Last visit was: 10 Jul 2025, 11:02 It is currently 10 Jul 2025, 11:02
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.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
pushpitkc
Joined: 26 Feb 2016
Last visit: 19 Feb 2025
Posts: 2,819
Own Kudos:
5,867
 [19]
Given Kudos: 47
Location: India
GPA: 3.12
Posts: 2,819
Kudos: 5,867
 [19]
Kudos
Add Kudos
17
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
carcass
User avatar
Board of Directors
Joined: 01 Sep 2010
Last visit: 09 Jul 2025
Posts: 4,723
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 4,813
Posts: 4,723
Kudos: 36,141
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
sumit411
Joined: 07 Oct 2017
Last visit: 28 Jan 2019
Posts: 215
Own Kudos:
226
 [2]
Given Kudos: 3
Posts: 215
Kudos: 226
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
GmatDaddy
User avatar
Retired Moderator
Joined: 11 Aug 2016
Last visit: 29 Jan 2022
Posts: 332
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 97
Products:
Posts: 332
Kudos: 380
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hey carcass

I was able to narrow down the answer choices to C and E. but couldn't move forward.
"male-dominated police force" & "police force that is male-dominated."
They essentially mean the same according to me, but I was never comfortable on eliminating ans choices on the basis of "wordiness"
Can you suggest any article that could perhaps give me an essence of wordiness and help me eliminate such answer choices.

carcass
Decision point is to make not in making.

B and D out.

E is wordy.

A nd C have been needed is the correct form.

C is the answer.

30 seconds approach.

Regards
User avatar
carcass
User avatar
Board of Directors
Joined: 01 Sep 2010
Last visit: 09 Jul 2025
Posts: 4,723
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 4,813
Posts: 4,723
Kudos: 36,141
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Developing a sense, a sort of six sense to the wordiness is something that comes you with the experience and years of English. Is not that comes out in a snap

C. have been needed to make woman police officers more than a rarity in the male-dominated police force



E. have been needed to make woman police officers more than a rarity in the police force that is male-dominated.

Seein this way I do think is quite clear where the wordiness lays.

Regards
User avatar
GmatDaddy
User avatar
Retired Moderator
Joined: 11 Aug 2016
Last visit: 29 Jan 2022
Posts: 332
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 97
Products:
Posts: 332
Kudos: 380
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Yes, it was quite evident on this problem, but in some problems, there is a change in sentence structure which confuses me !

carcass
Developing a sense, a sort of six sense to the wordiness is something that comes you with the experience and years of English. Is not that comes out in a snap

C. have been needed to make woman police officers more than a rarity in the male-dominated police force



E. have been needed to make woman police officers more than a rarity in the police force that is male-dominated.

Seein this way I do think is quite clear where the wordiness lays.

Regards
User avatar
carcass
User avatar
Board of Directors
Joined: 01 Sep 2010
Last visit: 09 Jul 2025
Posts: 4,723
Own Kudos:
36,141
 [1]
Given Kudos: 4,813
Posts: 4,723
Kudos: 36,141
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
See the first part of my reply.

Regards
User avatar
GmatDaddy
User avatar
Retired Moderator
Joined: 11 Aug 2016
Last visit: 29 Jan 2022
Posts: 332
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 97
Products:
Posts: 332
Kudos: 380
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
that means I better start focusing on other issues...
Thanks for the reply carcass ! :D
carcass
See the first part of my reply.

Regards
User avatar
Merc
Joined: 19 Mar 2020
Last visit: 16 Apr 2021
Posts: 30
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 5
Posts: 30
Kudos: 20
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
between A & C
I think we should use 'were' actually Because past perfect has been used earlier hence we need to show another action in the past that happened after that event.
now because we cannot change had in the non underlined portion , we should use were to show the 2 events...
Hence A should be the correct option..
Please advice
avatar
Anupam93
Joined: 06 Jul 2017
Last visit: 16 Sep 2023
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
22
 [2]
Given Kudos: 10
Location: India
GMAT 1: 730 Q50 V38
GPA: 4
WE:Operations (Manufacturing)
GMAT 1: 730 Q50 V38
Posts: 12
Kudos: 22
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Merc
between A & C
I think we should use 'were' actually Because past perfect has been used earlier hence we need to show another action in the past that happened after that event.
now because we cannot change had in the non underlined portion , we should use were to show the 2 events...
Hence A should be the correct option..
Please advice

