Of all the years in Einstein's life, possibly none is more impressive

More than is correct form.



In between A,C, and E

I will go with C because the Einstein's years have passed. The author tone is in the present.
So we will use past for describing a past event.

IMO C.

Archit3110 , why does none was rightly modify Of all the years in ?

Please choose one of the options that contains incorrect modification and explain why that choice is wrong and C is correct?

Also, please explain this assertion: "usage of impressive than "before" 1905 rightly links the sentence."
Why?

MY ANALYSIS/EXPLANATION

Of all the years in Einstein's life, possibly none is more impressive than 1905, when four of his ground-breaking papers were published in a prominent German physics journal.


A) possibly none is more impressive than
• 1905 is in the past. Incorrect: is
• Change the phrasing a little to check.
1905 was the most impressive year of Einstein's life.
1905 is the most impressive year of Einstein's life.

B) maybe none was more impressive as
• the comparative structure is more than, not more as
• be suspicious of maybe. Possibly, perhaps, and maybe express the same thing (likelihood, not certainty),
but maybe is usually too informal for the GMAT.

C) possibly none was more impressive than

D) perhaps none is more impressive as
• incorrect: the verb tense IS. Same error as that in option A
• incorrect: as. Same error as that in option B.

E) maybe none is more impressive than
• incorrect: IS. Same as A and D.
• Suspicious: maybe. Same as B

The correct answer is C.

The phrase "perhaps/possibly none was more impressive than" means
It is possible but not certain that not one year of Einstein's life was more impressive than the year 1905.
Easier: Although we cannot be certain, it is [highly] possible that the most impressive year of Einstein's life was the year 1905.

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

• In option A, the underlined portion of the sentence has an error in verb tense (is),
because the sentence refers to 1905, which is in the past.

• On that basis, eliminate A, D, and E

• Choice B correctly is in the past tense, however, B has the incorrect idiom for comparison (as instead of than)

• Choice C is both in the past tense and has the corret idiom for comparison (than).

The correct answer is C.

COMMENTS

GKomoku , what a wonderful graphic! Einstein fascinates me.

Imagination is more important than knowledge, he wrote, in 1931.
I think so.

warrior1991 gets a smiley face for excellent answer. GKomoku gets kudos for best answer.

absolutely I agree with you generis

daagh how to choose between is and was here since i believe both can be correct based on the context of the sentence?

Bishal
Unless something is universal or perpetually repetitive, the use of present tense cannot be justified. After all 1905 was just one year in his life, the significance of which has not been repeated in his life ever after that and whatever he achieved ended in that year.

Therefore, it is better to stick with the past tense.

Meaning: Author says that of all the years in Einetsein's life, the year 1905 was possibly the most impressive one because in 1905 four of his ground-breaking papers were published in a prominent German physics journal.

Error:
1) past tense should be used instead of present tense because it holds true in past. If it had relevance in present or if it was a fact then use of present tense was correct

Answer: C

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