Tense Only

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Tense Only

by imskpwr » Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:44 am
After the company recalled one of its best-selling products, it would be forced to accept a one billion dollar loss, an expense that would have forced its main competitor to declare bankruptcy if it had suffered such a loss.

(A) After the company recalled one of its best-selling products, it would be forced to accept a one billion dollar loss, an expense that would have forced its main competitor to declare bankruptcy if it had suffered such a loss.

(B) As the company recalled one of its best-selling products, it accepted a one billion dollar loss; forcing its main competitor to declare bankruptcy if it had suffered such a loss.

(C) After the company recalled one of its best-selling products, its one billion dollar loss would have to be accepted; such a loss would have forced its main competitor to declare bankruptcy.

(D) After the company recalled one of its best-selling products, it was forced to accept a one billion dollar loss; its main competitor would have been forced to declare bankruptcy if it had suffered such a loss.

(E) When the company recalled one of its best-selling products, a one billion dollar loss it was forced to accept, an expense that would have forced its main competitor into bankruptcy.

OA is D
Experts pls. explain the meaning conveyed by A and D (considering changes in tense only).
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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by MakeUrTimeCount » Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:31 am
3 things:
A) Chronical Events:
1) The company recalled one of its best-selling products
2) The company was forced to accept a one billion dollar loss.

Would is the past tense of will. But above 2 events have already happened in past. So use of would is wrong.

B) Comma vs semicolon
2nd part of the sentence is not dependent on 1st so use semicolon.

C) Use of correct term
Loss is not an expense always. It can be unrealized profit.

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by imskpwr » Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:48 am
MakeUrTimeCount wrote:3 things:
A) Chronical Events:
1) The company recalled one of its best-selling products
2) The company was forced to accept a one billion dollar loss.

Would is the past tense of will. But above 2 events have already happened in past. So use of would is wrong.
Please explain how u established this chronological order.

As per GMAT, "would" is acceptable either in "if-conditional" or in "Reported speech".

So, Option A can be ruled out as the first "would" is not correct.
But the change in meaning is still not very clear to me.


what if i say,

"if the company recalled one of its best selling products, it would be forced to accept a one billion dollar loss."

what about the meaning and chronological order here?

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by MakeUrTimeCount » Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:00 am
imskpwr,
1) I said chronical because the events happened one after another. The word 'after' made me think so.

After Jenny submitted the document, she collected the payment.
- 1st event: Jenny submitted the document
- 2nd event: Jenny collected the payment

2) You are right about if and would.
But the question does not use 'if' for the 1st sentence. (It uses after)
So we can't use subjunctive mood here.

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