupy the first positions in the sentences, delaying the meaningful words "fun to read" and "three secrets to writing a great novel" to the right of the verbs. Excerpt from Keys to Great Writing - Stephen Wilbers

limestone wrote:Actually, "it" here is not a pronoun; thus it does not need to refer to anything.

"It" here is a kind of expletives.

An expletive is a place-holding word such as it, there, and what that fills a vacancy in a sentence without adding to its meaning. In the sentences, "It is fun to read" and "There are three secrects to writing a great novel", it and there merely occupy the first positions in the sentences, delaying the meaningful words "fun to read" and "three secrets to writing a great novel" to the right of the verbs. Excerpt from Keys to Great Writing - Stephen Wilbers

How do we know when 'it' and other pronouns act as expletives and when they act as pronouns. How do we know when we should be looking for their antecedent and when we shouldn't

Regards,
Vishal

Hi vishal,

"it" is the only pronoun in GMAT that doesn't require an antecedent ( on some construction ).

Example : It is futile to resist temptation.

For more details refer to MGMAT SC.

Refer OG-12 SC #57 - which is based on the same concept.

In Q57 below, B is correct and it refers to Morocco

Affording strategic proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco was also of interest to the French throughout the first half of the twentieth century because they assumed that if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure.
(A) if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure
(B) without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure
(C) their grip on Algeria was not ever secure if they did not hold it
(D) without that, they could never be secure about their grip on Algeria
(E) never would their grip on Algeria be secure if they did not hold it

avik.ch wrote:Hi vishal,

"it" is the only pronoun in GMAT that doesn't require an antecedent ( on some construction ).

Example : It is futile to resist temptation.

For more details refer to MGMAT SC.

Refer OG-12 SC #57 - which is based on the same concept.

vikram4689 wrote:In Q57 below, B is correct and it refers to Morocco

Affording strategic proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco was also of interest to the French throughout the first half of the twentieth century because they assumed that if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure.
(A) if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure
(B) without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure
(C) their grip on Algeria was not ever secure if they did not hold it
(D) without that, they could never be secure about their grip on Algeria
(E) never would their grip on Algeria be secure if they did not hold it ,

I think you are referring to different version of OG-12. Og-12 #57 is this problem,

That educators have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said that it is their fault : Alvin Toffler, one of the most prominent students of the future, did not even mention microcomputers in Future Shock, published in 1970


(A) That educators have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said that it is their fault
(B)That educators have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said to be at fault
(C)It can hardly be said that it is the fault of educators who have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology
(D)It can hardly be said that educators are at fault for not anticipating the impact of microcomputer technology
(E)The fact that educators are at fault for not anticipating the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said.

I dont have access to book right now so i google it and found #57 here https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/og-sc-57-t937.html

avik.ch wrote: I think you are referring to different version of OG-12. Og-12 #57 is this problem,

Anyways for this ques, Answer should be D as "IT" refers to NOUN CLAUSE "that educators are at fault". (Check out this https://www.beatthegmat.com/eagles-t102869.html#445504 )

avik.ch wrote:That educators have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said that it is their fault : Alvin Toffler, one of the most prominent students of the future, did not even mention microcomputers in Future Shock, published in 1970


(A) That educators have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said that it is their fault
(B)That educators have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said to be at fault
(C)It can hardly be said that it is the fault of educators who have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology
(D)It can hardly be said that educators are at fault for not anticipating the impact of microcomputer technology
(E)The fact that educators are at fault for not anticipating the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said.

It can come without a subject

Hi

Can anyone please explain what OG means when it says, "Not almost until is a nonsensical sequence of
modifiers".

Thanks