Last visit was: 20 Nov 2025, 00:44

It is currently 20 Nov 2025, 00:44

Toolkit

Practice Tests

Sentence Correction (SC - EA only)

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

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Nov 20
UCR MBA Impact - Live Q&A with UCR AdCom & Student
07:30 AM PST
-
08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth
Nov 22
GMAT RC Masterclass
11:00 AM IST
-
01:00 PM IST
Do RC/MSR passages scare you? e-GMAT is conducting a masterclass to help you learn – Learn effective reading strategies Tackle difficult RC & MSR with confidence Excel in timed test environment
Nov 23
Conquer Algebra on the GMAT Focus Edition
11:00 AM IST
-
01:00 PM IST
Attend this free GMAT Algebra Webinar and learn how to master the most challenging Inequalities and Absolute Value problems with ease.
Nov 25
Try OnDemand GMAT Masterclass
10:00 AM EST
-
11:00 AM EST
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors.

Back to Forum

Create Topic

Before Thomas Edison became the popular and respected inventor known a

Mahmud6

Retired Moderator

Joined: 10 Mar 2013

Last visit: 12 Jul 2025

Posts: 387

Own Kudos:

881

[3]

Given Kudos: 235

Status:The best is yet to come.....

Posts: 387

Kudos: 881

[3]

13 Aug 2017, 03:16

Kudos

Bookmarks

00:00

Start Timer

Pause Timer

Resume Timer

Show Answer

Hide

Show

History

Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

35% (medium)

Question Stats:

57% (01:04) correct

43% (01:07) wrong

based on 271 sessions

History

Date

Time

Result

Not Attempted Yet

Before Thomas Edison became the popular and respected inventor known as Thomas Edison, he was an anonymous student and scientist.

A. Before Thomas Alva Edison became the popular and respected inventor known as Thomas Edison, he was
B. Before he had been the popular and respected inventor, Thomas Edison he was
C. Thomas Alva Edison has been popular and respected inventor, Thomas Edison, after such time as he was
D. Before he became the popular and respected inventor, Thomas Edison had once been
E. Thomas Alva Edison, before he was the popular and respected inventor, Thomas Edison, had been

Source: QS LEAP

Show Answer

Official Answer

buan15

Joined: 14 Jun 2016

Last visit: 06 Jan 2022

Posts: 111

Own Kudos:

238

Given Kudos: 54

Location: India

GMAT 1: 610 Q49 V24 Verified score

GMAT 2: 690 Q49 V33 Verified score

WE:Engineering (Manufacturing)

Products:

GMAT 2: 690 Q49 V33 Verified score

Posts: 111

Kudos: 238

02 Oct 2017, 06:34

Kudos

Bookmarks

Can anyone please explain why D is correct and A is not?

SVP482

Joined: 06 Nov 2016

Last visit: 20 Dec 2020

Posts: 20

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 2

Posts: 20

Kudos: 25

02 Oct 2017, 10:17

Kudos

Bookmarks

buan15

Can anyone please explain why D is correct and A is not?

I guess it is sequencing of events. Thomas Edison was an anonymous student and scientist first and later he was a popular and respected inventor. When events occur in a sequence, the former event in the sequence uses a past-perfect tense and later uses a past tense.

chesstitans

Joined: 12 Dec 2016

Last visit: 20 Nov 2019

Posts: 987

Own Kudos:

1,923

[2]

Given Kudos: 2,562

Location: United States

Schools: Stanford '19 Carroll '19 LBS '19

GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V33 Verified score

GPA: 3.64

Schools: Stanford '19 Carroll '19 LBS '19

GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V33 Verified score

Posts: 987

Kudos: 1,923

[2]

13 Feb 2018, 12:00

Kudos

Bookmarks

SVP482

buan15

Can anyone please explain why D is correct and A is not?

I disagree with OA, and I think the source can have good questions except this SC question.

"before" already indicates the time sequence

harikrish

Joined: 05 Nov 2014

Last visit: 20 Nov 2018

Posts: 74

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 113

Location: India

Concentration: Strategy, Operations

Schools: Stanford '20 ISB '19 IIM-A"19

GMAT 1: 580 Q49 V21 Verified score

GPA: 3.75

Products:

Schools: Stanford '20 ISB '19 IIM-A"19

GMAT 1: 580 Q49 V21 Verified score

Posts: 74

Kudos: 85

13 Feb 2018, 12:17

Kudos

Bookmarks

The usage of before indicates a clear time frame. Can some expert tell what is wrong in A?

US09

Joined: 15 Oct 2017

Last visit: 06 Apr 2021

Posts: 247

Own Kudos:

302

Given Kudos: 338

GMAT 1: 560 Q42 V25 Verified score

GMAT 2: 570 Q43 V27 Verified score

GMAT 3: 710 Q49 V39 Verified score

Products:

GMAT 3: 710 Q49 V39 Verified score

Posts: 247

Kudos: 302

13 Feb 2018, 12:23

Kudos

Bookmarks

Shouldn't "A" be the correct option here? We do not need past perfect when a marker such as "before" is already present.

sayantanc2k

Joined: 14 Dec 2013

Last visit: 09 Dec 2022

Posts: 2,393

Own Kudos:

15,523

[1]

Given Kudos: 26

Location: Germany

Schools:

GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47 Verified score

WE:Corporate Finance (Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)

Expert

Expert reply

Schools:

GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V47 Verified score

Posts: 2,393

Kudos: 15,523

[1]

14 Feb 2018, 02:04

Kudos

Bookmarks

urvashis09

Shouldn't "A" be the correct option here? We do not need past perfect when a marker such as "before" is already present.

