Last visit was: 18 Nov 2025, 17:36 It is currently 18 Nov 2025, 17:36
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
655-705 Level|   Modifiers|      
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 105,355
Own Kudos:
778,072
 [4]
Given Kudos: 99,964
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 105,355
Kudos: 778,072
 [4]
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 25 Dec 2021, 07:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
4
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
B
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

65% (hard)

Question Stats:

45% (01:13) correct 55% (01:17) wrong based on 342 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.


(A) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(B) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(C) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(D) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(E) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were being based on theory rather than observation.


 


This question was provided by DreamScore
for the 12 Days of Christmas Competition

Win over $20,000 in prizes such as Courses, Tests, and more

 

dreamscore

 

ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
B
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
JoshAtDreamScore
User avatar
Dream Score Representative
Joined: 07 Oct 2021
Last visit: 03 Feb 2022
Posts: 14
Own Kudos:
19
 [1]
Posts: 14
Kudos: 19
 [1]
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 08 Jan 2022, 20:20
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel

Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.


(A) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(B) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(C) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(D) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(E) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were being based on theory rather than observation.

Show more

Solution:
Note: A is grammatically correct, but B unambiguously puts the 2nd part exclusively before the 1st.
In A it is unclear whether the proportions were based on theory solely before the realist forms became prominent, or the proportions were also based on theory at the same time as the realist forms became prominent (which would contradict the intended meaning, that it was "Before", as stated at the beginning of the sentence).

ACD: Incorrect tense: When two past times are mentioned in the same sentence, use past perfect for the verb in the earlier past event
B: Correct
E: Unnecessary "being", incorrect tense: past perfect
General Discussion
User avatar
ElninoEffect
User avatar
Joined: 07 Apr 2020
Last visit: 02 Sep 2022
Posts: 319
Own Kudos:
491
 [2]
Given Kudos: 72
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Technology
Schools: IIMA PGPX'23 ISB '23 XLRI
WE:Engineering (Computer Software)
Schools: IIMA PGPX'23 ISB '23 XLRI
Posts: 319
Kudos: 491
 [2]
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 25 Dec 2021, 07:20
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.


(A) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(B) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(C) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(D) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(E) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were being based on theory rather than observation.


 


This question was provided by DreamScore
for the 12 Days of Christmas Competition

Win over $20,000 in prizes such as Courses, Tests, and more

 

dreamscore

 

Show more

IMO - B.

This is a tricky one, I really don't think that Official questions will be testing us on this slight change.

Two events are happening in the past one before the other so the use of past perfect tense is eminent to denote which event happened first but we are using before to denote the timeline so we can omit the use of past perfect tense but again since both the options are present I will go with the traditional way.

(A) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.
As discussed prior this sentence is also correct since we are using before to divide the timeline.

(B) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.
Use of had been denotes this event happened prior to realist forms becoming prominent.

(C) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.
This changes the meaning now this says realist forms became prominent first then the other part. Not correct.


(D) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.
The timeline is distorted now we don't know which event occurred first.

(E) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were being based on theory rather than observation.
Use of being denotes temporary which is not correct.
User avatar
VelvetThunder
User avatar
Joined: 14 Jun 2020
Last visit: 30 Apr 2023
Posts: 73
Own Kudos:
130
 [1]
Given Kudos: 77
Posts: 73
Kudos: 130
 [1]
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 25 Dec 2021, 07:58
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.


(A) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(B) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(C) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(D) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(E) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were being based on theory rather than observation.


 


This question was provided by DreamScore
for the 12 Days of Christmas Competition

Win over $20,000 in prizes such as Courses, Tests, and more

 

dreamscore

 

Show more

Answer B

(A) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation. Need to use that past perfect tense as two different timelines are used

(B) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation. CORRECT

(C) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation. incorrect usage of "had"

(D) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation. incorrect usage of "had"

(E) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were being based on theory rather than observation. incorrect usage of continuous tense
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 105,355
Own Kudos:
778,072
Given Kudos: 99,964
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 105,355
Kudos: 778,072
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 26 Dec 2021, 08:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.


(A) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(B) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(C) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(D) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(E) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were being based on theory rather than observation.


Show more

Dreamscore Official Explanation

ACD: Incorrect tense: use past perfect for the preceding event to the main event

B: Correct

E: Unnecessary "being", incorrect tense: past perfect
User avatar
gmatophobia
User avatar
Quant Chat Moderator
Joined: 22 Dec 2016
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 3,170
Own Kudos:
10,413
Given Kudos: 1,861
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Leadership
Posts: 3,170
Kudos: 10,413
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form Updated on: 26 Dec 2021, 08:34
Originally posted by gmatophobia on 26 Dec 2021, 08:17.
Last edited by gmatophobia on 26 Dec 2021, 08:34, edited 1 time in total.
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
Bunuel
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.


