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C
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50% (01:14) correct
50%
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A huge flying reptile that died out with the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago, the Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of 36 feet, believed to be the largest flying creature the world has ever seen.
(A) believed to be
(B) and that is believed to be
(C) and it is believed to have been
(D) which was, it is believed,
(E) which is believed to be
(A) believed to be
(B) and that is believed to be
(C) and it is believed to have been
(D) which was, it is believed,
(E) which is believed to be
https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/28/science/next-best-thing-to-a-pterosaur-nears-first-attempt-at-flight.html
THERE was a time long ago when real dragons soared over Texas, their leathery wings casting monster shadows over the drab Cretaceous landscape far below them. Those huge flying reptiles, the pterosaurs, died out with the dinosaurs some 64 million years ago, but thanks to space-age advances in aerodynamics, robotics and structural materials, a startlingly lifelike replica of one of the largest of them will take to the sky later this year.
The replica under construction is of a pterosaur named Quetzalcoatlus northropi, whose bones were discovered in Big Bend National Park, in west Texas, in 1972. (The genus is named after the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl; the species, after the manufacturer, Northrop Aircraft Company, of experimental flying-wing planes built in the 1940's.) In life, the Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of 36 feet, and it is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen -larger by far than any present-day or extinct species of bird. Aerodynamic principles impose a limit on the size a flying animal may reach, and Quetzalcoatlus northropi is close to that limit.
The answer is C..When exactly to use Have been, Had been and had. can anybody point out the subtle differences..thankx....
THERE was a time long ago when real dragons soared over Texas, their leathery wings casting monster shadows over the drab Cretaceous landscape far below them. Those huge flying reptiles, the pterosaurs, died out with the dinosaurs some 64 million years ago, but thanks to space-age advances in aerodynamics, robotics and structural materials, a startlingly lifelike replica of one of the largest of them will take to the sky later this year.
The replica under construction is of a pterosaur named Quetzalcoatlus northropi, whose bones were discovered in Big Bend National Park, in west Texas, in 1972. (The genus is named after the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl; the species, after the manufacturer, Northrop Aircraft Company, of experimental flying-wing planes built in the 1940's.) In life, the Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of 36 feet, and it is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen -larger by far than any present-day or extinct species of bird. Aerodynamic principles impose a limit on the size a flying animal may reach, and Quetzalcoatlus northropi is close to that limit.
The answer is C..When exactly to use Have been, Had been and had. can anybody point out the subtle differences..thankx....
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21 May 2012, 08:34
Kudos
Bookmarks
Have been is more appropriate for the simple reason that you cannot use the present tense to be. As it will mean that, the animals are still existent. On the contrary, have been denotes, that the animals existed in the past but are not so at this point: have been thus seals the rear end of the phenomenon, which is the reality now.
05 Jan 2022, 05:08
Kudos
Bookmarks
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 core meaning of this sentence is that the Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of 36 feet and is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Modifiers + Tenses + Pronouns
• The pronoun “that” is used to refer to a variation of the subject, and the pronoun “it” is used to refer to the exact same subject.
• In a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction.
• "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refers to the noun just before the comma.
• 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.
• 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.
A: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly modifies "wingspan of 36 feet" with "believed to be...ever seen", illogically implying that a wingspan of 36 feet is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; the intended meaning is that the Quetzalcoatlus is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; please remember, in a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction. Further, Option A incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "be" to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, 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, 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: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "be" to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, 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, 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. Further, Option B incorrectly uses "that" to refer to the exact same subject - "the Quetzalcoatlus"; please remember, the pronoun “that” is used to refer to a variation of the subject, and the pronoun “it” is used to refer to the exact same subject.
C: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase "and it is believed", avoiding the meaning errors seen in Options A, D, and E and conveying the intended meaning - that Quetzalcoatlus is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen. Further, Option C correctly uses the present perfect tense verb "have been" to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present. Additionally, Option C correctly uses the pronoun "it" to refer to the exact same subject - "the Quetzalcoatlus".
D: This answer choice incorrectly refers to "wingspan of 36 feet" with "which was, it is believed...ever seen", illogically implying that a wingspan of 36 feet is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; the intended meaning is that the Quetzalcoatlus is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; please remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.
E: This answer choice incorrectly refers to "wingspan of 36 feet" with "which is...ever seen", illogically implying that a wingspan of 36 feet is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; the intended meaning is that the Quetzalcoatlus is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; please remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "be" to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, 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, 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.
Hence, C is the best answer choice.