I think here "had" is not past perfect, but rather just past tense of verb "have".
avatar
GMAT0010
Joined: 17 Sep 2019
Last visit: 08 Dec 2022
Posts: 108
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 516
GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V38
GMAT 2: 680 Q49 V33
GMAT 2: 680 Q49 V33
Posts: 108
Kudos: 54
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi,
carcass
Please help me out! I don't understand why A is wrong. The had construction is apt here.
:D
User avatar
mavelous
Joined: 10 Mar 2013
Last visit: 04 Jul 2025
Posts: 42
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 184
Location: Turkmenistan
GMAT 1: 730 Q45 V44
GMAT 1: 730 Q45 V44
Posts: 42
Kudos: 17
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
This came up in recommended questions.
Although technically not much wrong between A and C, seems to me that "have been needed" is not something a native speaker would say, in this context.
Without further hints, I don't think there's enough to justify one over the other based on change of meaning
any thoughts from experts? GMATNinja Bunuel
User avatar
atrhn
Joined: 04 Feb 2021
Last visit: 02 Nov 2024
Posts: 2
Given Kudos: 68
Posts: 2
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi,
Can an expert please clear a doubt.
On reading the sentence how can one be sure if this is an action that started in the past and continues in the present? There is no indication of the same in the original sentence, which is why (A) seemed like the better option. Had the word 'today' been mentioned along with 'dominant police force' then we could have used 'have been needed'. Do let me know. Thanks.
User avatar
Anandkrishna03
Joined: 14 Mar 2022
Last visit: 10 Jul 2025
Posts: 7
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 12
Status:Co-Founder
Affiliations: VishvMitraa
Location: India
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Human Resources
GMAT 1: 590 Q39 V31
WE:Sales (Consumer Packaged Goods)
GMAT 1: 590 Q39 V31
Posts: 7
Kudos: 8
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
carcass
Developing a sense, a sort of six sense to the wordiness is something that comes you with the experience and years of English. Is not that comes out in a snap

C. have been needed to make woman police officers more than a rarity in the male-dominated police force



E. have been needed to make woman police officers more than a rarity in the police force that is male-dominated.

Seein this way I do think is quite clear where the wordiness lays.

Regards
carcass
I don't think that option 'E' is wrong just because of wordiness/redunduncy.
Option 'E' has one more major flaw according to me- the usage of the word 'THAT'.

The word 'THAT' in option E conveys that there are many police forces and among all the police forces, we are specifically talking about a police force which is male-dominated. Because of this reason, I think option 'E' is wrong as it changes the meaning of the sentence.
avatar
jim441
Joined: 29 Apr 2022
Last visit: 14 Dec 2023
Posts: 195
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 276
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, Marketing
GMAT 1: 690 Q48 V35 (Online)
WE:Engineering (Manufacturing)
GMAT 1: 690 Q48 V35 (Online)
Posts: 195
Kudos: 50
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
What's wrong with A??
I have read the thread and it feels like use of have been needed is unnecessary
User avatar
Vishrudh
Joined: 14 Mar 2020
Last visit: 17 Apr 2024
Posts: 11
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 86
Posts: 11
Kudos: 4
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
hey here is the usage of to make vs in making what is the right usage. I do understand why have is used but what is the clear reason if we have to eliminate based on to make vs in making GMATNinja GMATNinjaTwo
User avatar
ExpertsGlobal5
User avatar
Experts' Global Representative
Joined: 10 Jul 2017
Last visit: 10 Jul 2025
Posts: 5,143
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 38
Location: India
GMAT Date: 11-01-2019
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 5,143
Kudos: 4,729
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Vishrudh
hey here is the usage of to make vs in making what is the right usage. I do understand why have is used but what is the clear reason if we have to eliminate based on to make vs in making GMATNinja GMATNinjaTwo

Hello Vishrudh,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, this sentence refers to the intent of the action "needed", and the for referring to the purpose/intent of an action, the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb" - "to + make" in this case) is preferred over the present participle ("verb+ing" - "making" in this case).

To understand the concept of "Infinitive" versus "Present Participle" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team
Moderators:
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7349 posts
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
235 posts