Yes, option D is wrong because of the unnecessary use of past perfect. The verb "was" in option A is alright - but the part "known as Thomas Edison" is redundant. None of the given options is correct.

Masterscorp

Joined: 14 Oct 2017

Last visit: 30 Mar 2021

Posts: 183

Own Kudos:

285

Given Kudos: 385

GMAT 1: 710 Q44 V41 Verified score

Posts: 183

Kudos: 285

14 Feb 2018, 06:42

Kudos

Bookmarks

That's a weird question, which doesn't have any fully correct answers imo. I chose A, even though it's redundant.

mitalisharma90

Joined: 29 Mar 2017

Last visit: 27 Nov 2018

Posts: 3

Given Kudos: 4

Posts: 3

Kudos: 0

15 Feb 2018, 13:59

Kudos

Bookmarks

diksav

Current Student

Joined: 13 Sep 2019

Last visit: 17 Apr 2022

Posts: 25

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 165

Location: India

Schools: McDonough'23 (A) Ross '24 (I) Kellogg '24 (D)

GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V40 Verified score

GMAT 2: 680 Q48 V34 Verified score

GRE 1: Q167 V164 Verified score

GPA: 3.98

Schools: McDonough'23 (A) Ross '24 (I) Kellogg '24 (D)

GMAT 2: 680 Q48 V34 Verified score

GRE 1: Q167 V164 Verified score

Posts: 25

Kudos: 4

07 Nov 2019, 01:39

Kudos

Bookmarks

Mahmud6

I think the problem is similar to this one

In the minds of many people living in England, before Australia was Australia, it was the antipodes, the opposite pole to civilization, an obscure and unimaginable place that was considered the end of the world.

(A) before Australia was Australia, it was the antipodes

(B) before there was Australia, it was the antipodes

(C) it was the antipodes that was Australia

(D) Australia was what was the antipodes

(E) Australia was what had been known as the antipodes

I think A is perfectly fine
Also D is not correct.
D. Before he became the popular and respected inventor, Thomas Edison had once been -- its not a modifier as it has a subject, and so it cant modify Thomas Edison. Its illogical as he can refer to somebody else.

sampriya

ISB School Moderator

Joined: 23 Nov 2018

Last visit: 25 Nov 2022

Posts: 301

Own Kudos:

264

Given Kudos: 358

Location: India

Schools: Schulich Sept '23 HEC Jan'22 Intake (D) INSEAD Jan 22 intake Erasmus RSM "22 (D) Ivey '22 (D) ISB '23 (I) NUS '23 (D)

GMAT 1: 710 Q48 V39 Verified score

GPA: 2.88

Products:

Schools: Schulich Sept '23 HEC Jan'22 Intake (D) INSEAD Jan 22 intake Erasmus RSM "22 (D) Ivey '22 (D) ISB '23 (I) NUS '23 (D)

GMAT 1: 710 Q48 V39 Verified score

Posts: 301

Kudos: 264

07 Nov 2019, 03:36

Kudos

Bookmarks

diksav

Mahmud6

hey!

Before Thomas Edison became the popular and respected inventor known as Thomas Edison, he was an anonymous student and scientist.

D. Before he became the popular and respected inventor, Thomas Edison had once been

had refers to what Thomas Edison was at first( an anonymous student and scientist) before he became popular and a respected inventor!!

compared to option A option D is more concise

and "he" cannot refer to any-other antecedent except "Thomas Edison", as no other logical antecedent exists in the sentence.

what do you say?

btw welcome to gmat club

elavendan1

Joined: 15 Jul 2014

Last visit: 20 Feb 2022

Posts: 88

Own Kudos:

108

Given Kudos: 232

Location: India

Concentration: Marketing, Technology

Posts: 88

Kudos: 108

07 Nov 2019, 05:10

Kudos

Bookmarks

sampriya

diksav

Mahmud6

My take on eliminating option D.
1. "Before" already marks the time sequence
2. Edison had once been anonymous. Does this mean he had been anonymous before becoming an inventor? Or perhaps, before becoming an inventor, he had been anonymous, then he was famous/popular and then he became inventor?

sampriya

ISB School Moderator

Joined: 23 Nov 2018

Last visit: 25 Nov 2022

Posts: 301

Own Kudos:

264

Given Kudos: 358

Location: India

Schools: Schulich Sept '23 HEC Jan'22 Intake (D) INSEAD Jan 22 intake Erasmus RSM "22 (D) Ivey '22 (D) ISB '23 (I) NUS '23 (D)

GMAT 1: 710 Q48 V39 Verified score

GPA: 2.88

Products:

Schools: Schulich Sept '23 HEC Jan'22 Intake (D) INSEAD Jan 22 intake Erasmus RSM "22 (D) Ivey '22 (D) ISB '23 (I) NUS '23 (D)

GMAT 1: 710 Q48 V39 Verified score

Posts: 301

Kudos: 264

07 Nov 2019, 05:54

Kudos

Bookmarks

Quote:

so.. before does mark a time sequence but including a had depends on the sentence .... its also okay to have had in the same sentence that contains a "before" and a "after" (after, before, by the end) are all major past perfect indicators:

https://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfect.html-- please refer to this link if possible

( the site explains when its okay to omit had and when it is not okay )

what option D means is:

1st Thomas Edison was an anonymous student and scientist--- we are using had for the first of the two things he was !
2nd he became a popular and a respected inventor

and He was all those things in the past so we can use past perfect tense.

basically what the link says is that when we have two "action events" in the past its okay to skip the "had"
but when we are talking about any "experiences" then its important to include a had!

https://gmat.economist.com/gmat-advice/ ... gmat------> this link has a few examples that include had+before in the same sentence