(A) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(B) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(C) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(D) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(E) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were being based on theory rather than observation.



Dreamscore Official Explanation

ACD: Incorrect tense: use past perfect for the preceding event to the main event

B: Correct

E: Unnecessary "being", incorrect tense: past perfect
Show more

AndrewN


Request you help in understanding the correct answer choice.

I remember reading that when the order of events is explicit we don't need to use a complex tense such as past participle and the use of past tense is accepted.

For Example:

She graduated from Mountain Ridge, which was established during World War II.

I think (please correct me if I am wrong) the below usage is incorrect -

She graduated from Mountain Ridge, which had been established during World War II.

Reason: Because she graduated from a school, the school should have been established prior to her graduation. Hence the sequence is explicit and the usage of past perfect tense is not required.

Can you let me know if my understanding is correct. I always thought that GMAT prefers using a complex tense only when absolute necessary.

Request you to let me know why is the usage of the simple past is incorrect as 'Before' explicitly specifies the order of events.
User avatar
SohGMAT2020
User avatar
Joined: 04 May 2020
Last visit: 24 Oct 2025
Posts: 240
Own Kudos:
415
Given Kudos: 83
Location: Canada
Concentration: Finance, General Management
Schools: ISB '21 Ivey '21 Rotman '22 CBS '23 Harvard '23 HEC Montreal XLRI
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V35 (Online)
GPA: 3.42
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: ISB '21 Ivey '21 Rotman '22 CBS '23 Harvard '23 HEC Montreal XLRI
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V35 (Online)
Posts: 240
Kudos: 415
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 26 Dec 2021, 08:29
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
AbhiroopGhosh
Bunuel
Bunuel
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.


(A) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(B) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(C) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(D) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(E) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were being based on theory rather than observation.



Dreamscore Official Explanation

ACD: Incorrect tense: use past perfect for the preceding event to the main event

B: Correct

E: Unnecessary "being", incorrect tense: past perfect

AndrewN


Request you help in understanding the correct answer choice.

I remember reading that when the order of events are explicit we don't need to use a complex tense such as past participle and the use of past tense is accepted.

For Example:

She graduated from Mountain Ridge, which was established during World War II.

I think (please correct me if I am wrong) the below usage is incorrect -

She graduated from Mountain Ridge, which had been established during World War II.

Reason: Because she graduated from a school, the school should have been established prior to her graduation. Hence the sequence is explicit and the usage of past perfect tense is not required.

Can you let me know if my understanding is correct. I always thought that GMAT prefers using a complex tense only when absolute necessary.

Request you to let me know why is the usage of the simple past is incorrect as 'Before' explicitly specifies the order of events.
Show more

AndrewN @dreamscore

I also have the same doubt here.

In this question the sequence is perfectly clear because "before" is used.

I thought using past perfect is redundant, because using simple past can clearly establish the timeline.

Thank you
avatar
AndrewN
avatar
Volunteer Expert
Joined: 16 May 2019
Last visit: 29 Mar 2025
Posts: 3,502
Own Kudos:
7,510
 [1]
Given Kudos: 500
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 3,502
Kudos: 7,510
 [1]
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 26 Dec 2021, 10:34
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
SohGMAT2020
AbhiroopGhosh
Bunuel


Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(A) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(B) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(C) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were based on theory rather than observation.

(D) Before realist forms had become prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture had been based on theory rather than observation.

(E) Before realist forms became prominent during the Archaic period, the proportions of sculpture were being based on theory rather than observation.

AndrewN


Request you help in understanding the correct answer choice.

I remember reading that when the order of events are explicit we don't need to use a complex tense such as past participle and the use of past tense is accepted.

For Example:

She graduated from Mountain Ridge, which was established during World War II.

I think (please correct me if I am wrong) the below usage is incorrect -

She graduated from Mountain Ridge, which had been established during World War II.

Reason: Because she graduated from a school, the school should have been established prior to her graduation. Hence the sequence is explicit and the usage of past perfect tense is not required.

Can you let me know if my understanding is correct. I always thought that GMAT prefers using a complex tense only when absolute necessary.

Request you to let me know why is the usage of the simple past is incorrect as 'Before' explicitly specifies the order of events.

AndrewN @dreamscore

I also have the same doubt here.

In this question the sequence is perfectly clear because "before" is used.

I thought using past perfect is redundant, because using simple past can clearly establish the timeline.

