Phillip’s grandfathers had been blacksmiths in Italy, and so, he

selim , Would you please specify the source?

In these options, grammatical errors abound.
Have at them if they help you eliminate answers!

I point out only two grammar errors because I need only those two
in order to eliminate two of my last three options.

I eliminate two options because they distort meaning flagrantly.

I suspect a native speaker will notice the meaning errors
quickly. The options with erroneous meaning imply very blatantly
that the grandfathers literally caused Phillip to do something.

When I say "literally caused," I mean "caused" in the sense
of "forced," or "commanded" or "decided that Phillip should."

Split #1: Causality/MEANING.

Phillip decided to be a blacksmith in the exhibition
because he wanted to emulate his grandfathers, both of whom
had been blacksmiths.

Who "caused" Phillip to be a blacksmith? PHILLIP. Not his grandfathers

True, his grandfathers (or his grandfathers' history) influenced Phillip's
choice to play a blacksmith's role in his school's exhibition. Phillip wanted to
emulate his grandfathers when he was playacting in a setting from the "old days."

Phillip's grandfathers, however, did not force Phillip to playact as a blacksmith.

Eliminate B and D

Split #2: Pronouns

Answer E: School is singular. Their is plural possessive. The pronoun should be its.

Answer A: "This" (and "those") should not stand alone on the GMAT.
"This" has no antecedent in the sentence.

"This" must be followed by the noun for which it acts
as a determiner (THIS color, THIS book).

In addition, "this" has no antecedent. "This" refers
to playacting, a noun that does not exist
in the sentence.

Do not be tempted by the clause "he pretended to be one."
That clause is neither a noun nor a noun phrase.
Pronouns may not refer to entire clauses such as "he pretended to be one."

Eliminate A and E

Check (C)
(C) Because Phillip’s grandfathers had been blacksmiths in Italy, he pretended to be a blacksmith during the Colonial Village Exhibition, which was held at his school.

This sentence is clear: Phillip decided to be a blacksmith
while playacting in a school exhibition because he
wanted to emulate his grandfathers, both of whom had been blacksmiths
in the "olden days."

Answer C


I want to preempt a non-issue, namely, "he" in option C. Let it go. Recently, a peerless expert repeated his mantra: forget about the issue. It has never been used to solve a GMAT SC question and it has not shown up in GMAC materials in a decade.Populate your mental real estate please, with something else. If these words confuse you, do not worry. The subject is repetitive and of no help.