Events & Promotions
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03 Sep 2020, 20:00
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C
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
25%
(medium)
Question Stats:
67% (01:15) correct
33%
(01:32)
wrong
based on 400
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
He worked as an analyst for as little as, if not less, than two and a half years by the time he had received his first promotion.
A. He worked as an analyst for as little as, if not less, than two and a half years by the time he had received his first promotion
B. His work as an analyst had been for as few, if not fewer than, two and a half years by the time he received his first promotion
C. He had worked as an analyst for as little as two and a half years, if not less, by the time he received his first promotion
D. He has worked as an analyst for as few as two and a half years, if not fewer, by the time he has received his first promotion
E. His work as an analyst was as few as, if not fewer than, two and a half years by the time the first promotion was received by him
A. He worked as an analyst for as little as, if not less, than two and a half years by the time he had received his first promotion
B. His work as an analyst had been for as few, if not fewer than, two and a half years by the time he received his first promotion
C. He had worked as an analyst for as little as two and a half years, if not less, by the time he received his first promotion
D. He has worked as an analyst for as few as two and a half years, if not fewer, by the time he has received his first promotion
E. His work as an analyst was as few as, if not fewer than, two and a half years by the time the first promotion was received by him
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04 Sep 2020, 20:15
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Quote:
Veritas Prep Explanation
The correct answer is C.
Only this answer manages to both logically align the tenses of the sentence (“had worked… by the time he received”) and properly parallel the elements of the “less than/fewer than” structure in the middle of the sentence.
Answer A uses the simple past “worked” incorrectly relative to the past perfect “had received.” The past perfect (“had received”) describes an event that occurred in the past before another past tense event (“worked”), so these tenses indicate that “he had received” a promotion before “he worked as an analyst.” Yet the sentence also describes that the work took place “by the time” the promotion happened. This is contradictory and illogical. Furthermore, A butchers the “as little as, if not less, than” structure. Removing the “if not less” modifier leaves “as little as… than,” which simply makes no sense at all.
Answer B correctly sequences the tenses but butchers the comparison elements. “as few, if not fewer than, two” becomes “as few… two” when the modifier is removed; this is not the proper usage of “few.” Furthermore, saying that “his work” had been as few as a time – “two and a half years” – sets up a comparison between work and time that is wholly nonsensical.
Answer D is again problematic in terms of tenses. “has worked” is present perfect and suggests either an event at an indefinite time in the past or else, more commonly, an event from the past that is ongoing into the present. Neither of these works logically with the phrase “by the time,” which indicates that the “has worked” concluded, fully in the past, at quite a specific and definite point. “has received” only compounds this problem.
Answer E commits a tense error when it uses the simple past “worked” with the simple past “was received” – this is problematic because the work in question occurred before the promotion, and without explicit time order words (absent in this case) the past perfect “had worked” would be required to clarify the sequence of events. This answer also repeats the illogical comparison of B: it nonsensically suggests that “his work” was as few as a time – “two and a half years.”
It is worth noting that the “less than” versus “fewer than” split is a False Decision Point in this case – students are strongly advised to avoid making these sorts of decisions if at all possible, and to focus instead of logic and firm rules of grammar.
That said, in case anyone wishes to argue that “fewer than” is required for an enumerated noun phrase like “two and a half years,” consider the New York Times’ position on the matter: “The point is to describe an extent of time, not the number of individual years. So we should say ‘less than [two and a half] years,’ not ‘fewer.’”
General Discussion
03 Sep 2020, 20:20
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COUNTABLE NOUNS
Nouns (e.g., objects) that are countable must be followed by the countable forms of nouns.
A. He worked as an analyst for as little as, if not less, than two and a half years by the time he had received his first promotion
Improper conjunctions. "As little as" is incorrectly joined with "than two and a half years".
B. His work as an analyst had been for as few, if not fewer than, two and a half years by the time he received his first promotion
Improperly associates countable noun (two and a half years) with non-countable "as few". The tense is improperly changed to a past time.
C. He had worked as an analyst for as little as two and a half years, if not less, by the time he received his first promotion.
Correctly associates countable noun with another countable noun. The sentence is concise and clear.
D. He has worked as an analyst for as few as two and a half years, if not fewer, by the time he has received his first promotion
Improperly associates countable noun (two and a half years) with non-countable "as few". The tense is improperly changed to a present time.
E. His work as an analyst was as few as, if not fewer than, two and a half years by the time the first promotion was received by him.
Awkward construction. Improperly associates countable noun (two and a half years) with non-countable "as few". Awkwardly changes the meaning in the original sentence. Uses passive voice and confuses the meaning.
Nouns (e.g., objects) that are countable must be followed by the countable forms of nouns.
A. He worked as an analyst for as little as, if not less, than two and a half years by the time he had received his first promotion
Improper conjunctions. "As little as" is incorrectly joined with "than two and a half years".
B. His work as an analyst had been for as few, if not fewer than, two and a half years by the time he received his first promotion
Improperly associates countable noun (two and a half years) with non-countable "as few". The tense is improperly changed to a past time.
C. He had worked as an analyst for as little as two and a half years, if not less, by the time he received his first promotion.
Correctly associates countable noun with another countable noun. The sentence is concise and clear.
D. He has worked as an analyst for as few as two and a half years, if not fewer, by the time he has received his first promotion
Improperly associates countable noun (two and a half years) with non-countable "as few". The tense is improperly changed to a present time.
E. His work as an analyst was as few as, if not fewer than, two and a half years by the time the first promotion was received by him.
Awkward construction. Improperly associates countable noun (two and a half years) with non-countable "as few". Awkwardly changes the meaning in the original sentence. Uses passive voice and confuses the meaning.
