Robert Wood Johnson University requires that a professor with classes

Require that X be Y : Correct Idiomatic Usage, none but (C) expresses it correctly...

Hi deevanshu,

Thank you for your question. Let's start by looking at the obvious differences between each answer, and see if we can narrow them down to the correct one. Here are a few clear differences that jump out after looking over things quickly:

1. a professor / that professors
2. extra-help / extrahelp
3. their students / his students

Let's start with #1 on the list: a professor / that professors. Whichever we choose should agree in number with any verbs involved, so let's see if they work based on subject-verb agreement (subject in red, verb in green):

(A) that a professor with classes of more than 60 students schedule smaller extra-help sessions for their students before or after the standard classes (singular subject/plural verb = NO AGREEMENT)
(B) a professor with classes of more than 60 students schedule smaller extrahelp sessions for their students before or after the standard classes (singular subject/plural verb = NO AGREEMENT)
(C) that professors with classes of more than 60 students schedule smaller extra-help sessions for their students before or after the standard classes (plural subject/plural verb = CORRECT AGREEMENT)
(D) a professor with classes of more than 60 students to schedule smaller extrahelp sessions for their students before the standard classes or after (singular subject/plural verb = NO AGREEMENT)
(E) a professor with classes of more than 60 students schedule smaller extrahelp sessions for his students, before or after the standard classes (singular subject/plural verb = NO AGREEMENT)

After only looking at the beginning of each answer, and making sure it uses proper subject-verb agreement, it's clear that C is the only answer that works. Therefore, we have our correct answer without having to look at any of the other issues.

MANHATTAN REVIEW OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:

There are two possible structures. You require someone to do something, or you require that somebody do something. The latter is a use of the subjunctive. E does not have either of these possible structures. Options A, B and D incorrectly use ‘a professor’ with ‘their’. Choice C is the correct answer.

Hi Folks,
Robert Wood Johnson University requires that a professor(singular) with classes of more than 60 students schedule(plural) smaller extra-help sessions for their(plural pronoun) students before or after the standard classes.

As you can notice above, the issues with the given sentence are marked in bold. All the answer choices have got the same issue except C.

Hi daagh ,
Thank you for such a precise analysis. I have just one question. Since a subjunctive is used, is the use of plural verb, schedule, correct?

doer

'Schedule' is not a plural verb here. It is simply a bare infinitive. We need to use the bare infinitive (to schedule without the infinitive marker 'to'), which is an essential ingredient of all command subjunctives. Four your reference, I give below a pamphlet on the essentials of the command subjunctive and some brief features of the past subjunctive.

Subjunctive mood sentences in GMAT SC

Subjunctive mood sentences are special types of sentences, which ignore the normal rules that are applied to subject verb agreement in number and tense but are still considered grammatical.
There are subjunctive mood uses in the present tense and the past tense. In the present subjunctive, the verb in the subordinate clause is always in the bare infinitive , even if the subject is plural and the tense is past or future. Sentences in which one would use such verbs as is, are, was, were or will be , should use the bare infinitive verb - be -, in the case of the subjunctive mood.
The subjunctive mood is used when the main verb indicates a desire, intention, command, recommendation, request, resolution, or advice. It is also used along with such words as advisable, better, desirable, and directive, essential, fitting, imperative, important, necessary, urge, urgent and vital. Very important thing here is that the word - that -will always accompany such subjunctive mood sentences and the verb of the relative sentences will always be the base form called 'the bare infinitive' or the root form of the verb
1. To pay = infinitive. 2, Pay- he pay, they pay, it pay , etc are bare infinitives
1. Wrong: The public are demanding that a crematorium should be constructed at the traffic junction.
. Correct: The public are demanding that a crematorium be constructed at the traffic junction.
2. Incorrect: The Committee recommended that the manager is dismissed.
Correct: The Committee recommended that the manager be dismissed
3. Incorrect:The court directed that the owner of the car to pay the accident victim a sum of ten thousand rupees.
Correct: The court directed that the owner of the car pay the accident victim a sum of ten thousand rupees
Correct: The enquiry committee proposes that Tom apologize to customers for his intemperance

4. Incorrect: My professor always insists that the students must inform him before meeting him
Correct: My professor always insists that the students inform him before meeting him
In the case of the past subjunctive, the grammatical form of the verb will be - I were, you were, he were, and they were- instead of the - I was, you were, he was or they were- forms.

Some real GMAT examples

1. The commission proposed that funding for the park's development, which could be open to the public early next year, is obtained through a local bond issue

(A) That funding for the park’s development, which could be open to the public early next year, is
(B) That funding for development of the park, which could be open to the public early next year, be
(C) Funding for the development of the park perhaps opens to the public early next year to be
(D) Funds for the park’s development, perhaps open to the public early next year, be

(E) Development funding for the park, which could be open to the public early next year, is to be


2. In one of the most stunning reversals in the history of marketing, the Coca-Cola Company in July 1985 yielded to thousands of irate consumers demanding that it should bring back the original Coke formula.

(A) Demanding that it should
(B) Demanding it to
(C) and their demand to
(D) Who demanded that it
(E) Who demanded it to


3. .Most state constitutions now mandate that the state budget be balanced each year.

(A) Mandate that the state budget be balanced
(B) Mandate the state budget to be balanced
(C) Mandate that the state budget will be balanced
(D) Have a mandate for a balanced state budget
(E) Have a mandate to balance the state budget

Past subjunctive

1. The past subjunctive is used after the verb “wish” that cannot be fulfilled.
I wish I were Bill Gates
I wish I landed on the Mars

2. The past subjunctive is also used where the sentences are contrary to fact situations and hypothetical situations.
If the Sun were to rise in the west, I would donate one million rupees to the charity.
If I were to get 800 in my GMAT, I would expect the Whartons and the Harvards to beg me to join them.

If I were you, I would apply right now.
What would you do, if you won the lottery?

In sentences starting with “as if “and “as though”
The HOD thinks as if the staff were his errand boys
Some peons behave as though they were the GMs of the company.
Kusela spends as if he were Bill Gates.


HTH

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