Tense

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Tense

by nycknicks11 » Sun May 01, 2011 3:47 am
After decreasing steadily in the mid-1990's, the percentage of students in the United States finishing high school or having earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, up to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and 84.8 percent in 1998.

(A) finishing high school or having earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, up to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
(B) finishing high school or earning equivalency diplomas, increasing in the last three years of the decade, rising to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and from
(C) having finished high school or earning an equivalency diploma increased in the last three years of the decade, and rose to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and from
(D) who either finished high school or they earned an equivalency diploma, increasing in the last three years of the decade, rose to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
(E) who finished high school or earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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by GMATGuruNY » Sun May 01, 2011 4:11 am
nycknicks11 wrote:After decreasing steadily in the mid-1990's, the percentage of students in the United States finishing high school or having earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, up to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and 84.8 percent in 1998.

(A) finishing high school or having earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, up to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
(B) finishing high school or earning equivalency diplomas, increasing in the last three years of the decade, rising to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and from
(C) having finished high school or earning an equivalency diploma increased in the last three years of the decade, and rose to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and from
(D) who either finished high school or they earned an equivalency diploma, increasing in the last three years of the decade, rose to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
(E) who finished high school or earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
Look for easy reasons to eliminate answers.

In A, finishing...or having earned is not parallel. All the verbs should be in the same tense unless a change of tense is necessary. Eliminate A.

In C, having finished...or earning is not parallel. All the verbs should be in the same tense unless a change of tense is necessary. Eliminate C.

In D, either finished...or they earned is not parallel. Eliminate D.

In B, the subject percentage lacks a verb. Eliminate B.

The correct answer is E.
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by nycknicks11 » Sun May 01, 2011 4:33 am
Can you exp. why A and C is not parallel? Finishing || Having? (tense wise and other ways) I thought that -ings have no tense in and out itself.


GMATGuruNY wrote:
nycknicks11 wrote:After decreasing steadily in the mid-1990's, the percentage of students in the United States finishing high school or having earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, up to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and 84.8 percent in 1998.

(A) finishing high school or having earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, up to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
(B) finishing high school or earning equivalency diplomas, increasing in the last three years of the decade, rising to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and from
(C) having finished high school or earning an equivalency diploma increased in the last three years of the decade, and rose to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and from
(D) who either finished high school or they earned an equivalency diploma, increasing in the last three years of the decade, rose to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
(E) who finished high school or earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
Look for easy reasons to eliminate answer
s.

In A, finishing...or having earned is not parallel. All the verbs should be in the same tense unless a change of tense is necessary. Eliminate A.

In C, having finished...or earning is not parallel. All the verbs should be in the same tense unless a change of tense is necessary. Eliminate C.

In D, either finished...or they earned is not parallel. Eliminate D.

In B, the subject percentage lacks a verb. Eliminate B.

The correct answer is E.

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by GMATGuruNY » Sun May 01, 2011 5:52 am
nycknicks11 wrote:Can you exp. why A and C is not parallel? Finishing || Having? (tense wise and other ways) I thought that -ings have no tense in and out itself.


GMATGuruNY wrote:
nycknicks11 wrote:After decreasing steadily in the mid-1990's, the percentage of students in the United States finishing high school or having earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, up to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and 84.8 percent in 1998.

(A) finishing high school or having earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, up to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
(B) finishing high school or earning equivalency diplomas, increasing in the last three years of the decade, rising to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and from
(C) having finished high school or earning an equivalency diploma increased in the last three years of the decade, and rose to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and from
(D) who either finished high school or they earned an equivalency diploma, increasing in the last three years of the decade, rose to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
(E) who finished high school or earned equivalency diplomas increased in the last three years of the decade, to 86.5 percent in 2000 from 85.9 percent in 1999 and
Look for easy reasons to eliminate answer
s.

In A, finishing...or having earned is not parallel. All the verbs should be in the same tense unless a change of tense is necessary. Eliminate A.

In C, having finished...or earning is not parallel. All the verbs should be in the same tense unless a change of tense is necessary. Eliminate C.

In D, either finished...or they earned is not parallel. Eliminate D.

In B, the subject percentage lacks a verb. Eliminate B.

The correct answer is E.
A verb functioning as an adjective still conveys tense.

VERBing suggests contemporaneous action (an action happening at the same time as another action):

Walking down the street, John sang his favorite song.

In the sentence above John was walking down the street as he sang. The two actions happened contemporaneously (at the same time).

HAVING + VERBed suggests prior action:

Having earned her degree, Mary began to look for a job.

In the sentence above, Mary began to look for a job after having earned her degree. One action happened prior to the other action.

In A:
Whereas finishing suggests contemporaneous action, having earned suggests prior action.

In C:
Whereas having finished suggests prior action, earning suggests contemporaneous action.
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Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

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