Since 1967 Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process through

Question

Project SC Butler: Day 174: Sentence Correction (SC2) 
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Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks  have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding .

A) have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding

B) refuse to process any checks without magnetic-ink coding through regular bank channels

C) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels without magnetic-ink coding

D) refuse to process any checks through regular bank channels that do not have magnetic-ink coding

E) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels unless they have magnetic-ink coding

generis · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Project SC Butler: Day 173: Sentence Correction (SC2)

Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding..

A) have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding

B) refuse to process any checks without magnetic-ink coding through regular bank channels

C) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels without magnetic-ink coding

D) refuse to process any checks through regular bank channels that do not have magnetic-ink coding

E) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels unless they have magnetic-ink coding

• HIGHLIGHTS

You need only two things to solve this SC question.

(1) Know that SINCE + a point in time is a clue that we probably need present perfect verb tense, which bridges past and present.

-- present perfect construction: has/have + past participle (verbED) (have + refused)
-- present perfect is used for events that started in the past but continue into the present moment or remain true in the present

-- the present perfect (have refused) indicates that the refusal began in the past and it is continuing into the present moment.

Correct: I have known him formally since last year. (I still know him.)
Correct: Since the beginning of 2019, the Gun Violence Archive has recorded 329 mass shootings in the United States.
here

(2) know that when a noun is modified, the modifier should be as close as possible to the noun that it modifies.
If you are in doubt, and if all else is equal grammatically and logically, pick the option that places the modifier closest to its noun.

• Split #1: Since and verb tense

Since is often a verb tense marker. Since + date or time marker usually requires present perfect.

The correct verb in this sentence is have refused.
Since 1967 Federal Reserve Banks have refused to do XYZ → → the banks are still refusing to do XYZ (now).

Options B and D incorrectly use refused
Eliminate B and D

• Split #2 - Keep the noun modifier close to the noun

What must have magnetic-ink coding? The checks.
("Regular bank channels" do not get stamped with magnetic ink, coded or not.)

Compare options A, C, and E:

A) Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding..
-- magnetic-link coding modifies checks

C) Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels without magnetic-ink coding.
-- [without] magnetic-ink coding seems to modify bank channels

E) Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels unless they have magnetic-ink coding.
-- [unless they have] magnetic-ink coding seems to modify bank channels

It may seem to some as if choosing (A) is an easy decision.
I don't think that choosing (A) is all that easy.
The choice is not easy because option A seems "interrupted."
Between the verb have refused to process and its object, checks, is a prepositional phrase: through regular bank channels.

Even native speakers are likely to avoid the separation of a verb from its direct object.
But that separation is preferable to a noun modifier that is separated from its noun that creates confusion, nonsense, or both.

One more clue that (A) is correct lies in its use of a that-clause.
... checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding
The that information cannot modify anything except checks because that clauses are restrictive.

Options C and E place "magnetic-ink coding" right next to channels and too far from checks.
Eliminate C and E.

The correct answer is A

• NOTES

We should check to see whether we need present perfect with a few other "cue" words.
The most common are for, recently, just, and yet.

Often the since is not placed at the beginning of the sentence.
That fact does not matter. We still check for (and probably use) present perfect.

See OG Verbal Review 2020 SC # 256, and OG 2020 #821

Strategy tip: because C and E say essentially the same thing, choose A. You may not be able to explain why A is different from C and E, but you do know that A is different.
Channels is not a logical antecedent for they. I do not think the pronoun is ambiguous.
I think the noun modifier is in the wrong place in both C and E no matter what else is wrong.

COMMENTS

I know that most of you try to strike a balance between challenging yourself and not worrying too much about levels.

I post good questions that I can find.
I have found many 550 level questions.
I have found hundreds—maybe thousands—of bad questions at allegedly higher levels.

Among other things, SC Butler allows you to review what you know, to think through what you might not be sure about, and just as importantly, to take educated guesses about unfamiliar constructions.

Even the best of you will not be sure of two or three of your SC answers. You will make an educated guess in no more than 90 seconds.

I think, eakabuah , that it was you who made the wise comment that level of difficulty varies with the question and the person.

Many of you will wonder about levels no matter what I say. That's okay, too.
Whatever it takes to get you through.

All of you.

Today I will give kudos to good explanations of correct answers.
The explanations are good.

Today I will give kudos to good explanations of correct answers. The explanations are good.

chaitralirr · Answer

Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding.

A) have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding

B) refuse to process any checks without magnetic-ink coding through regular bank channels

C)  have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels without magnetic-ink coding

D) refuse to process any checks through regular bank channels that do not have magnetic-ink coding

E) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels unless they have magnetic-ink coding

An action that began in the past but its effect continues in the present then present perfect is used. The use of have is correct here banks have refused Since 1967 means they still continue their practice.

