In the 1950s, when the Chrysler Corporation sponsored a live televisio

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Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that when the Chrysler Corporation sponsored a live television show about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, it forbade the actors to mention Lincoln’s name or the name of the Ford Theater.

Concepts tested here: Pronouns + Meaning + Verb Forms + Awkwardness/Redundancy

• For referring to the purpose or intent of an action, the infinitive verb form (“to + base form of verb” – “to + mention” in this sentence) is preferred over the present participle verb form ("verb+ing" – “mentioning” in this sentence).

A: Correct. This answer choice correctly uses the singular pronoun “it” to refer to the singular noun “Chrysler Corporation”. Further, Option A uses the phrases "it forbade the actors", “Lincoln’s name”, and “the Ford Theater”, conveying the intended meaning- that when the Chrysler Corporation sponsored a live television show about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, it forbade the actors to mention Lincoln’s name or the name of the Ford Theater. Additionally, Option A uses the infinitive verb form (“to + base form of verb” – “to + mention” in this sentence) to refer to the intent of the action “forbade”. Besides, Option A is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.

B: This answer choice incorrectly uses the plural pronoun “they” to refer to the singular noun “Chrysler Corporation”. Further, Option B alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “mentioning Lincoln or the Ford Theater”; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the actors were forbidden from mentioning mentioning "Lincoln" or the "Ford Theatre" at all ; the intended meaning is that the actors were forbidden from mentioning Lincoln's or the Ford Theatre's names. Additionally, Option B uses the present participle (“verb+ing” – “mentioning” in this sentence) to refer to the intent of the verb “forbade”; please remember, for referring to the purpose or intent of an action, the infinitive verb form (“to + base form of verb”) is preferred over the present participle verb form ("verb+ing" – “mentioning” in this sentence).

C: This answer choice incorrectly uses the plural pronoun “they” to refer to the singular noun “Chrysler Corporation”. Further, Option C alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrases “it was forbidden” and "Lincoln or the Ford Theater"; the omission of the phrase “the actors” and the word "name" incorrectly implies that the Chrysler Corporation forbade all people from mentioning Lincoln or the Ford Theatre; the intended meaning is that the Chrysler Corporation specifically forbade the actors to mention the name of Lincoln or the name of the Ford Theatre.

D: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly uses the plural pronoun “they” to refer to the singular noun “Chrysler Corporation”. Further, Option D uses the passive voice construction “the actors were forbidden to mention”, rendering it needlessly indirect.

E: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly uses the plural pronoun “they” to refer to the singular noun “Chrysler Corporation”. Further, Option D uses the passive voice construction “the actors were forbidden to mention”, rendering it needlessly indirect. Additionally, Option E uses the present participle (“verb+ing” – “mentioning” in this sentence) to refer to the intent of the verb “were forbidden”; please remember, for referring to the purpose or intent of an action, the infinitive verb form (“to + base form of verb”) is preferred over the present participle verb form ("verb+ing" – “mentioning” in this sentence).

Hence, A is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Infinitive vs Present Participles" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team