Voila. Thanks for the explanations. I agree with the explanation for "levy".
You don't levy a "tariff reduction", you do levy a tariff.A 1972 agreement between Canada and the United States
reduced the amount of
phosphates that municipalities had been allowed to dump into the Great Lakes.
(A) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities had been allowed to dump
(B) reduced the phosphate amount that municipalities had been dumping
(C) reduces the phosphate amount municipalities have been allowed to dump
(D) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities are allowed to dump
(E) reduces the amount of phosphates allowed for dumping by municipalities
For the above question i'm optioning D.
A is wrong since it uses the past perfect "had been permitted". Past perfect is used to sequence two past actions. Guess if municipalities already dumped the wastes then they can't possibly reduce the amount of phosphates in the dumping. Its done, its over. Hence A OUT. D is correct.
TheGMATDoctor wrote:
You guys are having a nice and friendly discussion around here. Allow me to join in and give you my take on the issue;
A fifty-year accord signed in 1994 by the United States, Canada, and Mexico dictated the reduction of tariffs that member nations had been permitted to levy on imports from other member nations.
A. dictated the reduction of tariffs that member nations had been permitted to levy---- You absolutely don't need the past perfect; "to permit" is not an "action verb".
B. dictated the tariff reduction that member nations had been levying-----------------> You don't levy a "tariff reduction", you do levy a tariff.
C. dictates the tariff reduction member nations have been permitted to levy----------->You don't levy a "tariff reduction", you do levy a tariff.
D. dictated the reduction of tariffs that member nations are permitted to levy----------> "dictated" is fine because of the date "1994" and "are permitted" is the correct use of the verb.
E. dictates the reduction of tariffs permitted for levying by member nations ------------> "permitted for levying" is clearly unacceptable
In general, avoid using the present perfect and the past perfect when you're dealing with non-action verbs such as "to permit", "to allow", etc... especially on the GMAT.
A similar SC question from the GMAT is shown below. Guess what the correct answer is.
A 1972 agreement between Canada and the United States reduced the amount of
phosphates that municipalities had been allowed to dump into the Great Lakes.
(A) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities had been allowed to dump
(B) reduced the phosphate amount that municipalities had been dumping
(C) reduces the phosphate amount municipalities have been allowed to dump
(D) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities are allowed to dump
(E) reduces the amount of phosphates allowed for dumping by municipalities