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.

The sentence checks the understanding of command subjunctive.

<subject> <command verb> THAT <base form of the verb>

Citizens often demand that a presidential candidate release ...
Demand is command verb and "release" is base form itself. (We don't need releases as we are not looking for S-V agreement)
So, this construction is correct.
We can eliminate C and E here.

"a presidential candidate" is singular, hence "their" is incorrect to refer the candidate.
We can eliminate A and D.

B is correct as it fixes both the issues of command subjunctive and pronoun.

My answer is (B). It took me 23 seconds.

Demand, as with other "bossy verbs", requires the use of command subjunctive mood. Eliminate C and E

"a presidential candidate" is singular. Eliminate A and D for using "their".

That leaves us with (B). Read it in completion super fast to confirm it is okay.

Please explain why “releases” is incorrect.

Posted from my mobile device

Here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/subjunctive- ... 79606.html

Demand/mandate/suggest/propose/recommend/dictate etc are subjunctive verbs.
1. Subjunctive verb is always followed by 'that'.
2. After subjunctive verb, 'base form of the verb' is used irrespective of the nature (singular/plural) of the subject.

For example:
Citizens often demand(subjunctive word followed by 'that') that a presidential candidate (singular subject) release (base form of the verb) their tax records.
For singular subject "a presidential candidate", we will not use 'releases'.

A) release their tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government. - only verb needs to be in base form, pronoun used should have same nature as the Subject.

B) release his or her tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government. - Correct

C) releases his or her tax records in order to determine how much have been taken by the government. - Incorrect

D) release their tax records in order to determine how much have been taken by the government. - Incorrect

E) releases his or her tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government. - Incorrect

Citizens often demand that a presidential candidate release their tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.

Pre-thinking: Subjunctive verb case due to usage of verb demand. Command subjunctive verb should be followed by THAT + subject+ Verb in simple form.
Ideal structure of sentence in case of a Subjunctive verb usage: subject + command verb + that + subject + verb in simple form

A) release their tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.
Incorrect pronoun used. Should be singular 'his or her'.

B) release his or her tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.
Correct structure after Command subjunctive verb usage. Correct singular subject-verb agreement 'tax' with 'has'. Correct singular pronoun used 'his or her'.

C) releases his or her tax records in order to determine how much have been taken by the government.
Incorrect subject-verb agreement subject 'tax' required singular verb 'has'.

D) release their tax records in order to determine how much have been taken by the government.
Incorrect pronoun used. Should be singular 'his or her'.

E) releases his or her tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.
Incorrect structure after Command subjunctive verb usage. Verb should be in simple form

Answer should be B.
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Citizens often demand that a presidential candidate release their tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.

A) release their tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government. Incorrect

their uses wrong, a presidential candidate is singular

B) release his or her tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government. Correct

C) releases his or her tax records in order to determine how much have been taken by the government. Incorrect

subjunctive form, always plural

D) release their tax records in order to determine how much have been taken by the government. Incorrect

their uses wrong, a presidential candidate is singular

E) releases his or her tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government. Incorrect

subjunctive form, always plural
_________________

Subjunctive Mood question: Look for answer that used bare form of verb


a presidential candidate--Singular
their:- Plural
S-V Agreement Error. Eliminate


Bare form of verb release used correctly. His or her used to point to the presidential candidate. Keep this choice.


Bare form of verb to be used.
Use of releases therefore is incorrect.Eliminate


a presidential candidate--Singular
their:- Plural
S-V Agreement Error. Eliminate

Bare form of verb to be used.
Use of releases therefore is incorrect.Eliminate

B

IMO B




Posted from my mobile device

Citizens often demand that a presidential candidate release their tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.

subjuctive mood. RELEASE is perfect though subject is singular.
Pronoun for 'presidential candidate' shall be 'his or her'

A) release their tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.

B) release his or her tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.

C) releases his or her tax records in order to determine how much have been taken by the government.

D) release their tax records in order to determine how much have been taken by the government.

E) releases his or her tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.
_________________

Citizens often demand that a presidential candidate release their tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.

The correct pronoun for 'a presidential candidate,' which indicates one candidate, is 'its'
Eliminate A and D

The verb 'demand' indicates the use of the subjunctive, in which the bare form of the verb should be used. The bare form of the verb is formed by dropping 'to' from the verb's infinitive form

Infinitive = to release
Bare form = release
Eliminate C and E

A) release their tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.

B) release his or her tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.

C) releases his or her tax records in order to determine how much have been taken by the government.

D) release their tax records in order to determine how much have been taken by the government.

E) releases his or her tax records in order to determine how much has been taken by the government.

Choice B is the answer.

The official explanation is here.

First we have to narrow down to answers which start with the wors release. After that it is clear that candidate is singular. I did it in under minute.

Posted from my mobile device

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