Will vs Would - Wildlife expert

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:55 am
Thanked: 5 times
Followed by:3 members

Will vs Would - Wildlife expert

by metallicafan » Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:23 pm
A wildlife expert predicts that the reintroduction of the caribou into northern Minnesota would fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more numerous than one wolf for every 39 square miles.

A) would fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more numerous than
B )would fail provided the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more than
C )should fail if the timber wolf density in that region was greater than
D )will fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is greater than
E) will fail if the timber wolf density in that region were more numerous than

OA: D

There are two approachs to solve this question:

a) According to some experts, the difference between WILL and WOULD is related to the certainty of
the information expressed in the sentence. In other words, how sure is the author about that topic.
In this sentence, the expert is sure that the reintroduction of the caribou WILL fail if the timber population is greater. If he were not so sure, we would have to use WOULD.

b) According to other experts, using WILL or WOULD depends on the tense of the sentence. If the tense is present we use WILL when we refer to the future. If the tense of the sentence is past, we use WOULD when we refer to the past. It's like reported speech.

What do you think about these two approachs? IMO, the second one is the correct IN THIS SENTENCE. Because the author is reporting something that the expert said, predicted.

What do you think?

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1239
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:25 am
Thanked: 233 times
Followed by:26 members
GMAT Score:680

by sam2304 » Tue Jan 31, 2012 6:38 pm
A wildlife expert predicts not predicted, hence will is the right one here.
Getting defeated is just a temporary notion, giving it up is what makes it permanent.
https://gmatandbeyond.blogspot.in/

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 382
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 5:47 pm
Thanked: 15 times

by ArunangsuSahu » Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:32 pm
predicts--will-greater than

(D)

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 16207
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC
Thanked: 5254 times
Followed by:1268 members
GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:29 am
metallicafan wrote:A wildlife expert predicts that the reintroduction of the caribou into northern Minnesota would fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more numerous than one wolf for every 39 square miles.

A) would fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more numerous than
B )would fail provided the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more than
C )should fail if the timber wolf density in that region was greater than
D )will fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is greater than
E) will fail if the timber wolf density in that region were more numerous than

OA: D
Basing your answer on the certainty of an event will get you into trouble.
For this conditional (if X then Y) questions, you need to have corresponding tenses, depending on whether you have a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd conditional.
1st conditional: If X happens, then Y will happen
2nd conditional: If X happened, then Y would happen
3rd conditional: If X had happened, then Y would have happened

A) would fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more numerous than
(the verb tenses here do not match any of the above structures)

B )would fail provided the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more than
(the verb tenses here do not match any of the above structures)

C )should fail if the timber wolf density in that region was greater than
"Should" changes the meaning.

D )will fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is greater than
(the verb tenses here match the structure of a 2nd conditional)

E) will fail if the timber wolf density in that region were more numerous than
(the verb tenses here do not match any of the above structures)

Answer = D

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
Image

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1665
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:04 pm
Thanked: 165 times
Followed by:70 members

by karthikpandian19 » Tue Jun 05, 2012 12:33 am
How can we differentiate btwn the "greater than" Vs "numerous than" option?
Brent@GMATPrepNow wrote:
metallicafan wrote:A wildlife expert predicts that the reintroduction of the caribou into northern Minnesota would fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more numerous than one wolf for every 39 square miles.

A) would fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more numerous than
B )would fail provided the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more than
C )should fail if the timber wolf density in that region was greater than
D )will fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is greater than
E) will fail if the timber wolf density in that region were more numerous than

OA: D
Basing your answer on the certainty of an event will get you into trouble.
For this conditional (if X then Y) questions, you need to have corresponding tenses, depending on whether you have a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd conditional.
1st conditional: If X happens, then Y will happen
2nd conditional: If X happened, then Y would happen
3rd conditional: If X had happened, then Y would have happened

A) would fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more numerous than
(the verb tenses here do not match any of the above structures)

B )would fail provided the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more than
(the verb tenses here do not match any of the above structures)

C )should fail if the timber wolf density in that region was greater than
"Should" changes the meaning.

D )will fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is greater than
(the verb tenses here match the structure of a 2nd conditional)

E) will fail if the timber wolf density in that region were more numerous than
(the verb tenses here do not match any of the above structures)

Answer = D

Cheers,
Brent
Regards,
Karthik
The source of the questions that i post from JUNE 2013 is from KNEWTON

---If you find my post useful, click "Thank" :) :)---
---Never stop until cracking GMAT---

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1239
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:25 am
Thanked: 233 times
Followed by:26 members
GMAT Score:680

by sam2304 » Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:22 am
karthikpandian19 wrote:How can we differentiate btwn the "greater than" Vs "numerous than" option?
Density is a single value and it cannot be numerous, it can only be greater. The density of wolves at X is 1000 wolves/sq.km and density of wolves at Y is 1500 wolves/sq.km. So one is greater than the other and numerous would not fit here logically.
Getting defeated is just a temporary notion, giving it up is what makes it permanent.
https://gmatandbeyond.blogspot.in/