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14 Jul 2020, 23:59
Kudos
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D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
5%
(low)
Question Stats:
81% (01:04) correct
19%
(01:24)
wrong
based on 502
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Chicago's Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, was the tallest office building in the world until losing that distinction to the completion of the Taipei 101 Tower in 2004.
A) until losing that distinction to the completion of the Taipei 101 Tower
B) until it had lost that distinction upon the completion of the Taipei 101 Tower
C) until that distinction was lost after the Taipei 101 Tower's being completed
D) until it lost that distinction when the Taipei 101 Tower was completed
E) until the loss of that distinction after the completion of the Taipei 101 Tower
15 Jul 2020, 00:11
Kudos
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
THE PROMPT
THE OPTIONS
→ this kind of until should be followed by a subject and a verb, not a gerund (verbING)
→ this until is a subordinating conjunction that is used to connect an event to a point in time.
→ Subordinating conjunctions are words or phrases such as because or as long as that create subordinate clauses, which depend for their meaning on the main clause and cannot stand alone as a sentence.
-- subordinating conjunctions tell us that a clause has important information to add to the main idea of the sentence.
-- They usually signal contrast (whereas), a cause-and-effect relationship (because), or a shift in time or place between the two clauses.
-- In other words, we need a dependent clause, and all clauses contain at least a subject and a verb.
→ Until can also be a preposition that indicates continuance or up to (the time that), this way: We can hike in the words until sundown.
-- as a preposition, of course, until is followed by a noun or noun phrase. But that word is almost never a gerund (verbING), which conveys too much action.
→ Ask yourself whether the "until" information adds an important substantive or logical dimension to the sentence. If so, until should be followed by a clause.
• I agree with you all who posted that the meaning seems a little strange; however, if until had been followed by the words it lost, the phrasing here would not be enough to eliminate the option immediately. (Once you had seen option D, you could eliminate this option.)
-- Every now and then, GMAC uses phrasing that sounds a bit strange even to seasoned, native ears, so if you have doubt, keep the option tentatively and move on quickly.
ELIMINATE A
→ We use past perfect to describe the earlier of two events in the past, but had lost must refer to an action that came after a second action.
-- The Willis Tower could only have lost the distinction of being the world's tallest building after having been the world's tallest building.
ELIMINATE B
-- Even was lost would inflect the sentence with unnecessary passivity. The first part of the sentence leads with the subject "Willis Tower" followed by a verb, and if the second part were also to lead with that subject followed by a verb (as in (D)) the sentence would have a more active construction.
• In fact, the phrase after the Taipei 101 Tower's being completed is awkward, wordy, and unnecessarily passive.
→ Now, do we eliminate only on the basis of style?
→ I don't think so. We have a fairly good idea that this answer creates an awful sentence, but we can make style decisions after we read all the answer.
KEEP C, but look for a better answer
• after the word until, option D provides both a subject (it) and a verb (lost)
• option D correctly uses simple past tense
→ Now compare Options C and D. No contest. Option D is better.
Eliminate C.
KEEP D
• the first clause begins with a subject (Willis Tower), and this option is not an instance of a compound predicate (two verbs)
→ the second clause should begin with a pronoun that renames the subject (it) in order to maintain a parallel structure
ELIMINATE E
The best answer is D.
COMMENTS
As always, I am glad to "see" you all.
These answers range from very good to excellent. Nicely done. Kudos to all.
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)
THE PROMPT
Quote:
THE OPTIONS
Quote:
• until is not used correctly and I would bet that this usage of until is not well-known
→ this kind of until should be followed by a subject and a verb, not a gerund (verbING)
→ this until is a subordinating conjunction that is used to connect an event to a point in time.
→ Subordinating conjunctions are words or phrases such as because or as long as that create subordinate clauses, which depend for their meaning on the main clause and cannot stand alone as a sentence.
-- subordinating conjunctions tell us that a clause has important information to add to the main idea of the sentence.
