Entering professional tennis as a talented but shy and awkward teenage

Question

Entering professional tennis as a talented but shy and awkward teenager, for the past eight years Steffi Graf was  the dominant force in the woman's circuit, a powerful and consistent player.

A. Entering professional tennis as a talented but shy and awkward teenager, for the past eight years Steffi Graf was

B. As talented yet shy and awkward teenager when she entered professional tennis, for the last eight years Steffi Graf has been

C. Steffi Graf entered professional tennis as a talented yet shy and awkward teenager, and was

D. For the past eight years, having entered professional tennis as a talented yet shy and awkward teenager, Steffi Graf has been

E. Having entered professional tennis as a teenager who was talented yet shy and awkward, for the past eight years Steffi Graf has been

Source:  Master GMAT

DinoPen · Answer

I think the answer is D.

Subject : "Steffi Grafi" is correctly placed.
Correct use of "has been" due to the eight years noted prior (a span of time in the past)

RajatJ79 · Answer

Entering professional tennis as a talented but shy and awkward teenager, for the past eight years Steffi Graf was  the dominant force in the woman's circuit, a powerful and consistent player.

Solution :
 Pre-thinking :  There is a  modifier error in the underlined part . 'Steffi Graf' should be modifying the clause with which the sentence starts. However, in the underlined part, Steffi Graf is placed away from the initial clause 'Entering professional tennis ... teenager'

A. Entering professional tennis as a talented but shy and awkward  teenager, for the past eight years Steffi Graf  was
 Modifier error - Steffi Graf should be placed immediately after the initial clause 'Entering professional tennis ... teenager' because the initial clause describes Stefi Graf. This is not the case in Option A.
 Drop Option A.

B.  As talented yet shy and awkward  teenager when she entered professional tennis ,  for the last eight years Steffi Graf has been
 Similar modifier error as mentioned in Option A. Additionally, incorrect usage - 'As talented yet shy and awkward'.
 Drop Option B.

C. Steffi Graf entered professional tennis as a talented yet shy  and awkward teenager, and was 
 Incorrect usage 'and awkward teenager, and was'.
 Drop Option C.

D.  For the past eight years,  having entered professional tennis as a talented yet shy and awkward  teenager, Steffi Graf  has been
 Placement of Steffi Graf modifies the initial clause appropriately.
  Keep Option D.

E. Having entered professional tennis as a teenager who was talented yet shy and awkward , for the past eight years Steffi Graf  has been

Modifier error similar to Option A.
 Drop Option E.

Answer should be Option D.

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Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

(A)  is poor on two counts:  (1) “the past eight years,”  or past action continuing into the present, requires the present perfect ( “has been” ) rather than the past tense ( “was” ); and  (2)  the two parts of the sentence that should be close for comparative purposes— “shy and awkward”  and  “powerful and consistent” —are separated.  (C)  echoes  (1)  and corrects  (2)  at the expense of vital information.  (B)  and  (E)  echo  (2).

The correct answer is (D).

Entering professional tennis as a talented but shy and awkward teenage

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