After massive military preparations for Operation Barbarossa, the Axis powers were poised to conquer the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941, but their defeat at the Battle of Moscow in December of that year reveals that they had not imagined the Red Army will mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories . A. reveals that they had not imagined the Red Army will mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories B. reveals it hadn't been imagined that the Red Army would mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories C. revealed that they hadn't imagined the Red Army will mobilize troops from the vast territories of the Soviet Union D. revealed that they did not imagine that the Red Army would mobilize troops from the Soviet Union's vast territory E. revealed that they had not imagined the Red Army would mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories This is a SC Butler Question Check the links to other Butler Projects: Data Sufficiency Butler Problem Solving Butler Critical Reasoning Butler Reading Comprehension Butler Integrated Reasoning Butler

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After massive military preparations for Operation Barbarossa, the Axis

Bunuel

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29 Aug 2023, 01:30

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cyrwr1

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30 Aug 2023, 08:16

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why e? if "they had not imagined the Red Army would mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories" is not an actual event that is before the defeat?

wouldn't you say , "results revealed that he did not study." instead of "results revealed that he had not studied."

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30 Aug 2023, 10:50

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A & B are out since reveals + hadn't is used
Past perfect is used only when 2 events have happened in past

Here A & B uses reveals - simple present so out

D is out because no past perfect
Between C and E
C is unnecessarily wordy saying vast territories of Russia
And also will is used for future

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30 Aug 2023, 21:51

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Doubt: “that” is missing in E. Is that acceptable? I understand E is a better choice if we consider tenses, but I chose D only because “that”.

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Bunuel

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Bunuel

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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

After massive military preparations for Operation Barbarossa, the Axis powers were poised to conquer the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941, but their defeat at the Battle of Moscow in December of that year reveals that they had not imagined the Red Army will mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories.

A. reveals that they had not imagined the Red Army will mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The sentence uses the Present Simple tense reveals to describe an event that occurred at a specific moment in the past (the Battle of Moscow in December 1941).

In addition, the second part of the sentence is anchored in the past by the Past Perfect verb had not imagined. By default, this sentence should remain in the Past tense. The verb will mobilize, however, is in the Future tense.

Remember our rule: Once in the Past, always in the Past.

B. reveals it hadn't been imagined that the Red Army would mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories

Incorrect.

While this answer choice corrects one of the original tense mistake, it repeats the other. Using the Present tense reveals to describe an event that occurred at a specific moment in the past (the Battle of Moscow in December 1941) is grammatically incorrect.

In addition this answer choice is stylistically flawed. Changing they didn't imagine to it hadn't been imagined makes the sentence ambiguous and confusing, as it is not clear who or what it refers to.

C. revealed that they hadn't imagined the Red Army will mobilize troops from the vast territories of the Soviet Union

Incorrect.

While this answer choice corrects one of the original tense mistakes, it repeats the other.

The second part of the sentence is anchored in the past by the Past Perfect verb hadn't imagined. By default, this sentence should remain in the Past tense. The verb will mobilize, however, is in the Future tense.

D. revealed that they did not imagine that the Red Army would mobilize troops from the Soviet Union's vast territory

Incorrect.

While this answer choice corrects both original tense mistakes, it is grammatically incorrect: it uses the Past Simple tense (did not imagine) to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Since the Axis power's failure to imagine that the Soviet military would mobilize occurred before the Battle of Moscow revealed this failure, the Past Perfect tense should be used to describe the earlier action.

E. revealed that they had not imagined the Red Army would mobilize troops from the vast Soviet territories

This answer choice corrects both tense mistakes in the original question. It changes reveals in the Present to revealed in the Past Simple (to describe an action that occurred at a specific time in the past - December '41). It also changes will in the Future to would in the Future Past, as required by the verb had not imagined, which anchors the action in the past.

Note also that like the original sentence, this answer choice correctly uses the Past Perfect to describe an action that occurred before another action in the Past, as the Axis power's failure to imagine that the Soviet military would mobilize occurred before the Battle of Moscow revealed this failure.