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Harshgmat , sure!

I will start with the issue that is most obvious to me, but I think that the issue may be obscure.
This question tests the idiom:
• cite X as Y
• X is cited as Y

"Cite" in this instance means "to give a reason for"

We have a 4-1 split. Every answer choice except B construes the idiom incorrectly.

We want "citing X as Y" or "X is cited as Y"


The verb "being" is both unnecessary and unidiomatic.


Citing surprisingly low demand [X] as [one reason for the change in its expectations] [Y]. Perfect.


"Citing X to be Y" is not idiomatic.


Same as C.


Same as A.

***
Do not panic if you have never seen or heard of this idiom before.
We are not expected to know every idiom.
I caught the idiom because I am a native speaker, a writer, and an editor.

We could replace "citing" with more familiar words and then assess the sentences.

Words we could use instead of "citing" (be careful NOT to use a participle that requires anything else such as "to"):

naming
identifying
specifying
referencing

Try replacing one of those words in order to see that you do not need to know the idiom "citing X as Y."

Almost always, other errors exist in the sentences with idioms.
If such other issues exist, I hope others will tease them out.

I have two requests:

1) workout - you assert that in options C and E, the word "that" incorrectly modifies Europe

Did you rely on the "touch" rule about essential modifiers and their nouns?
Have you considered the exceptions to the "touch" rule?

I think Manhattan Prep calls such exceptions "mission-critical" modifiers.
Might "in Europe" be a vital modifier?

2) sudarshan22 , would you please elaborate on those parts of sentences that you marked in red?

Why do you think that those portions of the sentences are incorrect?
Please offer analysis, reasoning, explanation, and the like.

Harshgmat , I hope that helps.

By the way, one mention of the idiom "cite X as Y" is here.
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A. citing demand in Europe being surprisingly low as

Meaning error. "being surprisingly low" refers to Europe. INCORRECT
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B. citing surprisingly low demand in Europe as

clear and concise. Looks good.
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C. citing demand in Europe that was surprisingly low to be

"that" incorrectly modifies Europe. INCORRECT
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D. with surprisingly low demand in Europe cited to be

"to be" and "reason" looks repetitive. INCORRECT
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E. with demand in Europe that was surprisingly low being cited as

"that" incorrectly modifies Europe. INCORRECT
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Hence option B
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+1 for B.


A. citing demand in Europe being surprisingly low as

B. citing surprisingly low demand in Europe as --> Correct

C. citing demand in Europe that was surprisingly low to be

D. with surprisingly low demand in Europe cited to be

E. with demand in Europe that was surprisingly low being cited as

Hence, B.
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Can we have discussion about errors in wrong answer choices?
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Yes generis I eliminated options C and E based on the touch rule regarding "that". I have seen a few official sentences where this touch rule was given an exception when the phrase immediately before "that" is a prepositional phrase. However, I am not 100% sure when this touch rule is applied and when it is given an exception. So, I would like to avoid answer choices that are constructed this way. I also see the option B without this construction and no other errors. Hence I chose it.

generis Thanks for the Manhattan reference. By "mission-critical modifiers" do you mean those modifiers that cannot be placed anywhere else except at that particular position ? I would love to know if there are more rules about when the touch rule applies and when it doesn't ?

Thanks !!!
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generis

Please find my detail analysis below:

A. citing demand in Europe being surprisingly low as --> Though correct idiom ' cite x as y' is used here, 'being surprisingly low' is wordy and incorrect

B. citing surprisingly low demand in Europe as --> Correct, use of idiom 'cite x as y'

C. citing demand in Europe that was surprisingly low to be --> 'cite low to be' is incorrect idiom

D. with surprisingly low demand in Europe cited to be --> 'with...cited to be' is wordy and unidiomatic

E. with demand in Europe that was surprisingly low being cited as --> 'with...surprisingly low being cited as' is wordy and unidiomatic

Hence, B.
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Bunuel, please tag it under GMAT Prep. This was asked in Mock 5.

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Done. Thank you!
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