patanjali.purpose wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote:

karthikpandian19 wrote: The most important factor in shaping a child's personality, according to recent psychological studies, may be the child's relationship to his or her peer group, though it has long been assumed that it was parental care; in order to remain consistent with these findings, we have been forced to reevaluate our understanding of child development.
(B) has long been assumed to have been
(D) had long been assumed to be

Intended meaning: PRIOR to the recent studies, the most important factor in shaping a child's personality HAD LONG BEEN ASSUMED to be prenatal care.
Only D conveys the proper sequence of events.
The most important factor in shaping a child's personality, according to recent psychological studies, may be the child's relationship to his or her peer group, though -- PRIOR TO THE RECENT STUDIES -- the most important factor HAD LONG BEEN ASSUMED to be prenatal care.
In D, it refers to the most important factor in shaping a child's personality.

Thanks Mitch.

I agree that prenatal care was considered most important factor PRIOR TO THE RECENT STUDIES. But, how we are getting the feeling that we have STOPPED CONSIDERING "PARENTAL CARE" as the most important factor.

Does the use of PAST PERFECT (in D) not changing the original meaning - original sentence only says that we have A NEW FACTOR THAT MAY BE CRITICAL IN SHAPING CHILD'S personality. It also says that we HAVE BEEN ASSUMING SOME OTHER FACTOR AS CRITICAL - How do we know that when we were forced to reevaluate we had already stopped assuming parental care as a factor?

2) Does TO BE indicate a future event with respect to HAD BEEN ASSUMED

Pls clarify.

The tenses in the original sentence -- has been assumed and was -- do not convey the INTENDED meaning.
According to the original sentence, recent studies indicated that the most important factor MAY BE -- RIGHT NOW, in the present -- a child's relationship to his or her peer group.
Since we clearly NO LONGER ASSUME that prenatal care is the most important factor, has been assumed -- which implies an action that might STILL BE HAPPENING -- is inappropriate.
Also, since we're discussing a GENERAL TRUTH about the shaping of a child's personality, we can't say that the most important factor WAS prenatal care.
To express an ongoing truth, we use the PRESENT TENSE.
When the meaning conveyed by the original sentence does not make sense, we must choose an answer choice that conveys the INTENDED meaning of the original sentence.

TO BE prenatal care (present infinitive) refers to a GENERAL TRUTH about the shaping of a child's personality.
A general truth is something that is -- or, in this case, had been assumed to be -- ALWAYS TRUE.
Something that is ALWAYS TRUE is not tied to any particular moment in time.

GMATGuruNY wrote:The tenses in the original sentence -- has been assumed and was -- do not convey the INTENDED meaning.
According to the original sentence, recent studies indicated that the most important factor MAY BE -- RIGHT NOW, in the present -- a child's relationship to his or her peer group.
Since we clearly NO LONGER ASSUME that prenatal care is the most important factor, has been assumed -- which implies an action that might STILL BE HAPPENING -- is inappropriate.
Also, since we're discussing a GENERAL TRUTH about the shaping of a child's personality, we can't say that the most important factor WAS prenatal care.
To express an ongoing truth, we use the PRESENT TENSE.
When the meaning conveyed by the original sentence does not make sense, we must choose an answer choice that conveys the INTENDED meaning of the original sentence.

TO BE prenatal care (present infinitive) refers to a GENERAL TRUTH about the shaping of a child's personality.
A general truth is something that is -- or, in this case, had been assumed to be -- ALWAYS TRUE.
Something that is ALWAYS TRUE is not tied to any particular moment in time.

Great explanation. It made things very clear and easy to understand.

Thanks a lot Mitch.