Thank you
Show more
Hello, SohGMAT2020 and AbhiroopGhosh. Before is a tricky time marker on the GMAT™. In this OG question on insurance companies, the simple past is used, but there is no other simple past verb in the sentence; in this GMAT Advanced question on female writers of France, however, we see the same cue word paired with the past perfect had been, but note that in the latter sentence, the simple past also appears in the form of were. I will admit that I did not touch the question on the grounds that I thought either answer choice (A) or (B) could be defended without a further split to separate the two. I could write a sentence similar in structure to the original and make a strong case for the simple past:

Decades before Justin Bieber rose to fame, Michael Jackson was known as the King of Pop.

I would argue that altering either rose (to would rise) or was (to had been) would create a much different sentence, in terms of meaning.

Likewise, in the two sentences about Mountain Ridge, the former seems to convey that the school still stands and remains in use, the latter that the school (perhaps the building) existed at some point during World War II, but was torn down at some later, unspecified time. Either version could work, depending on what the author wanted to say.

In the end, we have to accept that the question-writer(s) in this case wanted to touch on a point about the past perfect. It is hard to create questions, and, as the GMAT Advanced question above illustrates, there is an official precedent for such usage—pairing before with the past perfect—on the GMAT™.

I may not have provided the definitive answer you were seeking, but if my response proves helpful in some way, so much the better. Thank you both for thinking to ask me about it. As always, good luck with your studies.

- Andrew
User avatar
SohGMAT2020
User avatar
Joined: 04 May 2020
Last visit: 24 Oct 2025
Posts: 240
Own Kudos:
415
Given Kudos: 83
Location: Canada
Concentration: Finance, General Management
Schools: ISB '21 Ivey '21 Rotman '22 CBS '23 Harvard '23 HEC Montreal XLRI
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V35 (Online)
GPA: 3.42
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: ISB '21 Ivey '21 Rotman '22 CBS '23 Harvard '23 HEC Montreal XLRI
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V35 (Online)
Posts: 240
Kudos: 415
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 26 Dec 2021, 11:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
AndrewN
Hello, SohGMAT2020 and AbhiroopGhosh. Before is a tricky time marker on the GMAT™. In this OG question on insurance companies, the simple past is used, but there is no other simple past verb in the sentence; in this GMAT Advanced question on female writers of France, however, we see the same cue word paired with the past perfect had been, but note that in the latter sentence, the simple past also appears in the form of were. I will admit that I did not touch the question on the grounds that I thought either answer choice (A) or (B) could be defended without a further split to separate the two. I could write a sentence similar in structure to the original and make a strong case for the simple past:

Decades before Justin Bieber rose to fame, Michael Jackson was known as the King of Pop.

I would argue that altering either rose (to would rise) or was (to had been) would create a much different sentence, in terms of meaning.

Likewise, in the two sentences about Mountain Ridge, the former seems to convey that the school still stands and remains in use, the latter that the school (perhaps the building) existed at some point during World War II, but was torn down at some later, unspecified time. Either version could work, depending on what the author wanted to say.

In the end, we have to accept that the question-writer(s) in this case wanted to touch on a point about the past perfect. It is hard to create questions, and, as the GMAT Advanced question above illustrates, there is an official precedent for such usage—pairing before with the past perfect—on the GMAT™.

I may not have provided the definitive answer you were seeking, but if my response proves helpful in some way, so much the better. Thank you both for thinking to ask me about it. As always, good luck with your studies.

- Andrew
Show more

Thank you AndrewN

I really love the way you analyze and break down the verbal questions. Thank you for quoting the official questions as well. I was trying to look for a few official questions myself to clarify this doubt.

From what I understand from the two questions:

Before 1988, insurance companies in California were free to charge whatever rates the market would bear, needing no approval from regulators before raising rates.

Before Colette, the female writers of France had been aristocrats, from Mme de Lafayette to Anne de Noailles; - End of Independent Clause
there were no Jane Austens or Brontë sisters, perhaps because there were almost no clergymen’s daughters. - Separate sentence ( Actually the time line is same as "the female writers of France had been aristocrats")

So, from what I understand, both are correct ( Simple past and past perfect). Please correct me if I am wrong. So, my question is will GMAT ask us to choose between the two? And if so which one to prefer?

( Also please note that I am not trying to argue with the OA at all. I just want to make my understanding correct for the main exam. Cheers!!)
avatar
AndrewN
avatar
Volunteer Expert
Joined: 16 May 2019
Last visit: 29 Mar 2025
Posts: 3,502
Own Kudos:
7,510
 [1]
Given Kudos: 500
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 3,502
Kudos: 7,510
 [1]
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 26 Dec 2021, 11:56
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
SohGMAT2020
Thank you AndrewN

I really love the way you analyze and break down the verbal questions. Thank you for quoting the official questions as well. I was trying to look for a few official questions myself to clarify this doubt.

