The Commerce Department reported that the nation's economy grew at a

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that businesses were expanding their production, but at the same time unsold goods were piling up on store shelves because consumer spending slowed sharply.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Tenses

• The simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature.
• The simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past.
• The simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that took place over a period of time in the past.
• The past perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb "had") is used when a sentence contains two actions in the past; the helping verb "had" is used with the action in the "greater past".
• The present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb “has/have”) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present.

A: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the clause "consumer spending is slowed sharply"; the passive construction of this clause incorrectly implies that some other entity slowed consumer spending; the intended meaning is that consumer spending slowed on its own. Further, Option A incorrectly uses the simple past tense verb "piled" to refer to an action that took place over a period of time in the past; remember, the simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that took place over a period of time in the past, and the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past. Moreover, Option A incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "is slowed" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature.

B: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase "as consumer spending slowed sharply", conveying the intended meaning - that unsold goods were piling up on store shelves because consumer spending slowed sharply on its own. Further, Option B correctly uses the simple past continuous tense verb "were piling" to refer to an action that took place over a period of time in the past. Additionally, Option B correctly uses the simple past tense verb "slowed" to refer to an action that concluded in the past.

C: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "with a sharp slowing of consumer spending"; the construction of this phrase illogically implies that unsold goods piled up on store shelves alongside a sharp slowing of consumer spending; the intended meaning is that unsold goods piled up on store shelves because a sharp slowing of consumer spending occurred. Further, Option C incorrectly uses the past perfect tense verb "had piled" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the past perfect tense (marked by the use of helping verb "had") is used when a sentence contains two actions in the past; the helping verb "had" is used with the action in the "greater past".

D: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "with the piling up of unsold goods on store shelves"; the construction of this phrase illogically implies that consumer spending slowed sharply because of the piling up of unsold goods on store shelves; the intended meaning is that unsold goods were piling up on store shelves because consumer spending slowed sharply. Further, Option D incorrectly uses the simple past continuous tense to refer to an action that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that took place over a period of time in the past.

E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "with unsold goods piling up on store shelves"; the construction of this phrase illogically implies that consumer spending slowed sharply because unsold goods were piling up on store shelves; the intended meaning is that unsold goods were piling up on store shelves because consumer spending slowed sharply. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the present perfect tense verb "has slowed" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb “has/have”) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present.

Hence, B is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):



To understand the concept of "Simple Continuous Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



To understand the concept of "Present Perfect Tense" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



To understand the concept of "Past Perfect Tense" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team