Quasars are so distant that their light has taken billions of years to

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 we see quasars as they were during the formation of the universe.

Concepts tested here: Tenses + Pronouns + Meaning + Redundancy/Awkwardness

• The simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past.
• 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".

A: Correct. This answer choice correctly uses the simple past tense verb “were” to refer to an action that concluded in the past. Further, Option A uses the phrase “as they were at…”, conveying the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence- that we see quasars as they were during the formation of the universe.

B: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly uses the past perfect tense verb “had been” to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please 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".

C: This answer choice incorrectly modifies “we see” by using “as if during…”, incorrectly implying that we see quasars as if we were currently in the time period when the universe formed; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that we see quasars as they were during the formation of the universe.

D: Trap. This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “as they did in…”; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that quasars appear to us today, in the same way they did during the formation of the universe; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that we see quasars as they were during the formation of the universe.

E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “as though in…”; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that quasars appear to us today, as if they were currently in the formation of the universe; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that we see quasars as they were during the formation of the universe.

Hence, A is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" 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

Skywalker18 , you wrote:

Yes, your examples and statement 3 are correct.

No.
If the verb tenses change, only one verb can be used as a substitute: do (does, did).

The verb do as a substitute has two qualifications.
(1) do cannot substitute for TO BE verbs.

Wrong: He is exhausted and she does IS, too.

Wrong: My grandparents were bibliophiles and their siblings did WERE, too.
Wrong: Because my grandparents were bibliophiles, my parents and I do ARE [bibliophiles], too.

(2) The verbs do/does/did cannot substitute for have (has, had, etc.) when have is a helping verb.
By contrast, the verb do can substitute for have when have is a main verb meaning
to own or possess."

Correct: Gaurav has some great recipes and GMATNinja does, too.

Correct: Athena and Artemis had a good sense of direction but their brother Theo did not.

Wrong: Gaurav has eaten all his supper, but GMATNinja did not HAS NOT.

Hope that helps.

I am for A.
(A) we see them as they were during
Correct
(B) we see them as they had been during
Had Been is unnecessary
(C) we see them as if during
during is wrong
(D) they appear to us as they did in
Does not convey the correct meaning.
(E) they appear to us as though in
"though in" does not convey correct meaning.

A.

we see them as they were during... kinda wierd but nothing really wrong.

B: past perfect not needed here. Only describing ONE past action

C: we see them as if during WRONG
D and E: wordy

Hi jawele , no, "did" does not need to match the simple present tense "appear."

Do, does, or did can "stand in" for previous verbs that are written in simple tense and that must change tenses in the sentence.

Option D requires a verb tense shift, from simple present to simple past, this way:
(1) They appear to us now as they appeared in the formation of the universe.

We do not have to say appeared.
We can use did, simple past tense, to substitute for appeared, also simple past tense.
(2) They appear to us now as they [i]did in the formation of the universe.[/i]

Sentences (1) and (2) mean exactly the same thing. Did = appeared

Hope that helps.

One purpose of did is to stand in for the SIMPLE PAST TENSE FORM of an antecedent verb.
An OA in GMAT Prep:
Since 1990 the global economy has grown more than it did during the 10,000 years from the beginning of agriculture to 1950.
Here, did is standing in for the simple past tense form of the antecedent verb has grown.
Conveyed meaning:
Since 1990 the global economy has grown more than it GREW during the 10,000 years from the beginning of agriculture to 1950.

The following interpretation would be illogical:
Since 1990 the global economy has grown more than it has grown during the 10,000 years from the beginning of agriculture to 1950.
The present perfect (has grown) cannot serve to express an action performed in the distant past (during the 10,000 years from the beginning of agriculture to 1950).



The statement in red is incorrect.
Two reasons:
did is a PAST tense verb and thus cannot stand in for the PRESENT perfect tense.
The present perfect tense cannot express an action that happened LAST YEAR.
In the sentence above, did is standing in for the simple past tense form of has gone.
Conveyed meaning:
Peter's father has never gone to Paris, but last year, Peter WENT [to Paris].

i THINK a is correct

Quasars are so distant that their light has taken billions of years to reach the Earth; consequently, we see them as they were during the formation of the universe.

(A) we see them as they were during

(B) we see them as they had been during IMPROPER HAD BEEN USE

(C) we see them as if during NOPS!

(D) they appear to us as they did in I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED DURING INSTEAD OF IN

(E) they appear to us as though in THOUGH IMPROPERLY USED

are -- present
has taken -- present perfect
were -- past

seems correct to me in "A"

My answer is A.

