GMAT Club Experimental SC 2-3

Question

Hello everyone. Another Round of questions - this time from a different test writer. (In case you missed postings ealier this week - we are evaluating several test writers to create a set of GMAT Club's verbal tests and need your help!
Similar feedback request as before - how close is the question to the real GMAT? And, what recommendation for improvement would you give to the test writer? Please Vote.

The credit crunch  has exacerbated the impact of falling demand, pressing cash-strapped firms cut  costs more quickly.
A. has exacerbated the impact of falling demand, pressing cash-strapped firms cut
B. has exacerbated the impact of falling demand, pressing cash-strapped firms to cut
C. has exacerbated the impact of falling demand, and pressed cash-strapped firms to cut
D. exacerbated the impact of falling demand, and pressed cash-strapped firms to cut
E. had exacerbated the impact of falling demand, pressing cash-strapped firms cut

ritula · Answer

another gud one. I chose B (not very sure)

asavari · Answer

A, nothing is wrong in original sentence.

sanjay_gmat · Answer

B should be it. We need to use the infinitive form of the verb.

Legend · Answer

My answer is B.

Has a nice cause and effect feel that requires a participle modifier.

3.5/5

seofah · Answer

B.
I don't think, however, that it is sufficient to choose between A and B based on this concept (i.e. press to or press) alone.

bb · Answer

Thank you very muchfor your feedback. 
Here are the OA and Explanation - would be fantastic if you could post your feel for the difficulty of this question - let's just put on a level between 600 and 800 - that will of course vary by each test-taker but still:

Below 600
600-650
650-700
700-750
750+

OA: B

A - is missing “to” before ‘cut”. B fixes the error in A and is the best answer. 
B - Correct answer
C and D - change the meaning saying that “the credit crunch has done two things simultaneously: first, it has exacerbated the impact of falling demand and second it has pressed the cash-strapped firms to cut cost. That’s not correct. The intended meaning is that “the credit crunch has exacerbated the impact of falling demand” and this exacerbation-impact pressed the cash-strapped firms to cut costs. 
D - is un-necessarily in past tense too.
E - is in past participle, which does not apply to a single event.

icandy · Answer

Agree with B and the need for infinitive.

Agree with the OE on the change of meaning in C & D and unnecessary past participle/past perfect tense in E.

Level 650

GMAT Club Experimental SC 2-3

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