OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONgeneris wrote:
Project SC Butler: Day 153: Sentence Correction (SC2)
The words IF . . WERE in the non-underlined portion indicate a
hypothetical statement. The construction follows a standard form.
• IF...WERE requires WOULD FALL
• If X were to happen, then Y would happen.IF clause = simple past → if [noun] were
MAIN clause = present conditional (would fall, would rise, would drop)
-- "present conditional" =
would/could + bare infinitive
The non-underlined portion commits us to
if marriage patterns of 1960 were importedThe result or main clause should say that the Gini coefficient
would fall• 20 second answerSplit #1: IF . . WERE requires WOULD FALL.Eliminate B (falls), C (will fall), and D (will fall)
• Split #2: considerable or considered?Option A: A considerable drop is a big drop.
Option E: A considered drop is a well-reasoned or carefully thought out drop.
The drop is big. The drop is not well-reasoned. Eliminate E.
Answer A
PROCESS OF ELIMINATIONTHE PROMPTQuote:
One study has indicated that if the marriage patterns of 1960 were imported into 2005, the American economy's Gini coefficient—the standard measure of income inequality—would fall to 0.34 from 0.43, a considerable drop given that the scale runs from zero to one.
THE OPTIONSQuote:
(A) One study has indicated that if the marriage patterns of 1960 were imported into 2005, the American economy's Gini coefficient—the standard measure of income inequality—would fall to 0.34 from 0.43, a considerable drop given that the scale runs from zero to one.
• If . .. WERE is correctly paired with WOULD + FALL (bare infinitive)
-- Bare infinitive? The regular infinitive is TO FALL. Simply remove the word "to." The bare infinitive = FALL
• considerable means
large or
significant. The decrease would be a big decrease.
• everything seems fine
KEEP
Quote:
(B) One study has indicated that if the marriage patterns of 1960 were imported into 2005, the American economy's Gini coefficient, the standard measure of income inequality, falls to 0.34 from 0.43, a considerable drop given that the scale runs from zero to one.
•
falls is incorrect.
if . . . were should be paired with
would fall.
• commas rather than em dashes? That difference makes no difference in this case. We use em dashes for emphasis or clarity—or sometimes just to break up a long sentence, but em dashes are rarely
necessary. The commas are fine.
ELIMINATE B
Quote:
C) One study has indicated that if the marriage patterns of 1960 were imported into 2005, the American economy's Gini coefficient—Gini coefficient—the standard measure of income inequality—will fall to 0.34 from 0.43, a considerable drop given that the scale runs from zero to one.
•
will fall is incorrect.
would fall is needed.
In addition, only
one kind of conditional takes simple future: Type 1.
-- See the footnote.
-- Type 1 conditionals are not theoretical. They are based on actual conditions. They are not theorizing about counterfactual possibilities.
• The construction is not a Type 1. That kind of conditional is based on actual facts and uses simple present tense in the IF clause— not past tense, and not subjunctive construction
Eliminate C
Quote:
(D) One study has indicated that if the marriage patterns of 1960 were imported into 2005, the American economy's Gini coefficient—the standard measure of income inequality—will fall to 0.34 from 0.43, dropping considerably given that the scale runs from zero to one.
•
will fall should be
would fall• also resembles but is not a Type 1 conditional
•
dropping considerably is fine. It means decreasing significantly.
-- the phrase is a comma + participle (verbING) structure and thus modifies the preceding clause.
-- the other sentences contain appositives (noun phrases, in this case) at the end of the sentence.
-- this option uses a modifier rather than an appositive. That usage is fine. The meaning is the same.
Quote:
E) One study has indicated that if the marriage patterns of 1960 were imported into 2005, the American economy's Gini coefficient, the standard measure of income inequality, would fall to 0.34 from 0.43, a considered drop given that the scale runs from zero to one.
• considered is incorrect. It means well-reasoned or thoughtful.
At trial, the psychiatric expert presented her considered opinion of the defendant's state of mind.
The drop is not thoughtful. Or well-reasoned.
Eliminate E.
The answer is ACOMMENTSI am impressed by a few of these answers!
I like to read about different approaches and different thought processes.
I also like to see your personality come out. Very nicely done.
Kudos to those who explained.
**VERY condensed summary of conditionals
Zero conditional: If THIS thing happens, THAT thing happens.
-- general truths
-- IF simple present, THEN simple present
-- situation is real and possible. True now and always.
Type 1: If THIS thing happens, THAT thing will happen
-- statements in the present made about the future and about real things
-- IF simple present, THEN simple future
-- condition is real, outcome ("truth") is very probable
Type 2: If THIS thing happened, then THAT thing would happen
-- If you left the house earlier, then you would be on time for the bus.
(But you did not leave the house earlier.)
Type 2: If THIS thing happened, then THAT thing would be happening
-- If I understood the joke, I would be laughing. (But I don't understand the joke, so I am not laughing.)
Type 2: If THIS thing were to happen, then THAT thing would happen
-- If antitrust laws were enforced properly, then oligopolies would not control entire sectors of the economy.
-- hypothetical (theoretical) statements NOT based on what is actual. Counterfactual, unreal, imaginary (hypothetical)
-- IF simple past, THEN present conditional (or present continuous conditional)
-- condition is not real. Time is always
Type 3: If THIS thing had happened, then THAT thing would have happened. (But neither thing happened.)
-- IF past perfect, THEN perfect conditional (would + have + verbED)
-- If they had cooperated better, then they would have finished their project on time. (But they didn't cooperate, and they didn't finish on time.)
-- statements about the unreal past and probable result (often statements of regret or missed opportunity)
-- unreal past condition, probable result in the past that is also unreal (the result did not happen)
Mixed conditional: If THIS thing had happened, then THAT thing would happen
-- IF is in the past, THEN is in the present (present result of a past action)
-- If past perfect, THEN present conditional (just as in Type 2)
-- time is an event in the past, result is ongoing [affects the present]
-- If I had taken the Series 7, I would be a stockbroker. (But I didn't take the tests and I am not a stockbroker.)
(Mixed conditionals have many variations. I've just listed what seems to be the most common type.)
close
22 Aug 2019, 02:12
25%
(medium)
27%
(01:22)
wrong 
