Where VS while

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Where VS while

by sulabh » Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:27 am
Where once the union had acquiesced to the prejudices of its English-speaking members by supporting the imposition of an alien tax on immigrant workers, after 1897 the United Mine Workers made a determined effort to enlist Italians and Slavs in its ranks.

(A) Where once the union had acquiesced to the prejudices of its English-speaking members by supporting

(B) Where once the union acquiesced to it English-speaking members’ prejudice for the support of

(C) While once the union had acquiesced to the prejudices of its English-speaking members in support of

(D) While once the union acquiesced to its English-speaking members’ prejudice in supporting

(E) While once the union had acquiesced to the prejudices of its English-speaking members in its supporting of
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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by netigen » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:35 am
Where is used for a place

In this case While should be used

Is the answer C?

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by sulabh » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:49 am
OA is A

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by loki.gmat » Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:05 pm
we require a past participle "had acquiesced" as there are two events in the past, one following another.
hence eliminate B n D.

E - in its supporting of - unidiomatic. hence incorect.

i think the intended meaning of the sentence is to say that in places or mines (coal mines or other mineral mines), where the union had acquiesced to .................., the united mine workers made a determined effort to enlist Italians ..........

Hence IMO A.

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HELP

by senthil » Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:12 pm
On reading the compete sentence and understanding its meaning . there is no necessity for 'where' ... I feel C is the correct answer


MODERATORS /TUTORS please help on this


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by netigen » Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:40 pm
This is not a very good question.

If you get rid of the middle men "of its English-speaking members" it becomes clear that (C) reads awkward

While once the union had acquiesced to the prejudices of its English-speaking members in support of

(A) reads better and makes sense, though I still think that Where is not correctly used in this e.g.

Where once the union had acquiesced to the prejudices of its English-speaking members by supporting

Is this question from a authentic source?

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by Stuart@KaplanGMAT » Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:44 am
I agree this is a poor question.

GMAC has been pretty clear that "where" should only be used to refer to an actual place, just as "when" should only be used to refer to an actual time.

Replace "where" with "whereas" and (a) would be correct.
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