Eliminate options B and D based on this

The use of second have is incorrect in sentence A and E. This alters the meaning of the sentence

correct answer IMO is C.

Doer01 · Answer

Hi,
IMO E.

Placement of the modifier “ that do not have magnetic-ink coding” is one of the deciding factor in choosing the correct answer choice.
Use of “Since” in non underlined portion demands the use of present tense. Hence B & D could be rejected easily.
Now, from original sentence it is clear that it is the cheque that could/could not have a magnetic-ink coding, reject C.
A has awkward construction.
We are left with E. Here, “they” is a bit ambiguous because it could refer to either Cheques or Channels but I ignored it since cheques are the only logical antecedent.

Posted from my mobile device

Ashokshiva · Answer

IMO A

Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding.

A)  have  refused to process through regular bank channels any checks  that  do not have magnetic-ink coding
 Looks ok, corrrect verb tense and modifier

B)  refuse  to process any checks without magnetic-ink coding through regular bank channels
 Wrong verb tense, present perfect is preferred for sentences that have"since"

C)  have  refused to process any checks through regular bank channels  without  magnetic-ink coding
 Wrong modifier, Magnetic ink coding should modify checks

D)  refuse  to process any checks through regular bank channels that do not have magnetic-ink coding
 Wrong verb tense, present perfect is preferred for sentences that have"since"

E)  have  refused to process any checks through regular bank channels unless  they  have magnetic-ink coding
 Pronoun ambiguity, "they" can refer either "checks" or " channels"

devangpandey007 · Answer

My answer is E.

B and D are out because of the usage of wrong tense. The correct tense that should be used it Present Perfect Tense to show that the event started in the past but continues to happen in present.

C is out because of the modifier "without magnetic-ink coding" which distorts the meaning by indicating that the bank channels might have magnetic ink coding.

Between A and E, I don't have any specific reason for eliminating A except the fact that A doesn't seem right in terms of the construction.

Raxit85 · Answer

Imo. C

Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks  have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding .

A) have refused to process  through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding  - Modifier error.

B)  refuse to process  any checks without magnetic-ink coding through regular bank channels - Verb error (as since is used, present perfect tense is required)

C) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels without magnetic-ink coding - No error

D)  refuse to process  any checks through regular bank channels that do not have magnetic-ink coding -Verb error (as since is used, present perfect tense is required)

E) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels  unless they have  magnetic-ink coding - Pronoun error

joohwangie · Answer

Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks  have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding .
 
federal reserve banks have refused since 1967 till now, therefore, have refused must be used

A)  have refused  to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding  -- sounds good, that do not have magnetic-ink coding directly refer to checks
 
B)  refuse  to process any checks without magnetic-ink coding through regular bank channels

C)  have refused  to process any checks through regular bank channels without magnetic-ink coding  --- seems like without magnetic-ink coding is modifying bank channels not checks
 
D)  refuse  to process any checks through regular bank channels that do not have magnetic-ink coding

E)  have refused  to process any checks through regular bank channels unless  they  have magnetic-ink coding  -- they can refer to checks or bank channels

IMO, A

ccheryn · Answer

Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks  have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding.
 
A) have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding  (sequence of events has to be maintained in the preposition phrase, so the precedence of regular bank channels before any checks dont seem appropriate as C and E has those already. so lets keep and move ............. )

B) refuse to process any checks without magnetic-ink coding through regular bank channels (since 1967 has the sequence marker applicable till now, so present perfect have is necessary. absence of it makes this option wrong)

C) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels without magnetic-ink coding (without is modifying the bank channels, this gives wrong meaning. so c is clearly out. )

D) refuse to process any checks through regular bank channels that do not have magnetic-ink coding (since 1967 has the sequence marker applicable till now, so present perfect have is necessary. absence of it makes this option wrong)

E) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels unless they have magnetic-ink coding (here in the dependent clause the usage of they gives ambiguous meaning to bank channels , federal reserve banks or checks. so this also wrong. )

after removing c and e, we are left with only option A . so this may be correct choice. so  ans is A

Shivan21 · Answer

Since the action is continuing till present time, Present Perfect tense (have+past participle) is required. So B & D are our for using wrong tense.

In C "without magnetic-ink coding" modifies "bank channels" rather than "checks".

In E the pronoun "they" doesn't have a clear referent. It can be "checks", "bank channels" or "Federal reserve banks". If we go by the nearest plural noun, then "they" is referring to "bank channels" which is incorrect.

J2S2019 · Answer

IMO the correct answer is A

Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks  have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding.

