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by aflaam » Sat Mar 05, 2016 8:38 am
The United States will be affected by whether Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo, since the island nation is the United States' seventh-largest trading partner.

A. The United States will be affected by whether Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo

B. Whether or not Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo affecting the United States

C. Whether or not Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or the status quo is preserved, it will affect the United States

D. It affects the United States whether Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo

E. It affects the United States whether or not Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China or preserve the status quo
OA A

I understand that D has tense issue
Is D wrong also because of expletive it issue?
i.e expletive it is supposed to stand for infinitive or that clause. But in D it is neither.
Appreciate help.
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by GMATGuruNY » Sun Mar 06, 2016 3:32 am
aflaam wrote:The United States will be affected by whether Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo, since the island nation is the United States' seventh-largest trading partner.

A. The United States will be affected by whether Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo

B. Whether or not Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo affecting the United States

C. Whether or not Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or the status quo is preserved, it will affect the United States

D. It affects the United States whether Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo

E. It affects the United States whether or not Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China or preserve the status quo
B, C and E: whether or not
On the GMAT, whether or not is considered redundant.
Eliminate B, C and E.

D: It affects the United States whether Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo.
Here, it seems to be standing in for the whether-clause in red.
Conveyed meaning:
Whether Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China...affects the United States.
Here, the usage of affects (present) implies that the United States is affected NOW by an event that has NOT YET HAPPENED (whether Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China).
This sequence is illogical.
Eliminate D.

The correct answer is A.

For an official SC in which it correctly stands in for a whether-clause, check my post here:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/sentence-str ... 82034.html
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by aflaam » Sun Mar 06, 2016 7:42 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
aflaam wrote:The United States will be affected by whether Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo, since the island nation is the United States' seventh-largest trading partner.

A. The United States will be affected by whether Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo

B. Whether or not Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo affecting the United States

C. Whether or not Taiwan develops a closer relationship with mainland China or the status quo is preserved, it will affect the United States

D. It affects the United States whether Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo

E. It affects the United States whether or not Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China or preserve the status quo
B, C and E: whether or not
On the GMAT, whether or not is considered redundant.
Eliminate B, C and E.

D: It affects the United States whether Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China or preserves the status quo.
Here, it seems to be standing in for the whether-clause in red.
Conveyed meaning:
Whether Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China...affects the United States.
Here, the usage of affects (present) implies that the United States is affected NOW by an event that has NOT YET HAPPENED (whether Taiwan will develop a closer relationship with mainland China).
This sequence is illogical.
Eliminate D.

The correct answer is A.

For an official SC in which it correctly stands in for a whether-clause, check my post here:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/sentence-str ... 82034.html
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