To understand the concept of "Phrase Comma Subject" and "Subject Comma Phrase" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1minute):
To understand the concept of "Simple 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 (~2 minutes):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
monarc
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that the Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of 36 feet and is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Modifiers + Tenses + Pronouns
• The pronoun “that” is used to refer to a variation of the subject, and the pronoun “it” is used to refer to the exact same subject.
• In a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction.
• "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refers to the noun just before the comma.
• 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.
• 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.
A: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly modifies "wingspan of 36 feet" with "believed to be...ever seen", illogically implying that a wingspan of 36 feet is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; the intended meaning is that the Quetzalcoatlus is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; please remember, in a “noun + comma + phrase” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction. Further, Option A incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "be" to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, 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, 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: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "be" to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, 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, 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. Further, Option B incorrectly uses "that" to refer to the exact same subject - "the Quetzalcoatlus"; please remember, the pronoun “that” is used to refer to a variation of the subject, and the pronoun “it” is used to refer to the exact same subject.
C: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase "and it is believed", avoiding the meaning errors seen in Options A, D, and E and conveying the intended meaning - that Quetzalcoatlus is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen. Further, Option C correctly uses the present perfect tense verb "have been" to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present. Additionally, Option C correctly uses the pronoun "it" to refer to the exact same subject - "the Quetzalcoatlus".
D: This answer choice incorrectly refers to "wingspan of 36 feet" with "which was, it is believed...ever seen", illogically implying that a wingspan of 36 feet is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; the intended meaning is that the Quetzalcoatlus is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; please remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.
E: This answer choice incorrectly refers to "wingspan of 36 feet" with "which is...ever seen", illogically implying that a wingspan of 36 feet is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; the intended meaning is that the Quetzalcoatlus is believed to have been the largest flying creature the world has ever seen; please remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "be" to refer to an event that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, 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, 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.
Hence, C is the best answer choice.
To understand the concept of "Phrase Comma Subject" and "Subject Comma Phrase" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1minute):
To understand the concept of "Simple 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 (~2 minutes):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
19 Jan 2023, 00:45
Kudos
Bookmarks
monarc
What is the structure of this sentence? We begin with an appositive ‘a huge flying …ago’ placed next to the subject which is ‘the Quetzalcoatlus.’
The main clause tells us two things about the Quetzalcoatlus – its wingspan and that it was the largest flying creature the world has ever seen. We can give the two qualities of the Quetzalcoatlus as two clauses (done by options (B) and (C)) or one as a modifier and the other as the main clause (done by options (A), (D) and (E)).
(A) believed to be
Option (A) uses the past participle modifier ‘believed’ which seems to be modifying the noun closest to it i.e. ‘wingspan.’ But we have discussed that past participle at the end of the sentence could modify the subject of the previous clause too so we may not want to eliminate based on that. The use of ‘believed to be’ gives the impression that the Quetzalcoatlus is still alive.
For example, ‘he is believed to be the tallest man in the world’ tells us that he is alive today and is the tallest today. ‘He is believed to be the tallest man the world has ever seen’ means he is the tallest not just today but in the entire history of mankind.
‘He is believed to have been the tallest man’ means he was the tallest at one time. Now, either he is not alive or not the tallest and someone else is the tallest.
Since we know that the Quetzalcoatlus is extinct now, we can eliminate option (A). Options (B) and (E) also have this error.
(D) which was, it is believed,
(E) which is believed to be
Options (D) and (E) use ‘which’ relative clauses. ‘which’ usually modifies the noun preceding it and hence, it seems that we are talking about the wingspan in the ‘which’ modifier. But we know that we are talking about the Quetzalcoatlus.
(B) and that is believed to be
Option (B) has the same ‘believed to be’ error that options (A) and (E) have. Also, option (B) uses ‘that’ as the subject of the second clause to refer back to the subject of the previous clause. But ‘that’ is a demonstrative pronoun which indicates distance in time or space (relative to speaker) e.g. ‘That is my car.’
We will need to use the personal pronoun ‘it’ as the subject of the second clause to refer back to the subject of the previous clause. This is done in option (C).
(C) and it is believed to have been
Further, in option (C), the use of the present tense ‘is believed’ is correct because the belief is held in the present. Also, ‘to have been’ is the perfect infinitive. We have learnt that we can use perfect infinitives for things that happened in the past. The Quetzalcoatlus was the largest flying creature in the past. It is extinct now. So perfect infinitive is acceptable here.
Answer (C)
