Sentence Correction

hanspaul wrote:Quote from e-gmat.com
A: Last month Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 200 runs, thirty years after the first one day international game had been played.

B: Thirty years after the first one day international game was played, Sachin Tendulkar, last month, became the first batsman to score 200 runs.

A is my choice and B is the answer. Can someone explain why A is incorrect?

We use the past perfect:
1) for an action which happened before another past action or before a stated time in the past.
They had tidied their room by the time their parents arrived.

2) for an action which finished in the past and whose result was visible in the past.
Frank had washed the car, so the ground around it was wet.

Note: The past perfect is the past equivalent of the present perfect.

We use the past simple:
1) for an action which happened at a definite time in the past. The time is stated, already known or implied.
Sheila arrived in Tokyo last week.

2) for actions which happened immediately one after the other in the past.
He got out of bed, went to the kitchen and turned on the coffee machine.

3) for past habits or states which are now finished. In such cases we can also use the expression used to.
I lived/ used to live in France five years ago.

e-GMAT wrote:

hanspaul wrote:Quote from e-gmat.com
A: Last month Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 200 runs, thirty years after the first one day international game had been played.

This sentence is incorrect because of verb tense error. Notice the verb tense "had been played". This tense - past perfect continuous - indicates that the action of playing match was a continuous action in the past time frame. Also, use of past perfect tense is not required since the sequencing between the two events is clear through the use of word 'after'.

hanspaul wrote:Quote from e-gmat.com
B: Thirty years after the first one day international game was played, Sachin Tendulkar, last month became the first batsman to score 200 runs.

This sentence is correct. The modifier "last month" clearly refers to the action "became". It provides the timing of the verb "became".

As you know this concept is covered in the concept titled "Types of Modifiers" where we discuss how such modifiers modify verbs.

The placement of this modifier would have been incorrect if it were placed as follows:

Thirty years after the first one day international game was played last month, Sachin Tendulkar, became the first batsman to score 200 runs.

Now "last month" modifies the verb "was played" and non-sensically implies that the first 1 day international game was played last month.

I hope this makes sense. Please let me know if you have any more questions about this.

kvcpk wrote: Can you please breakdown the sentence into what role each modifier is playing?

I would have loved the sentence if it said:

Last Month, Thirty years after the first one day international game was played, Sachin Tendulkar, became the first batsman to score 200 runs.

Or

Last Month, Thirty years after the first one day international game was played, Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 200 runs.

My logic is, "thirty years...." is just additional information give. So, it needs to be warded off by commas.
If that phrase is removed, the sentence should still make sense.

I am be wrong though, But want to know how to go about it.

e-GMAT wrote: hi kvcpk,

You are correct. The sentence structure is as follows:

Main Clause= Sachin became first batsman....
Modifier for verb became = last month
Modifer for verb became = thirty years after...

Note that both modifiers here describe further the timing of 'became'.

The sentence that you suggested is correct.

As you know, there can be more than one ways of expressing an idea.The idea is to select the choice that communicates the idea without any grammatical errors. Its nice to see that you couldcome up with an alternative sentense structure to convey the intended meaning.

Hope this helps.

Please note that my response over the course of next 10 days may not be prompt since I am out of office.

Thanks.

Regards,
Payal