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by arora007 » Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:33 am
Those who study ancient european history soon realize that before Greece was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states that were intensely jealous of one another and were only occasionally able to work together for common goals.

a) before Greece was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states

b) before there was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states

c) before Greece, it was a collection of small city-states

d) it was a collection of small city-states that was Greece

e) Greece became a collection of small city-states
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Source: — Sentence Correction |

by GMATGuruNY » Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:16 am
Those who study ancient european history soon realize that before Greece was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states that were intensely jealous of one another and were only occasionally able to work together for common goals.

a) before Greece was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states.

b) before there was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states.

c) before Greece, it was a collection of small city-states

d) it was a collection of small city-states that was Greece

e) Greece became a collection of small city-states
In B, C and D, the subject pronoun it has no clear antecedent (unlike in answer choice A, in which the subject pronoun it refers to the subject noun Greece, both highlighted in red above). Eliminate B, C and D.

Omitting before Greece was Greece changes the intending meaning of the sentence. Without before Greece was Greece, we don't know when Greece became a collection of small city-states. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is A.
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by finalshot123 » Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:15 am
@GMATGuruNY: why it in C can't refer to Greece. It was A Vs C for me. Picked C.
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by diebeatsthegmat » Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:20 am
arora007 wrote:Those who study ancient european history soon realize that before Greece was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states that were intensely jealous of one another and were only occasionally able to work together for common goals.

a) before Greece was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states

b) before there was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states

c) before Greece, it was a collection of small city-states

d) it was a collection of small city-states that was Greece

e) Greece became a collection of small city-states
ha! this sentence is like the one in OG " before autralia was australia...." balh balh
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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:48 am
finalshot123 wrote:@GMATGuruNY: why it in C can't refer to Greece. It was A Vs C for me. Picked C.
A subject pronoun should refer to a noun that also is functioning as a subject. In the SC above, it is a subject pronoun (it was = subject verb).

In C, Greece is not a subject but is the object of the preposition before. A subject pronoun should not refer to a noun that is functioning as an object. The correct pronoun would be which:

...before Greece, which was....

In A, the first Greece is the subject of the verb was (before Greece was Greece). Thus, the subject pronoun it is correctly referring to a noun that also is functioning as a subject.
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I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

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by tetura84 » Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:56 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
Those who study ancient european history soon realize that before Greece was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states that were intensely jealous of one another and were only occasionally able to work together for common goals.

a) before Greece was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states.

b) before there was Greece, it was a collection of small city-states.

c) before Greece, it was a collection of small city-states

d) it was a collection of small city-states that was Greece

e) Greece became a collection of small city-states
In B, C and D, the subject pronoun it has no clear antecedent (unlike in answer choice A, in which the subject pronoun it refers to the subject noun Greece, both highlighted in red above). Eliminate B, C and D.
Mitch, I have a doubt with B.
before there was Greece, here the subject is Greece if we flip the sentence, so it has a clear antecedent.
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