Official Explanation

Verb form; Rhetorical construction

The sentence reports one analyst's views about the liquor industry's sales performance this year: there will be large declines in sales in a few liquor stores, and this year's sales volume will be close to last year's sales volume.

A. This choice is incorrect because it refers to sales themselves rather than to declines in sales. Furthermore, it compares a volume of sales with a year.

B. This choice incorrectly uses would have maintained after the simple past predicted.

C. The phraseology have experienced up to fifty percent is incorrect, since a percent cannot be experienced. The phraseology up to fifty percent in declining sales fails to indicate clearly that sales declined by fifty percent from the previous year.

D. Correct. This choice correctly refers to declines, uses the correct would maintain, and correctly compares this year's sales volume with last year's sales volume.

E. This choice incorrectly uses will have maintained after the simple past predicted.

The correct answer is D.

in some question i have read that"predicted" itself used to show possibility and no need to use "would" again".....use of "will" is correct.... but here in option "D" ....both " predicted" and "would" is there....isn't it redundant.
Please help.

avigutman - Hi - a quick clarification :

Context :
Today is October 15th 2021
Annoucement date : August 1st 2021


1) John announced that he would work hard.
2) John announced that he Will work hard.

Based on the visual

Sentence # 1 -- does the presence of the word "would" imply the action [working hard] to the blue bit only on the number line ?

I thought the would implied the action (working hard) is ONLY SOMEWHERE between Annoucement date (August 1st) < working hard < Today's date (nowhere Past Today's date, i.e. yellow highlight)

Sentence # 2 -- i thought the "Will boxed the time line of the action (working hard) between Today's date < working hard < infinitum in the future (the action DID NOT occur during the blue highlight)

Is my understanding wrong ?

I think perhaps sentence # 1 or sentence # 2, the action [working hard] CAN fall in either bucket (yellow or blue highlight)

The only difference is the probability

Would (irrespective if action taking place in the blue or action taking place in the yellow) -- 50 % surety
Will (irrespective if action taking place in the blue or action taking place in the yellow) -- 100 % surety

Sam Estimated that this year a few liquor stores have experienced a decline in sales
vs
Sam Estimated that this year a few liquor stores will experience a decline in sales
vs
Sam Estimated that this year a few liquor stores would experience a decline in sales.

One analyst of the liquor industry estimated that this year a few liquor stores have experienced declining sales of up to fifty percent but predicted that the industry as a whole will maintain a volume of sales fairly close to last year.

(A) declining sales of up to fifty percent but predicted that the industry as a whole will maintain a volume of sales fairly close to last year

(B) declines in sales of up to fifty percent but predicted that the industry as a whole would have maintained a volume of sales fairly close to last year

(C) up to fifty percent in declining sales but predicted that the industry as a whole would maintain a volume of sales fairly close to last year’s

(D) sales declines of up to fifty percent but predicted that the industry as a whole would maintain a volume of sales fairly close to last year’s

(E) declines up to fifty percent of sales but predicted that the industry as a whole will have maintained a volume of sales fairly close to last year’s


SC96561.01

GMATNinja
GMATNinjaTwo,
@VeritasKarishma
AnthonyRitz
@CJAnish
MartyTargetTestPrep
AndrewN
VeritasPrepBrian

I still cannot understand between "will" and "would" in this question.
Analyst predicted that the industry as a whole .....would........... correct
That meant whenever we talked about the word of the third person, we must use "would" rather than "will"?

GMATNinja
GMATNinjaTwo,
@VeritasKarishma
AnthonyRitz
@CJAnish
MartyTargetTestPrep
AndrewN
VeritasPrepBrian

I still cannot understand between "will" and "would" in this question.
Analyst predicted that the industry as a whole .....would........... correct
That meant whenever we talked about the word of the third person, we must use "would" rather than "will"?