Manhattan CAT question - Please help

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Manhattan CAT question - Please help

by rjanardhanan » Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:18 am
That every worker has a clean criminal record is of some importance to investment banks which is why a stringent background check is a necessary prerequisite for all of their job applicants.
  • (A)That every worker has a clean criminal record is of some importance to investment banks which is why a stringent background check is a necessary prerequisite for all of their job applicants

    (B)Clean criminal records of their employees is important to investment banks; hence, a stringent background check are necessary prerequisites for employment

    (C)Because they consider it important that all of their employees have a clean criminal record, investment banks require each job applicant to undergo a stringent background check

    (D)It is of some importance that all investment banks' workers have clean criminal records which is why many of them undergo stringent background checks

    (E)The reason that investment banks require background checks of their applicants is because they require clean criminal records of their employees
As per the explanation given,the correct answer C.But the question is the pronouns they and it don't have a clear antecedent.Is it not required that antecedent of a pronoun should be placed before the pronoun in the sentence?
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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by MBACenter » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:19 am
rjanardhanan wrote:That every worker has a clean criminal record is of some importance to investment banks which is why a stringent background check is a necessary prerequisite for all of their job applicants.
  • (A)That every worker has a clean criminal record is of some importance to investment banks which is why a stringent background check is a necessary prerequisite for all of their job applicants

    (B)Clean criminal records of their employees is important to investment banks; hence, a stringent background check are necessary prerequisites for employment

    (C)Because they consider it important that all of their employees have a clean criminal record, investment banks require each job applicant to undergo a stringent background check

    (D)It is of some importance that all investment banks' workers have clean criminal records which is why many of them undergo stringent background checks

    (E)The reason that investment banks require background checks of their applicants is because they require clean criminal records of their employees
As per the explanation given,the correct answer C.But the question is the pronouns they and it don't have a clear antecedent.Is it not required that antecedent of a pronoun should be placed before the pronoun in the sentence?
The referent for "they" in choice C is "investment banks."

"It" in this case happens to be a referenceless pronoun. This is only acceptable if "it" refers to a generic fact or state of being:

"It is important that..."
"It is true that..."
"It seems to be the case that..."

... or, more ominously:

"I consider it important that..."
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by GMATGuruNY » Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:44 pm
rjanardhanan wrote:That every worker has a clean criminal record is of some importance to investment banks which is why a stringent background check is a necessary prerequisite for all of their job applicants.
  • (A)That every worker has a clean criminal record is of some importance to investment banks which is why a stringent background check is a necessary prerequisite for all of their job applicants

    (B)Clean criminal records of their employees is important to investment banks; hence, a stringent background check are necessary prerequisites for employment

    (C)Because they consider it important that all of their employees have a clean criminal record, investment banks require each job applicant to undergo a stringent background check

    (D)It is of some importance that all investment banks' workers have clean criminal records which is why many of them undergo stringent background checks

    (E)The reason that investment banks require background checks of their applicants is because they require clean criminal records of their employees
As per the explanation given,the correct answer C.But the question is the pronouns they and it don't have a clear antecedent.Is it not required that antecedent of a pronoun should be placed before the pronoun in the sentence?
In A and D, which lacks a clear antecedent. Eliminate A and D.

In B, records (plural) does not agree with is (singular). Eliminate B.

In E, the reason and because are redundant. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is C.

A pronoun can precede its referent.

Generally, when an introductory modifier includes a pronoun but not the pronoun's referent, the referent will be the SUBJECT of the following clause.
In C, the referent for they is investment banks (the subject of the following clause).

The other pronoun in C -- IT -- serves as an expletive. An expletive is a placeholder pronoun. On the GMAT, a placeholder pronoun typically refers to a noun clause that soon follows. In C, what do banks consider important? That all of their employees have a clean criminal record. IT serves as a placeholder for the noun clause THAT ALL OF THEIR EMPLOYEES HAVE A CLEAN CRIMINAL RECORD.

The purpose of an expletive is to avoid awkwardness. The following structure would be awkward: Banks consider that all of their employees have a clean criminal record important. The expletive makes the sentence easier to follow: Banks consider IT important THAT all of their employees have a clean criminal record.
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by GmatKiss » Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:48 am
That every worker has a clean criminal record is of some importance to investment banks which is why a stringent background check is a necessary prerequisite for all of their job applicants.
  • (A)That every worker has a clean criminal record is of some importance to investment banks which is why a stringent background check is a necessary prerequisite for all of their job applicants - runon

    (B)Clean criminal records of their employees is important to investment banks; hence, a stringent background check are necessary prerequisites for employment

    (C)Because they consider it important that all of their employees have a clean criminal record, investment banks require each job applicant to undergo a stringent background check

    (D)It is of some importance that all investment banks' workers have clean criminal records which is why many of them undergo stringent background checks - Passive and ambiguous

    (E)The reason that investment banks require background checks of their applicants is because they require clean criminal records of their employees
- Redundant

IMO: C, with elimination.

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