Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 23:31 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 23:31
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
User avatar
sashiim20
User avatar
Joined: 04 Dec 2015
Last visit: 05 Jun 2024
Posts: 609
Own Kudos:
1,887
 [1]
Given Kudos: 276
Location: India
Concentration: Technology, Strategy
Schools: ISB '19 IIMB IIMA XLRI HEC Sept19 intake Rotman '21 NUS '21 NTU '20 Trinity MBA '20 Bocconi '21 Smurfit "21
WE:Information Technology (Consulting)
Schools: ISB '19 IIMB IIMA XLRI HEC Sept19 intake Rotman '21 NUS '21 NTU '20 Trinity MBA '20 Bocconi '21 Smurfit "21
Posts: 609
Kudos: 1,887
 [1]
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly 03 Jul 2017, 01:07
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
C
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

15% (low)

Question Stats:

77% (01:01) correct 23% (00:49) wrong based on 102 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef.

a) had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef
b) was being prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry
c) had been prepared by the chef, the guests were quite hungry
d) by the chef was prepared, the guests were very hungry
e) had been prepared, all the guests had been hungered by the chef

Source : GMAT Club Grammar Book
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
C
User avatar
broall
User avatar
Retired Moderator
Joined: 10 Oct 2016
Last visit: 07 Apr 2021
Posts: 1,138
Own Kudos:
7,150
Given Kudos: 65
Status:Long way to go!
Location: Viet Nam
Posts: 1,138
Kudos: 7,150
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly 03 Jul 2017, 03:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
sashiim20
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef.

a) had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef
b) was being prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry
c) had been prepared by the chef, the guests were quite hungry
d) by the chef was prepared, the guests were very hungry
e) had been prepared, all the guests had been hungered by the chef

Source : GMAT Club Grammar Book
Show more

The meal is prepared by the chef. Only C conveys the correct meaning.
avatar
deepmaity
avatar
Joined: 23 Dec 2013
Last visit: 17 Mar 2018
Posts: 8
Own Kudos:
2
Given Kudos: 3
Posts: 8
Kudos: 2
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly 03 Jul 2017, 08:13
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
nguyendinhtuong
sashiim20
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef.

a) had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef
b) was being prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry
c) had been prepared by the chef, the guests were quite hungry
d) by the chef was prepared, the guests were very hungry
e) had been prepared, all the guests had been hungered by the chef

Source : GMAT Club Grammar Book

The meal is prepared by the chef. Only C conveys the correct meaning.
Show more
I have my doubts on this answer.
Had been vs was

In the sentence, if I can roughly translate,
By the time the meal was ready

The guests had been hungry

Literal meaning:- the meal by the chef was prepared later, the guests had been been hungry before that.

The only sentence I feel that comes close to this hypothesis is

D.

Kindly let me know where am I wrong?

nguyendinhtuong
sashiim20
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef.

a) had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef
b) was being prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry
c) had been prepared by the chef, the guests were quite hungry
d) by the chef was prepared, the guests were very hungry
e) had been prepared, all the guests had been hungered by the chef

Source : GMAT Club Grammar Book

The meal is prepared by the chef. Only C conveys the correct meaning.
Show more


Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
User avatar
broall
User avatar
Retired Moderator
Joined: 10 Oct 2016
Last visit: 07 Apr 2021
Posts: 1,138
Own Kudos:
7,150
Given Kudos: 65
Status:Long way to go!
Location: Viet Nam
Posts: 1,138
Kudos: 7,150
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly 03 Jul 2017, 08:35
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
deepmaity

I have my doubts on this answer.
Had been vs was

In the sentence, if I can roughly translate,
By the time the meal was ready

The guests had been hungry

Literal meaning:- the meal by the chef was prepared later, the guests had been been hungry before that.

The only sentence I feel that comes close to this hypothesis is

D.

Kindly let me know where am I wrong?
Show more

D is wrong. "By the time the meal by the chef was prepared", this structure is awkward. The meal must be prepared by the chef.

In C, "By the time the meal had been prepared by the chef, the guests were quite hungry", "by the time" is used to emphasize the time that some events occured.

The meaning is that at that time, the chef had prepared the meal, or the meal was ready to serve. Also, at that time, people were hungry. No need to use past perfect like "the guests had been been quite hungry" since the clause "the guests were hungry" is good to conveys the meaning.

I know that "by the time" often goes with past simple and other clause goes with past perfect. For example: "By the time Jane
arrived, most of the other guests had gone.". However, I think that "go" is an action, and "hungry" is a state. We can't say that "people have been in a state". Just "people are in a state" is enough
User avatar
Abhishek009
User avatar
Board of Directors
Joined: 11 Jun 2011
Last visit: 18 Jul 2025
Posts: 5,934
Own Kudos:
5,328
Given Kudos: 463
Status:QA & VA Forum Moderator
Location: India
GPA: 3.5
WE:Business Development (Commercial Banking)
Posts: 5,934
Kudos: 5,328
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly 03 Jul 2017, 11:27
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
sashiim20
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef.

a) had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef
b) was being prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry
c) had been prepared by the chef, the guests were quite hungry
d) by the chef was prepared, the guests were very hungry
e) had been prepared, all the guests had been hungered by the chef
Show more
Correct answer must be (B) for the highlighted errors in other options.
User avatar
Harsh9676
User avatar
Joined: 18 Sep 2018
Last visit: 27 Feb 2023
Posts: 251
Own Kudos:
220
Given Kudos: 322
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, International Business
GMAT 1: 690 Q49 V36
GPA: 3.72
WE:Investment Banking (Finance: Investment Banking)
Products:
My Reviews
GMAT 1: 690 Q49 V36
Posts: 251
Kudos: 220
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly 17 Jan 2021, 10:42
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Abhishek009
sashiim20
By the time the meal had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef.

a) had been prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry by the chef
b) was being prepared, the guests were incredibly hungry
c) had been prepared by the chef, the guests were quite hungry
d) by the chef was prepared, the guests were very hungry
e) had been prepared, all the guests had been hungered by the chef
Correct answer must be (B) for the highlighted errors in other options.
Show more


You mean C?
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7443 posts
GMATNinjaTwo
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
231 posts
miag
189 posts