Citizens often demand that a presidential candidate release

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION


THE PROMPT

• • MEANING?
Citizens usually insist that a presidential candidate disclose her or his tax records, records that reveal how much money in taxes that a candidate has paid.

Did you catch what I just did to the verb? I used the command subjunctive construction. (See below.)

The words insist and demand are "bossy" verbs.
Bossy verbs convey a sense of command, urgency, importance, or request. ("Suggest" is a "bossy" verb, although its connotation is typically not bossy.)
Bossy verbs followed by that must be used in a special way, namely, in the command subjunctive.

A demand is a sort of command: most of the time, you will be tested on the command subjunctive in a "bossy" verb situation.
(Sometimes adjectives trigger the command subjunctive, this way: It is necessary that he arrive early to class.)

Another possibility is that you will be tested on a "bossy" verb that is followed by an infinitive.
→ That is, some "bossy" verbs can either be written in the command subjunctive structure OR be followed by an infinitive. (ask, beg, demand, intend, order, prefer, require, urge)
→ Here is one example with the verb require:
Correct: The citizens required that the candidate produce tax records.
Correct: The citizens required the candidate to produce tax records.

*The verb demand is a little more complicated when it is followed by an infinitive.
→ We cannot immediately use an indirect object** (see footnote) when an infinitive follows demand. That sentence sounds abstract.

Examples may help.
-- CORRECT: The citizens demanded to see the candidate's tax records.
-- WRONG: The citizens demanded the candidate to produce her or his tax records.

-- CORRECT: I demanded that she tell me the truth.
-- CORRECT: I demanded to hear the truth from her.
-- CORRECT but not concise: I demanded to hear her tell me the truth.
-- WRONG: I demanded her to tell me the truth.
(Finally, remember that demand can be followed by just a noun or noun phrase: I demanded the truth.)

• Structure of command subjunctive?

bossy verb + THAT + noun/object + bare infinitive

→ Bare infinitive
These versions of verbs are the "regular" infinitives: to laugh, to listen, to be paid
Simply remove the word "to" and you have the "bare infinitive" form of the verbs: laugh, listen, be paid

I don't fool around with the explanations that instruct us to use the third person singular. (I think those explanations talk about third person singular. Whatever the case, the explanation is complicated.)
This way is a lot easier:
Drop the word TO from the infinitive. Now you are looking at the "bare infinitive." The end.
That is, your result is the verb you need for the command subjunctive.

You can read one of my short overviews on command subjunctive by clicking here, and bb's post on the subject by clicking here, in this post;
bb is a GMAT Club founder.

• a singular person such as a candidate cannot be paired with the plural pronoun they.
→ the pronoun we must use to refer to a singular presidential candidate is his or her
→ in speech and informal writing, native speakers often use they to refer to a generic someone. Not okay on the GMAT.

THE OPTIONS
• the plural pronoun their incorrectly refers to the singular presidential candidate
ELIMINATE A

• I do not see any errors
• release is in the bare infinitive form, which is correct because demand requires the "bossy" construction
demand + that + subject + release
• his or her is correctly used to refer to the singular presidential candidate
KEEP

• because demand that requires the command subjunctive (and bare infinitive), releases should be release
• have should be has in order to agree with the singular subject how much.
→ much is always singular.
How much of the money was embezzled?
How much of the ice cream shake remains?
How much air pollution is allowed by the EPA?
ELIMINATE C
• as in option A, their should be his or her
• as in option C, have should be has
• as in options A and C, releases should be release
ELIMINATE E

The correct answer is B.

COMMENTS

DG2020 , welcome to SC Butler.
I hope that what I wrote just below the prompt answers your question.

The answers that explain are excellent: kudos!



** Below are a few sources that discuss indirect objects. If you look for your own sites, find ones that provide examples and do not try to sort out the many rule permutations.
Just keep reading examples: the more, the better.
We writers and editors don't always know how to articulate quickly the terminology of a certain construction, but reading enough examples has taught us to recognize both the weird-but-correct way and the weird-and-dead-wrong way.

Good explanation and examples, HERE.

Indirect objects that do not involve a preposition (i.e., that do NOT say for her, to me, on the table, etc.)
HERE.


Challenging but good, HERE.