During the nineteenth century it was common practice for museums and

During the nineteenth century it was common practice for museums and collectors to reframe all their pictures uniformly, a custom that began after Napoleon ordered that all paintings in the Louvre are given new frames in the fashionable Empire style.

* Subject verb pair [ " it-was" ; "that - began" ; " "Napoleon-ordered" ; " All painting-are given" ] - all subject verb pair exists and make proper sense

* Tense Form[ Past & Present(All painting-are given) ] - Tense error; not conveyed intended meaning due to present tense

* If-then condition - not used
* Subjunctive Verb [ "ordered" + "that" + "plural verb form" ] - "are" violates the subjunctive verb rule
* Pronoun [ "it" - used correctly ]
* Modifier - used correctly
* Parallelism [ it was common practice for museums "and" collectors ] - seems okay
* Comparison - not used
* Idiomatic - not used


A. [u]are[/u] given new frames in the fashionable

- Violates the subjunctive verb rule. Hence Incorrect

B. be given new frames in the fashionable

- removes the subjunctive verb error while replacing "are" with "be"

- Correct

C. are newly framed in the fashion of the

- Violates the subjunctive verb rule. Hence Incorrect

D. will be newly framed in the fashion of the

- "will be" changed the intended meaning of the sentence. Hence Incorrect

E. were given new frames in the fashionable

- using "were" violates the subjunctive verb rule. Hence Incorrect


IMO(B)

Here's the official explanation provided by the GMAC for this question:

The sentence says that Napoleon ordered that all paintings in the Louvre are given new frames in the fashionable empire style. The function of Napoleon’s order, like that of any order, was to prescribe a change, not to describe the way things actually are or will be. Expressing this clearly and effectively requires a subjunctive verb (ordered that someone do something; ordered that something be done) or an infinitive verb (ordered someone to do something; ordered something to be done). For this reason, the indicative verb forms used in the original version and in all the answer choices except B are inappropriate. The present and future tenses are also inappropriate because the sentence is entirely about past events.

Option A: The present indicative are is the wrong verb form both because the sentence is entirely about past events and because Napoleon’s order aimed to bring about a change, not to describe a condition that was already in effect.

Option B: Correct. This correctly uses the subjunctive verb form in the phrase ordered that all paintings … be given new frames, indicating that when Napoleon gave the order, the action had not yet taken place and might not have taken place if the order had not been given or obeyed.

Option C: Are given is the wrong verb form. The phrase in the fashion of the … style is essentially equivalent to in the style of the … style, so it is puzzlingly redundant.

Option D: Will be given is the wrong verb form. The phrase in the fashion of the … style is essentially equivalent to in the style of the … style, so it is puzzlingly redundant.

Option E: Were given is the wrong verb form.

The correct answer is B.

Please note that I'm not the author of this explanation. I'm just posting it here since I believe it can help the community.

During the nineteenth century it was common practice for museums and collectors to reframe all their pictures uniformly, a custom that began after Napoleon ordered that all paintings in the Louvre are given new frames in the fashionable Empire style.

Testing concept : Subjunctive mood
A. are given new frames in the fashionable
Ordered (simple past )...., are (present tense ).Eliminate

B. be given new frames in the fashionable
Keep it

C. are newly framed in the fashion of the
Are , same error as In A

D. will be newly framed in the fashion of the
fashion of the . That's not the intended meaning.

E. were given new frames in the fashionable
ordered that all paintings were given new frames in the fashionable. He ordered to do something. Usage is wrong.
B rightly conveys the meaning and the only option which has subjunctive mood . that + be +given