paes wrote:sumanr84 wrote:paes wrote:His tour of new outdoor mall, erected in the newly revitalized urban centre, led Mayor Webster to recall an America in which segregation had existed in now currently multi-ethnic neighborhoods.
(A) in which segregation had existed in now currently multi-ethnic neighborhoods.
(B) when segregation existed in now currently multi-ethnic neighborhoods.
(C) when segregation had existed in now currently multi-ethnic neighborhoods.
(D) when segregation had existed wher there were neighborhoods now multi-ethnic.
(E) in which segregation existed in what are now multi-ethnic neighborhoods.
[color=black]I am confused between A and E.
It should be had existed or existed. Please explain.[/color]
Past Perfect (HAD+Past Pasticiple) is always preferred only when we have two successive events one after the another. In GMAT, otherwise, we stick to simple past tense.
Apart from tense, I see that in A we have
in now currently that is awkward as
now and
currently are basically the same thing.
Please ignore the awkward issue for the time being, I want to understand it from only verb usage point of view.
I am seeing two events here :
1. ...
led Mayor Webster to recall ---> Simple past
2. .. in which segregation (had) existed ----> It should be in past perfect, because it is a prior instance to 1.
What is wrong with this approach ?
Ok I will try to answer your question .
Have a look at an extract from MGMAT SC book , this will help clear things up.
NOTE : We do not always use Present Perfect for earlier action . In general you should use Past Perfect only to clarify or emphasize a sequence of past events . The earlier event should have a bearing on the context of the later event .
Ex : By the time we
arrived the movie HAD already started .
Two events both in past . One happened after another . Most important part is one events effects another . OR there is some relation between the two events in past and hence Past Perfect is necessary to indicate the sequence as to which event occurs first .
Now lets get back to the example .
What LED the mayor to recall AND the existence of segregation in society . Do these two things have any relation at all . Dose one event effect another ?
Compare it with the movie example above . The result of late arrival was that the move started . One event clearly effects another .
Remember : Dont jump to Past Perfect if you see two events in PAST see if the two events have any relation between them . This is a trick that GMAT plays it will disguise Past Perfect where events will not be related and more often than not people will fall for it .
HTH .
"Know thyself" and "Nothing in excess"
