MGMAT SC

Question

Why is E wrong

Critics fear that the decline  in what constitutes a good secondary school education have  weakened this country's standing in the world.
 
a)in what constitutes a good secondary school education have
 
b)in what constitutes a good secondary school education has

c)in what constituted a good secondary school education has

d)in what constituted a good secondary school education have

e)in constituting a good secondary school education has

fluke · Answer

"What constituted" would mean that the constituent of a good secondary school education doesn't exist anymore, distorting the meaning. It should be "what constitutes".

"in constituting" - means the decline is in the process of constituting. Not logical.

Also, what constitutes means that there is only one constituent(singular) and thus we need to use has, not have.

B is correct.

subhashghosh · Answer

Answer is B - "the decline" is the subject, and hence the verb "has" agrees with it.

"what constitutes" is appropriate because it states a general truth in simple present tense.

siddhans · Answer

I am still not sure about the difference between "what constitutes" and "in constituting"

fluke · Answer

B says:

Grammatically, B and E are both correct. However, E is illogical. Why so?

B:
Critics fear that the decline in "what constitutes a good secondary school education" has weakened this country's standing in the world.
Shorten it like this:
Critics fear that the decline in "SOMETHING" has weakened this country's standing in the world.

SOMETHING in B refers to the constituent of a good secondary school education. e.g. Let us consider that constituent as "qualified teachers". 
So, B now means, decline "in qualified teachers" has weakened this country's blah-blah.

E changes the focus from CONSTITUENT to the "process of constituting"

Critics fear that the decline in "constituting a good secondary school education" has weakened this country's standing in the world.

Constituting a good secondary school education IS not the constituent but a process AND the decline is in the constituent itself and not in the process of constituting.

A correct sentence should always convey the intended meaning and E is not what author wants to convey.

MGMAT SC

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