From what I understand from the two questions:

Before 1988, insurance companies in California were free to charge whatever rates the market would bear, needing no approval from regulators before raising rates.

Before Colette, the female writers of France had been aristocrats, from Mme de Lafayette to Anne de Noailles; - End of Independent Clause
there were no Jane Austens or Brontë sisters, perhaps because there were almost no clergymen’s daughters. - Separate sentence ( Actually the time line is same as "the female writers of France had been aristocrats")

So, from what I understand, both are correct ( Simple past and past perfect). Please correct me if I am wrong. So, my question is will GMAT ask us to choose between the two? And if so which one to prefer?

( Also please note that I am not trying to argue with the OA at all. I just want to make my understanding correct for the main exam. Cheers!!)
Show more
I appreciate the kind words, SohGMAT2020. One thing you can count on in my responses is the display of a mind at work. I do not try to peddle an OA or OE, nor do I seek to agree with whatever Expert may have already commented on something. For better or worse, I explain my own thought process.

Yes, either the simple past or the past perfect can be correct in SC when you see before. As with many other decision points, you want to let contextual clues guide your hand. I cannot point to an official question that forces the test-taker to decide on this before + verb tense issue alone, at least between the simple past and the past perfect, because it is a nuanced issue. As always, you want to burn off answer choices you know are wrong first, then look for any differences in what is left—phrasing, pronouns, etc.—and when you learn to get behind safer options rather than chase could-be-true sentences, you start to get more and more questions correct. Sometimes it can feel like magic, but you are only placing trust in a system.

- Andrew
User avatar
SohGMAT2020
User avatar
Joined: 04 May 2020
Last visit: 24 Oct 2025
Posts: 240
Own Kudos:
415
Given Kudos: 83
Location: Canada
Concentration: Finance, General Management
Schools: ISB '21 Ivey '21 Rotman '22 CBS '23 Harvard '23 HEC Montreal XLRI
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V35 (Online)
GPA: 3.42
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: ISB '21 Ivey '21 Rotman '22 CBS '23 Harvard '23 HEC Montreal XLRI
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V35 (Online)
Posts: 240
Kudos: 415
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 26 Dec 2021, 12:03
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
AndrewN
SohGMAT2020
Thank you AndrewN

I really love the way you analyze and break down the verbal questions. Thank you for quoting the official questions as well. I was trying to look for a few official questions myself to clarify this doubt.

From what I understand from the two questions:

Before 1988, insurance companies in California were free to charge whatever rates the market would bear, needing no approval from regulators before raising rates.

Before Colette, the female writers of France had been aristocrats, from Mme de Lafayette to Anne de Noailles; - End of Independent Clause
there were no Jane Austens or Brontë sisters, perhaps because there were almost no clergymen’s daughters. - Separate sentence ( Actually the time line is same as "the female writers of France had been aristocrats")

So, from what I understand, both are correct ( Simple past and past perfect). Please correct me if I am wrong. So, my question is will GMAT ask us to choose between the two? And if so which one to prefer?

( Also please note that I am not trying to argue with the OA at all. I just want to make my understanding correct for the main exam. Cheers!!)
I appreciate the kind words, SohGMAT2020. One thing you can count on in my responses is the display of a mind at work. I do not try to peddle an OA or OE, nor do I seek to agree with whatever Expert may have already commented on something. For better or worse, I explain my own thought process.

Yes, either the simple past or the past perfect can be correct in SC when you see before. As with many other decision points, you want to let contextual clues guide your hand. I cannot point to an official question that forces the test-taker to decide on this before + verb tense issue alone, at least between the simple past and the past perfect, because it is a nuanced issue. As always, you want to burn off answer choices you know are wrong first, then look for any differences in what is left—phrasing, pronouns, etc.—and when you learn to get behind safer options rather than chase could-be-true sentences, you start to get more and more questions correct. Sometimes it can feel like magic, but you are only placing trust in a system.

- Andrew
Show more

Thanks AndrewN for taking the time out to reply to my questions. Yes, I got what you are saying. I also try to do the same now a days and focus more on the meaning and structure of the sentence and eliminate the obvious wrong choices first.

Thanks again
User avatar
VerbalBot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 18,835
Own Kudos:
986
Posts: 18,835
Kudos: 986
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 12: Before realist form 29 Jul 2023, 08:46
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7445 posts
GMATNinjaTwo
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
234 posts
miag
188 posts