The machine press union and company management were not able to commun

Question

The machine press union and company management were not able to communicate effectively, and it  was a major cause of the 1999 strike in Seattle.

(A) The machine press union and company management were not able to communicate effectively, and it

(B) Communications between the machine press union and company management were not effective, and it

(C) For the machine press union and company management, to be unable to communicate effectively

(D) The inability of the machine press union and company management to communicate effectively

(E) The machine press union, being unable to communicate effectively with company management,

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yogesh122 · Answer

IMO correct choice is 'C'.

In choice A, 'it' is referring to a situation. However, a pronoun can't refer to any situation. In that case we may need to use V+ing.

In choice B, 'it' is referring to situations (plural), which is incorrect.

In choice E, original meaning of the sentence destroyed.

Choice D, it is the closest competitor, but i feel it also destroy the meaning of the original sentence.

Pls correct me if i am wrong.

Abhishek009 · Answer

IMHO (D) for the highlighted errors in other options...

The inability of .............was a major cause of the 1999 strike in Seattle.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Option (D)  is the correct answer: "The inability of the machine press union and company management to communicate effectively was a major cause of the 1999 strike in Seattle."

This option presents a clear and concise sentence that effectively conveys the intended meaning. The subject of the sentence is "the inability of the machine press union and company management to communicate effectively," and the phrase "was a major cause of the 1999 strike in Seattle" provides important context for the sentence.

Option (A)  uses the phrase "it was" as a pronoun to refer back to the subject, which can create confusion about what "it" refers to. Additionally, the use of the phrase "not able to communicate effectively" is less concise than "inability to communicate effectively."

Option (B)  changes the sentence structure to "communications between" and removes the subject of the sentence. This can create ambiguity about who or what is being referred to.

Option (C)  changes the sentence structure to an infinitive phrase, which creates a wordy and awkward construction. Additionally, the phrase "to be unable to communicate effectively" is less concise than "inability to communicate effectively."

Option (E)  changes the sentence structure and omits the subject of the sentence. The phrase "being unable to communicate effectively with company management" creates an awkward construction and does not effectively convey the intended meaning.

Therefore, option (D) is the best answer.

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

D

The tip-off here is the pronoun it. To what does it refer? Not the union, or the management. Really what it seems to refer to is the inability of the two sides to communicate. We can eliminate A and B. C seems to indicate that it was effective communication that led to the strike. E is both awkward and unidiomatic.

The machine press union and company management were not able to commun

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The machine press union and company management were not able to commun

Prep Toolkit

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

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

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