Lack of fresh water is an ongoing problem in the outposts

[AnuGmat]

Lack of fresh water is an ongoing problem in the outposts, and it is expected to continue until reinforcements arrive.

A. Lack of fresh water is an ongoing problem in the outposts, and it is expected to continue until reinforcements arrive.
B. Lack of fresh water is an ongoing problem in the outposts, which was expected to continue until reinforcements arrive.
C. Lack of fresh water is an ongoing problem in the outposts, and they are expected to continue until reinforcements arrive.
D. The outposts lack fresh water, a problem that is expected to continue until reinforcements arrive.
E. The outposts have a lack of fresh water, a problem expected to continue until reinforcements arrive

Source ;gmat club tests.

OA : E
I dont understand why D is wrong here..Official explanation says , In D 'problem' refers to fresh water.Is this correct? Noun-noun modifiers can modify the clause right ?

Please help.
are gmat club test verbal questions recommended? I find lots of ambiguity (not sure if its because of the gap in my knowledge ) in those questions..
Please advice .

[fabiocafarelli]

1. The choice is between D and E: the PROBLEM mentioned in A, B, and C, is obviously ONGOING, since it is EXPECTED TO CONTINUE. ONGOING is therefore redundant.

2. In option D, LACK is a verb: the noun PROBLEM cannot, strictly speaking (and this is the way you should look at things in the GMAT) refer back to a verb. Therefore, no matter how obvious it may be to you that the problem referred to is the absence or shortage of water, you have to take note of the fact that there is no noun such as absence, shortage, or LACK: only the latter as a verb. From this grammatical perspective, PROBLEM therefore refers back to WATER.

3. In option E, on the other hand, LACK is a noun: therefore, PROBLEM refers back to it logically and with no kind of grammatical clash.

Other contributors to this forum would be able to answer your question about the GMAT Club test questions better than I can. The only thing I'd say is that in the Official Guide, and in a different context, it's unlikely that a phrase such as HAVE A LACK would figure in the correct option. The tendency there is very strongly against phrases constructed with HAVE in cases where the the direct use of the verb is possible. Thus, LACK with no adornments. And they are right, in fact, because LACK as a verb means exactly what the phrase HAVE A LACK means, and says it more succinctly. (Just as, for instance, BE PREDISPOSED means HAVE A PREDISPOSITION, and says it more succinctly.)

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