Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
mono wrote:
Until 1868 and Disraeli, Great Britain had no prime ministers not coming from a landed family.
(A) Until 1868 and Disraeli, Great Britain had no prime ministers not coming
(B) Until 1868 and Disraeli, Great Britain had no prime ministers who have not come
(C) Until Disraeli in 1868, there were no prime ministers in Great Britain who have not come
(D) It was not until 1868 that Great Britain had a prime minister—Disraeli—who did not come
(E) It was only in 1868 and Disraeli that Great Britain had one of its prime ministers not coming
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning is that in 1868, for the first time, Great Britain had a prime minister who did not come from a landed family, and this prime minister was Disraeli.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Tenses• The simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past.
• The present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb “has/have”) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present.
A: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "Until 1868 and Disraeli"; the use of "until" to refer to a person - "Disraeli" - rather than a point in time leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that in 1868, for the first time, Great Britain had a prime minister who did not come from a landed family, and this prime minister was Disraeli. Further, Option A incorrectly uses the present participle ("verb + ing") phrase "not coming" 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.
B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "Until 1868 and Disraeli"; the use of "until" to refer to a person - "Disraeli" - rather than a point in time leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that in 1868, for the first time, Great Britain had a prime minister who did not come from a landed family, and this prime minister was Disraeli. Further, Option B incorrectly uses the present perfect tense verb "have not come" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to an action that concluded in the past, and the present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb “has/have”) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present.
C: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "Until Disraeli in 1868"; the use of "until" to refer to a person - "Disraeli" - rather than a point in time leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that in 1868, for the first time, Great Britain had a prime minister who did not come from a landed family, and this prime minister was Disraeli. Further, Option C incorrectly uses the present perfect tense verb "have not come" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to an action that concluded in the past, and the present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb “has/have”) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present.
D: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase "It was not until 1868" and modifies "a prime minister" with "Disraeli", conveying the intended meaning - that in 1868, for the first time, Great Britain had a prime minister who did not come from a landed family, and this prime minister was Disraeli. Further, Option D correctly uses the simple past tense verb "did not come" to refer to an action that concluded in the past.
E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "It was only in 1868 and Disraeli"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that in 1868, for the first time, Great Britain had a prime minister who did not come from a landed family, and this prime minister was Disraeli. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the present participle ("verb + ing" - "coming" in this case) 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.
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 "Present Perfect Tense" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team