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Present perfect usage

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Present perfect usage

by saranshpuri » Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:33 pm
The results of the company's cost-cutting measures
are evident in its profits, which increased 5 percent
during the first 3 months of this year after it fell over
the last two years.
(A) which increased 5 percent during the first
3 months of this year after it fell
(B) which had increased 5 percent during the first
3 months of this year after it had fallen
(C) which have increased 5 percent during the first
3 months of this year after falling
(D) with a 5 percent increase during the first
3 months of this year after falling
(E) with a 5 percent increase during the first
3 months of this year after having fallen


OA is C, but my doubt is related to tense issue in option A.
OG Mentions that A is wrong for two reasons
First, it is ambiguous.
Second,tense usage is wrong as sequence of events is unclear. Sentence Requires present perfect.

I understood the first reason, but i have some confusion related to second one.
Since "After" clearly defines the sequence of events, i think usage of present perfect is unnecessary.
I have read this rule in Manhattan SC book.

Experts please clarify why present perfect is required even if AFTER is used in sentence.
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by theCodeToGMAT » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:04 pm
In the Past Perfect Tense with two events.. the older event takes the "had" form and the latest one takes the normal past form.

{A} both "increased" and "fell" take the past form. INCORRECT
{B} both "increased" and "fell" take the "had" form. INCORRECT
{C}
{D} INCORRECT; we need "which"
{E} INCORRECT; we need "which"
R A H U L
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by saranshpuri » Mon Apr 28, 2014 11:31 pm
but my doubt is that after makes the sequence clear , then why we need present perfect.
Thanks
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by ilyana » Tue Apr 29, 2014 1:47 am
I accidentally posted it twice. See my next post.
Last edited by ilyana on Tue Apr 29, 2014 2:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by ilyana » Tue Apr 29, 2014 1:50 am
saranshpuri wrote:but my doubt is that after makes the sequence clear , then why we need present perfect.
Thanks
Hello!

The main reason for eliminating A is the absence of an antecedent for "it", as you pointed out.
The tense issue in A is not so significant (and, probably, in a similar situation you can use both tenses with little difference).

The reason why Present Perfect is better for this context is that we want to emphasize the significance of the increase for the present.

The increase occurred in the past, but it has results in the present (The results of the company's cost-cutting measures ARE evident now).

The sentence in Past Simple doesn't have such implications. It just relays the facts of the past (and the reader should judge for himself whether they have any impact on the present).
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