Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
noboru wrote:
Although at one time children’s programming had been limited to a few hours a week, now, however, there are at least four cable networks that dedicate themselves entirely to shows produced specifically for children.
(A) Although at one time children’s programming had been limited to a few hours a week, now, however, there are at least four cable networks that dedicate themselves
(B) With children’s programming having been limited at one time to a few hours a week, now at least four cable networks have dedicated themselves
(C) Once limited to a few hours a week, there are now at least four cable networks with children’s programming that dedicate themselves
(D) Children’s programming was once limited to a few hours a week, but now there are at least four cable networks dedicated
(E) While children’s programming had once been limited to a few hours a week, at least four cable networks are now dedicated
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of this sentence is that although children’s programming was once limited to a few hours a week, now there are at least four cable networks dedicated entirely to shows produced specifically for children.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Modifiers + Tenses + Grammatical Construction + Awkwardness/Redundancy• In a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction.
• The simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past.
• The past perfect tense (marked by the use of helping verb "had") is used when a sentence contains two actions in the past; the helping verb "had" is used with the action in the "greater past".
A: This answer choice incorrectly uses the past perfect tense verb "had been limited" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the past perfect tense (marked by the use of helping verb "had") is used when a sentence contains two actions in the past; the helping verb "had" is used with the action in the "greater past". Further, Option A redundantly uses "however" alongside "Although", rendering it awkward and needlessly wordy. Besides, Option A uses the needlessly wordy phrase "four cable networks that dedicate themselves", leading to further awkwardness and redundancy.
B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "With children’s programming having been limited"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that
because children’s programming was once limited to a few hours a week, now there are at least four cable networks dedicated entirely to shows produced specifically for children; the intended meaning is that
although children’s programming was once limited to a few hours a week, now there are at least four cable networks dedicated entirely to shows produced specifically for children. Further, Option B uses the passive construction "have dedicated themselves", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
C: This answer choice incorrectly uses "Once limited to a few hours a week" to modify the placeholder pronoun "there", producing an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that although children’s programming was once limited to a few hours a week, now there are at least four cable networks dedicated entirely to shows produced specifically for children; remember, in a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun. Further, Option C uses the needlessly wordy phrase "four cable networks...that dedicate themselves", leading to further awkwardness and redundancy.
D: Correct. This answer choice uses the clause "Children’s programming was once limited to a few hours a week" and the phrase "but now", avoiding the modifier error seen in Option C and conveying the intended meaning - that
although children’s programming was once limited to a few hours a week, now there are at least four cable networks dedicated entirely to shows produced specifically for children. Further, Option D correctly uses the simple past tense verb "was once limited" to refer to an action that concluded in the past. Besides, Option D is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
E: This answer choice incorrectly uses the past perfect tense verb "had once been limited" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the past perfect tense (marked by the use of helping verb "had") is used when a sentence contains two actions in the past; the helping verb "had" is used with the action in the "greater past".
Hence, D is the best answer choice.To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):
To understand the concept of "Past Perfect Tense" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):
To understand the concept of "Phrase Comma Subject" and "Subject Comma Phrase" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
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Updated on: 22 Aug 2019, 16:50
17%
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