A)  have refused  to process through regular bank channels  any checks that do  not have magnetic-ink coding -  Present perfect tense is required, as we have the word "since 1967...." , we need to justify the tense with something that started in the past & the effect of which is still in the present; "any checks  that  ....." - Restrictive clause use with "that..." properly modifies checks - No error - CORRECT

B)  refuse  to process any checks without magnetic-ink coding through regular bank channels -  Tense error, Incorrect

C) have refused to process any checks through regular  bank channels without magnetic-ink coding  -  changes the meaning of the sentence - INCORRECT

D)  refuse  to process any checks through regular bank channels that do not have magnetic-ink coding -  Tense error, Incorrect

E) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels unless  they  have magnetic-ink coding -  "They" creates ambiguity, logically it can refer back to "regular bank channels unless", "any checks" or " Federal Reserve Banks" - Not clear - INCORRECT

mykrasovski · Answer

Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding.

Quick read-through reveals that the sentence tests tenses, and there is a 3-2 split. Because there is a time indicator "since" and we are clearly talking about the action in the past that has an effect up until today, we should look for Present Perfect tense which has a  have + V-ed  structure. Hence, we can eliminate B and D very quickly.

A)  have refused  to process through regular bank channels any checks  that  do not have magnetic-ink coding
 - Correct.  Meaning makes sense: banks refuse to process checks (... which checks? those that... ) that do not have special coding.

B)  refuse  to process any checks without magnetic-ink coding through regular bank channels
 - Incorrect.  See above.

C)  have refused  to process any checks through regular bank channels without magnetic-ink coding
 - Incorrect.  Channels without magnetic-ink coding? This does not make any sense...

D)  refuse  to process any checks through regular bank channels that do not have magnetic-ink coding
 - Incorrect.  See above.

E)  have refused  to process any checks through regular bank channels unless they have magnetic-ink coding
 - Incorrect.  Same meaning trouble that we had in C.

generis  this question seems to be a 550-600 level question. Would you agree?

eakabuah · Answer

A timeframe effective 1967 is being considered here. So the right tense is the present perfect tense. We can, therefore, eliminate  options B and D .

The dealbreaker between A, C, and E is what  magnetic ink coding  modifies in the sentence. Magnetic ink coding is an adjectival phrase and hence should be placed next to the noun it modifies.
In option C, it is modifying  bank channels , which does not make sense. It is not the bank channels that need to have magnetic ink coding, but rather the checks that must have magnetic ink coding. Option C can, therefore, be eliminated.

In option E, there is a pronoun ambiguity.  they  can refer to either   checks   or   bank channels  . Hence we can eliminate E.

The right answer is option A. It uses a  that clause    that do not have magnetic ink coding   in this case acting as an adverbial clause to appropriately modify   checks  .

Shishou · Answer

Since 1967, Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding.
 I feel the answer is A
A) have refused to process through regular bank channels any checks that do not have magnetic-ink coding  this is the right answer. It communicates that the Fed won't pass checks without this coding

B) refuse to process any checks without magnetic-ink coding through regular bank channels
 the present perfect is needed here since it's a directive that occurred in the past and is still relevant in the present 
C) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels without magnetic-ink coding
 This could be misread as the Fed refusing to work with banks that do not have magnetic coding while it's the checks that must have the coding 
D) refuse to process any checks through regular bank channels that do not have magnetic-ink coding
 the present perfect is needed here and ascribes magnetic coding to bank channels 
E) have refused to process any checks through regular bank channels unless they have magnetic-ink coding they could logically mean either checks or bank channels and that makes this construction ambiguous

generis · Answer

See the stats. Answer: No.

I did wonder whether the question were a low level one, but I doubted so. (A lower-level question would be just fine. We need to practice all levels. And I post what I can find.) I will replicate my "be a guest Butler poster for a day" message here, and I will change the level from 650 to 600: Forum members: If you would like to do so, please provide me, via PM, with questions to post in SC Butler. If I approve them, you can post the questions under the Butler banner as a guest poster. If you do not have an official explanation, I will write one. For every question you provide that is 600 level or higher and that is publishable, I will happily give you the Butler slot for that day's original post and a kudos when you post the question for the question itself Meaning: you post the question after I show you how to do so with the Butler banner. You also have the opportunity to post the OE (official explanation) but I must see a draft and approve of it first. I will post the OE to the Butler questions as soon as I can -- I am caught up in something important.

mykrasovski · Answer

generis , Alright, I look forward to the OE

Good luck with "something important"!

mykrasovski · Answer

This is very true. This becomes very obvious in Quant. If one know hows how to quickly "crack" a pretty tough problem, it does not mean that the question is easy.

This is why, I dare say, many people appreciate SC Butler and your contribution. Those who spent some time preparing for the test realize that (1) it is not easy to find good quality questions outside of the Official Guide and (2) it takes a huge effort to find & dissect such quality questions regularly. So, thank you for doing what you are doing!

generis · Answer

I have posted the official explanation  HERE .

generis · Answer

mykrasovski , you are very welcome.

zhanbo · Answer

FWIW, I got this question wrong. So for me, it is definitely a 700 question!

Since 1967 Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process through

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Since 1967 Federal Reserve Banks have refused to process through

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615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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