Bunuel wrote:
The concert promoters have directed security personnel to refuse entry to anyone
who attempts entering the stadium with cameras, recording devices, and bottles.
A. who attempts entering the stadium with cameras, recording devices, and
B. attempting entry to the stadium with cameras, recording devices, and
C. who has attempted entry to the stadium with cameras, recording devices, or
D. who attempts to enter the stadium with cameras, recording devices, or
E. who attempts entrance to the stadium with cameras, recording devices, and
VERITAS PREP OFFICIAL SOLUTION:
Correct Answer: D
This problem requires that students understand the important difference in meaning between "and" and "or" and the proper tense for the context of the sentence. Answer choices A, B, and E incorrectly use the conjunction "and" to link the three forbidden items. If "and" is used, it would mean that people will be denied entry only if they have all three forbidden items. This is inaccurate and not the intended meaning, as the refusal of admission logically would apply to any one of the banned items. "Or" is the correct conjunction because if people possess x, y, or z then they will not be allowed entry clarifying that possession of any one of the three items will cause personnel to refuse a person's entry. In answer choice C the incorrect present perfect tense ("has attempted") is used, resulting in another nonsensical meaning. The personnel are not denying entry to anyone who might have attempted entry with these items in the past only to those who are trying in the present. Also at play in the answer choices is the idiomatic usage of the verb attempt. In most cases, the correct usage of attempt is: "attempt to" do something. However, as with most verbs, there are other accepted usages. For instance, a person can attempt something: "The depressed man attempted suicide." Answer choice D contains the clearly correct "attempt to enter" with the proper conjunction "or" and is the correct answer. Like on many GMAT questions, the different choices that exist with the idiomatic usage of attempt are really smokescreens that do not need to be assessed to get the correct answer. By focusing on the easier "and" vs. "or" and the tense in answer choice C it is clear that choice D is correct.