-- They usually signal contrast (whereas), a cause-and-effect relationship (because), or a shift in time or place between the two clauses.
-- In other words, we need a dependent clause, and all clauses contain at least a subject and a verb.
→ Until can also be a preposition that indicates continuance or up to (the time that), this way: We can hike in the words until sundown.
-- as a preposition, of course, until is followed by a noun or noun phrase. But that word is almost never a gerund (verbING), which conveys too much action.
→ Ask yourself whether the "until" information adds an important substantive or logical dimension to the sentence. If so, until should be followed by a clause.
• I agree with you all who posted that the meaning seems a little strange; however, if until had been followed by the words it lost, the phrasing here would not be enough to eliminate the option immediately. (Once you had seen option D, you could eliminate this option.)
-- Every now and then, GMAC uses phrasing that sounds a bit strange even to seasoned, native ears, so if you have doubt, keep the option tentatively and move on quickly.
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
• wrong verb tense.
→ We use past perfect to describe the earlier of two events in the past, but had lost must refer to an action that came after a second action.
-- The Willis Tower could only have lost the distinction of being the world's tallest building after having been the world's tallest building.
ELIMINATE B
Quote:
• The words Tower's being should be Tower was—the word being adds passivity and convoluted language.
-- Even was lost would inflect the sentence with unnecessary passivity. The first part of the sentence leads with the subject "Willis Tower" followed by a verb, and if the second part were also to lead with that subject followed by a verb (as in (D)) the sentence would have a more active construction.
• In fact, the phrase after the Taipei 101 Tower's being completed is awkward, wordy, and unnecessarily passive.
→ Now, do we eliminate only on the basis of style?
→ I don't think so. We have a fairly good idea that this answer creates an awful sentence, but we can make style decisions after we read all the answer.
KEEP C, but look for a better answer
Quote:
• I see no errors
• after the word until, option D provides both a subject (it) and a verb (lost)
• option D correctly uses simple past tense
→ Now compare Options C and D. No contest. Option D is better.
Eliminate C.
KEEP D
Quote:
• until should be followed by a subject and a verb
• the first clause begins with a subject (Willis Tower), and this option is not an instance of a compound predicate (two verbs)
→ the second clause should begin with a pronoun that renames the subject (it) in order to maintain a parallel structure
ELIMINATE E
The best answer is D.
COMMENTS
As always, I am glad to "see" you all.
These answers range from very good to excellent. Nicely done. Kudos to all.
General Discussion
15 Jul 2020, 00:30
Kudos
Bookmarks
IMO D.
A) until losing that distinction to the completion of the Taipei 101 Tower
Incorrect.
Distorts the meaning of the sentence.
It did not lost the distinction to the "completion" but to the Taipei tower.
B) until it had lost that distinction upon the completion of the Taipei 101 Tower.
Incorrect.
Usage of upon is incorrect
C) until that distinction was lost after the Taipei 101 Tower's being completed.
Incorrect.
Distorts the meaning.
See A.
D) until it lost that distinction when the Taipei 101 Tower was completed
Correct.
E) until the loss of that distinction after the completion of the Taipei 101 Tower.
Incorrect.
This is unncessarily wordy .
Posted from my mobile device
A) until losing that distinction to the completion of the Taipei 101 Tower
Incorrect.
Distorts the meaning of the sentence.
It did not lost the distinction to the "completion" but to the Taipei tower.
B) until it had lost that distinction upon the completion of the Taipei 101 Tower.
Incorrect.
Usage of upon is incorrect
C) until that distinction was lost after the Taipei 101 Tower's being completed.
Incorrect.
Distorts the meaning.
See A.
D) until it lost that distinction when the Taipei 101 Tower was completed
Correct.
E) until the loss of that distinction after the completion of the Taipei 101 Tower.
Incorrect.
This is unncessarily wordy .
Posted from my mobile device
