The bystanders were convinced that a crime has been in progress as

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION


THE PROMPT


THE OPTIONS

• the verb in this option is fatally incorrect for at least two reasons:
(1) if the main verb of a sentence is in the past, other verbs should also be in some kind of past tense unless they describe general truths, and
(2) were convinced that constitutes "reported beliefs," which are similar to reported speech. "Backshifting" the verb is required.

Other verb does not match main verb (in past tense)
• because we are committed to the past tense, all verbs should be in some form of past tense
• has been [in progress] is present perfect, which bridges past to present but is not itself a past tense verb
• generally, when the main verb (e.g., were convinced) is in past tense, the other verbs should be in some form of past tense unless those verbs express general truths
Correct, two simple past tense verbs: The reporters were convinced that the leader lied without remorse.
Wrong, one past and one present tense: The reporters were convinced that the leader lies without remorse.
Correct, one past tense and one general truth: As early as the sixth century BCE and by the third century CE, most scholars were convinced that the earth is round. .

• the second problem with this option's verb - reported beliefs must use sequence of tenses and "backshift" the verbs
Here I write just a short bit that is explained better in Notes, below:
-- reported beliefs are akin to reported speech and thus a backshifted verb is missing.
-- The verbs in the reported clause should follow sequence of tenses and be shifted one tense backwards in time
Reporting clause: bystanders were convinced that
Reported clause is: a crime has been in progress
Reported clause should be: a crime was in progress
ELIMINATE A


• this sentence is almost babble. Okay, not almost. It’s babble. Everyone (no kidding), please read the sentence out loud to yourself. It’s nonsensical.
• the present participle seeing is not preceded by a comma or a helping verb and thus modifies the noun or noun phrase immediately before it
-- the adjective seeing cannot “hop over” the verb had been to modify the crime, even though we are dealing with a linking verb that adds more information about the subject
-- was progress “seeing” the soldier point the gun?
Ridiculous.
-- present participles (verbINGs) such as seeing, when not preceded by a comma or helping verb, almost always modify the immediately preceding noun or noun phrase.
-- Sometimes ___ING words precede the noun that they modify, this way:
The dancing woman enchanted me as soon as I walked in the ballroom.
I don’t recall ever having seen that structure on the GMAT.

• the verb structure is not as good as that in options C and D.
-- had been is in past perfect tense, which describes the past of the past.
But these events are fairly simultaneous and should probably be rendered in two simple past tenses, as is the case in option D.
Simultaneity aside, logic is a problem.
The past perfect event is over before the simple past event takes place.
Did the crime stop being “in progress” before the moment the bystanders were convinced that a crime had been underway? Tough call. Never mind. “Seeing” is fatal.
ELIMINATE B

• seeing has the same problems as those in option B
ELIMINATE C

• Bingo. This one looks like the answer.
• The verbs are correct: one event happens while the other unfolds.
When [during or at the time that] the bystanders saw the soldier pointing the gun at the old man, they were convinced that a crime was in progress (was unfolding).
• In addition to being grammatical, the phrase they saw is far clearer than seeing.
KEEP

• to say that a crime progressed means that a crime got worse over time
• we don’t usually say that crime “progresses” unless we are talking about the rate of crime—or the severity of the crime.
Correct: Crime in gerrymandered neighborhoods progressed from petty thievery to gang wars.
Correct, talking about a serial criminal: The young prep school student’s crimes progressed from frequent drug use to date rape.

• my readerly and writerly sense tells me that this sentence is trying to say that a crime happened or transpired—but it uses the wrong verb to do so.

• Option D is more logical
Which is more likely in a logical sense:
(1) that bystanders would watch a scene and become convinced that they were witnessing a soldier commit a crime at all, or
(2) that bystanders would watch a scene and become convinced that they were witnessing a soldier commit a more heinous crime than some unspecified and unmentioned previous crime?

I vote for #1.
Option D maintains the sense that the bystanders were convinced that they were watching a crime unfold when they saw a [presumably strong] soldier point the gun at the [presumably more frail] old man.
I suspect that the writers of the question inserted these two contrasting figures, one relatively fierce and one relatively frail, in order to convey that bystanders were watching an unusual scene unfold.
We usually think of soldiers as protectors.
This one pointed a gun at an old man.
As a result, bystanders were convinced that they saw a crime in progress.

The best answer is D

NOTES

One problem with option A is that it fails to report beliefs properly.
"Reported speech" and "reported thoughts" must be communicated in special ways.

"Reported speech" happens when we describe what someone said.
"Direct speech" is a direct quote, with quotation marks, this way:
She said to her mother, "I am worried about my friends all over the country and the world."

"Indirect speech" is not a direct quote and we do not use quotation marks, this way:
She told her mother that she was worried about her friends all over the country and the world.
Notice the verb shift in the reported clause.
The reporting clause is She told her mother [that].
The reported clause (what she said) is she was worried about her friends.
The verb in the reported clause shifts backwards one stage in time, in this case, from simple present to simple past.

"Reported beliefs" are a subset of reported speech.
We can't really report beliefs directly (with quotation marks).
But we do report beliefs indirectly.
If we are telling Person A what Person B believed at any point in the past, we must similarly shift the verb in the reported clause one step back in time unless the belief is a general truth..
Correct: Many journalists are convinced that the leader lies without remorse.
Correct, reporting verb in past tense and reported verb follows suit: Many journalists were convinced that the leader lied without remorse.

We shift the verbs back one place in time, following what is called "the sequence of tenses."

For an overview on what to do with verbs in reported speech and reported beliefs, see this article, here.

COMMENTS

AdiBatman , welcome to SC Butler.
I welcomed other new people in my other OE.
Two of you are happily familiar "faces."
As always, I am glad to see a variety of people posting.

I often write thorough OEs because I want you to know many ways to attack SC problems..

I also suspect that if I write about issues often enough, you'll absorb material and details without realizing it.
Quite a few recent PMs seem to confirm my hunch.

The most important rule is do not get stuck.
If you cannot eliminate an answer within seconds of your having read it, keep that option tentatively and move on.

You may have to wait until you reach option E to find something that feels familiar or solid and thus buoys you.
That's okay.

Keep going.
I suppose those two words are apropos at the moment.

As far as this question goes, sometimes what seems simple to one person may seem like hell on earth to another person.
And if anyone would like to guest post on SC Butler with material that you prefer and that you find yourself, take a look at my invitation to do so in this post, here.

I never heard even one fellow student at Harvard Law talk about how easy an analysis of a case was—even if it was easy.
We all knew that many days of reckoning loomed.
Empathy, graciousness, and humility were much in evidence among the HLS students, exhibited by people as gifted and dedicated as they come.
So I don't really understand what seem like irritable comments that may make other people feel less-than.
I'm not a fan of less-than. Ever.

Most of these answers are very good.
hero_with_1000_faces , you captured the logic of the question deftly.
(Don't get any funny ideas, everyone. Almost always on my threads, you have to explain why the four answers that you eliminated were the worst. We're here to help one another and others who follow.)

Kudos to all.