Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
singh_amit19 wrote:
The three women, liberal activists who strongly support legislation in favor of civil rights and environmental protection, have consistently received labor’s unqualifying support.
(A) have consistently received labor’s unqualifying support
(B) are consistently receiving the unqualifying support of labor
(C) have consistently received the unqualified support of labor
(D) receive consistent and unqualified support by labor
(E) are receiving consistent and unqualified support by labor
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that the three women have consistently received unqualified support from labor.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Tenses + Awkwardness/Redundancy• 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.
• The simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature.
• The simple present continuous tense is used to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature.
A: Trap. This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “unqualifying support “; the use of "unqualifying" leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that the three women have consistently received unqualified support from labor. Further, Option A uses the passive voice construction “labor’s unqualifying support“, rendering it awkward and needlessly indirect.
B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “unqualifying support “; the use of "unqualifying" leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that the three women have consistently received unqualified support from labor. Further, Option B incorrectly uses the simple present continuous tense verb “are...receiving” to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, 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; the simple present continuous tense is only used to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature.
C: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase “unqualified support”, conveying the intended meaning – that the three women have consistently received unqualified support from labor. Further, Option C correctly uses the present perfect tense verb “have...received” to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present. Additionally, Option C is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
D: This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb “receive” to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, 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; the simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature.
E: This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple present continuous tense verb “are receiving” to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, 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; the simple present continuous tense is only used to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature.
Hence, C is the best answer choice.Additional Note: Please note that "unqualified" means "unconditional" or "without restrictions", while "unqualifying" is an uncommon work that means "disqualifying" or "making unfit".
To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):
To understand the concept of "Simple Continuous Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):
To understand the concept of "Present Perfect" tense on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team