B. There is no need for Past Perfect because we don't have multiple past events
C. as if during is impossible because we weren't there during the formation of the universe
D and E are wrong because "they appear" as them being active doer is not as good as "we see" the quasars...

1. Helping verbs 'do'(Plural subject) and 'does'(Singular subject) are used for simple present.
2. Helping verb 'did' is used for simple past.

a. The stars appeared to them(some ancient species) in the formation of the universe as they do to us now.
b. The Sun appeared to them(some ancient species) in the formation of the solar system as it does to us now.

3. In the above example a, 'do' is a substitute for 'appear' and in example b, 'does' refers to 'appears'

4. Is there any other helping verb (apart from do, does and did) that performs a similar function?

AjiteshArun , GMATNinja , MagooshExpert , GMATGuruNY , VeritasPrepBrian , MartyTargetTestPrep , DmitryFarber , VeritasKarishma , generis , EducationAisle , other experts - please enlighten

The most logical understanding of "did" is "appeared to us," because the present action referenced is not just "appear" but "appear to us."

After all, if "to us" were not integral to the present action, then it wouldn't have to be mentioned at all. The sentence could say simply, "they appear as they did."

So, the explanation you mentioned, "the way Quasers appear to us now is the same as they appeared to us when the Universe was formed. But, when the Universe was formed, we did not exist," makes sense.

That said, that issue is somewhat subtle, so in a question with no better choice, that issue might not be enough to knock the (D) version out of contention. So, the misuse of "in" really helps to make choice (D) rather clearly wrong and knock it out of contention.

It looks like Marty just beat me to this one, but I will reproduce my answer in full below.

---

I suppose I will kill two birds with one stone, even if I am quite late (for some reason) to get to the earlier query. I will work backwards, chronologically, so, KittyDoodles, you are up first. I agree that in is a problem in answer choice (D). If you can find a relatively easy way to doubt an answer choice, then you should look to do so. Pertaining to the implied to us after the substitute verb did, it is a reasonable interpretation because to us appears just after the verb appear and just prior to the comparative as, and we should not have to pick and choose what we want the verb to substitute for:

1) Quasars appear to us as [quasars] [appeared to us] X

But you could write,

2) Quasars appear as they did √

You have to be careful about just what these substitute verbs juggle, and you also want to keep comparisons as tight as possible on the GMAT™. Play it safe, so when in doubt about a comparison, seek a safer alternative.

Concerning answer choice (C), as if during the formation of the universe makes the comparison seem purely hypothetical and diminishes its effectiveness. That is, we cannot be sure the sentence is conveying that quasars actually existed at the time of the formation of the universe.

Perhaps answer choices (C) and (D) make more sense now. Thank you for thinking to ask.

- Andrew

GMATNinja, Could you help to explain why D wrong?

Hi

I agree with your interpretation. However, I have another question with regards to the use of "did". Is it legit to replace "did" for "appear"? "appear" is in present tense, and "did" needs a verb in simple past. Or I'm wrong? My decision was to eliminate D was precisely because of the tense mismatch.

Thanks

jawele , would you please explain the reasoning behind your "requires" statements?

Hi generis

Thanks so much for responding to my query. Sure, but please note that my post was a question, so my explanations aren't water proof. Diving in ...

Manhattan prep provides a list of common standard English idioms, and one of the idioms in the list is "VIEW AS". It requires an object to complete the idea what is viewed although that's my reasoning, not Manh.p. Yet, the examples in the book seem to go in line with my idea. I can't quote any problem from OG/GMATprep now, but I'm sure that I have seen at least one. I feel that "SEE AS" can treated as analogous to "VIEW AS".

"APPEAR AS noun" and "APPEAR TO verb" again are two idioms from the list. If you take a stab at some Off problems, you'll realise that that's the case (such as in this one https://gmatclub.com/forum/combining-enormous-physical-strength-with-higher-intelligence-the-nea-87777.html#p1218844 or this https://gmatclub.com/forum/sunspots-vortices-of-gas-associated-with-strong-electromagnetic-79261.html#p1015216 (follow the comments in regard to this discussion), unless of course you will prove me otherwise.

Please let me know what you think or find out

I found the following example in SC Nirvana(Education Aisle).

Peter's father has never gone to Paris, but last year, Peter did.--> In this did stands for the simple past tense of the main verb- went.

Is this sentence correct as 'did' tries to substitute 'has' (when 'has' is a helping verb)?

AjiteshArun , GMATNinja , MagooshExpert , GMATGuruNY , VeritasPrepBrian , MartyTargetTestPrep , DmitryFarber , VeritasKarishma , generis , EducationAisle , other experts - please enlighten