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Subject of the sentence is "Methods"

Options A & B suggest Methods are not able... which isnt' right

Option D & E correct the above error but mention "cannot be used without succeeding in creating a problem ". This changes them meaning of orginial sentience. Original sentence says Methods can't be successfully used where as Options D &E convey successfully creating a problem

Option E corrects the errors and conveys right meaning of sentence
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What is verb of the sentence “cannot successfully be used without creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow”
cannot be used....?
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"can" can say about qualification or a possibility. inhere, we need to say about a possibility, so, "we can use "can" as in choice C, D and E.

"able" is used to say about qualification not about a possibility, so, choice A and B is incorrect.
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Rahaman9969
What is verb of the sentence “cannot successfully be used without creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow”
cannot be used....?
Rahaman9969 , yes, cannot be used is the verb.

Methods . . . cannot be used [successfully] . . . without creating a problem.

You are correct. :)
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Is there a difference between “cannot successfully be used” and “cannot be used successfully”? Are both these constructions grammatically correct?
I had selected A just because it had used the latter one and “cannot successfully be used” seemed wrong to me.

Posted from my mobile device
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Is there a difference between “cannot successfully be used” and “cannot be used successfully”? Are both these constructions grammatically correct?
I had selected A just because it had used the latter one and “cannot successfully be used” seemed wrong to me.
In a situation in which we have to "connect" the used to something, I'd probably prefer the option that puts successfully next to can.

Neither method can be used successfully to do something.

Neither method can successfully be used to do something.

But this question doesn't test us on that, so the better answer to your question is that both those phrases are possible. Just keep in mind that option A uses are not able to be used successfully, not cannot be used successfully. That is, we are not asked to take that call in this question.
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The methods proposed for reducing the amount of interest to be paid are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future.


A) are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future

B) are not able successfully to be used without creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow

C) cannot successfully be used without creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow - looks good

D) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow -

E) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow
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A) are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future
(1) meaning error: “The methods…are not able to be used successfully…” how can “methods” be able to do anything? Illogical;

B) are not able successfully to be used without creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow
(1) meaning error: “The methods…are not able successfully…” how can “methods” be able to do anything? Illogical; (2)

C) cannot successfully be used without creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow
Best option

D) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow
(1) meaning error: “The methods…cannot be used WITHOUT SUCCEEDING IN CREATING A PROBLEM…” so the methods can’t be used UNLESS there is success in the creation of a problem, particularly around the future of insufficient cash flow? Illogical and changes the meaning

E) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow
(1) meaning error: similar to that of option D
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The methods proposed for reducing the amount of interest to be paid are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future.

'are not able' is not the intended meaning. The methods are not able to do something? We want to say 'the methods cannot successfully be used.'

'without succeeding' is not correct; the method can be successful or unsuccesful.

Answer is C.


A) are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future

B) are not able successfully to be used without creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow

C) cannot successfully be used without creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow

D) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow

E) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow
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The methods proposed for reducing the amount of interest to be paid are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future.

A) are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future ->Does it makes sense to say" The methods proposed are not able to be used successfully..."

B) are not able successfully to be used without creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow-> Does it makes sense to say" The methods proposed are not able successfully..."

C) cannot successfully be used without creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow ->"The methods proposed cannot successfully..." makes sense. Let's keep it.

D) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow-> without succeeding in creating a problem, this is changing the intended meaning.

E) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow -> without succeeding in creating a problem, this is changing the intended meaning.

So, I think C. :)
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Hi experts, MartyTargetTestPrep GMATNinja AjiteshArun

I don't think I caught this last time, but within answer choices B, D, and E, is the phrase "...a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow..." literally saying the following: a [the] future OF insufficient cash flow? Like a TYPE of future?
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samgyupsal
Hi experts, MartyTargetTestPrep GMATNinja AjiteshArun

I don't think I caught this last time, but within answer choices B, D, and E, is the phrase "...a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow..." literally saying the following: a [the] future OF insufficient cash flow? Like a TYPE of future?
Totally valid. Insufficient cash flow is certainly a kind of problem. But a kind of future? Nope. The future can be bleak. But it cannot be a cash flow.

Nicely done!
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generis
The methods proposed for reducing the amount of interest to be paid are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future.

A) are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future

B) are not able successfully to be used without creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow

C) cannot successfully be used without creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow

D) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow

E) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow

SC52661.01
Verbal Review 2020 NEW QUESTION

Hey generis AjiteshArun
I don't have any issue with options.
I want to ask about the usage of for reducing in this sentence.
We cannot refute on this but most of the times I have seen experts stress on the usage of to reduce.
Can you help me get what exactly is the difference between the two and how can we ascertain when to use which one ?
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generis
The methods proposed for reducing the amount of interest to be paid are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future.

A) are not able to be used successfully without creating a problem of insufficient cash flow in the future

B) are not able successfully to be used without creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow

C) cannot successfully be used without creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow

D) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a problem in the future of insufficient cash flow

E) cannot be used without succeeding in creating a future problem of insufficient cash flow

SC52661.01
Verbal Review 2020 NEW QUESTION

Hey generis AjiteshArun
I don't have any issue with options.
I want to ask about the usage of for reducing in this sentence.
We cannot refute on this but most of the times I have seen experts stress on the usage of to reduce.
Can you help me get what exactly is the difference between the two and how can we ascertain when to use which one ?


I use for when the context is for information and to when doer has purpose
e.g.: I went supermarket to buy vegetables ( clear purpose: why I went there)
He was fired for coming late.--> Here the purpose of firing was not coming late but it was a reason to fire.
The decision for selecting people was given by leaders.--again information but not purpose


it is easy to identify purpose, so I reserve to for such cases.
I hope it helps.
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penco
Hey generis AjiteshArun
I don't have any issue with options.
I want to ask about the usage of for reducing in this sentence.
We cannot refute on this but most of the times I have seen experts stress on the usage of to reduce.
Can you help me get what exactly is the difference between the two and how can we ascertain when to use which one ?
Hi penco,

My reply is not specific to this question (maybe you're also thinking about this other question?), but the for + gerund call may come down to whether we're looking at the purpose of a specific person or entity (or maybe a specific situation):

I. Purpose of a person: Don't use for + gerund.
1. I went to the market to buy vegetables. (source) ← To + plain form is appropriate here (for the purpose of a specific person/situation).
2. I went to the market for buying vegetables.For + gerund is incorrect (for the purpose of a specific person/situation).
3. I went to the market for vegetables.For + noun is fine, but slightly ambiguous: is this a "market for vegetables"? This is not a major problem, as to can be ambiguous as well, and sentences like "I went somewhere (X) for some Y" are very common.

II. General purpose of a noun: Both for + gerund and the to + plain form can be used to introduce the general purpose of something (a noun):
4. ... the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug for treating COVID-19. (source)
5. ... a drug to treat kidney stones, for instance, was raised from $1.50 per pill to $30. (source)

This is especially common with the verb (be) used (a drug used for treating X and a drug used to treat X are both correct).

III. A specific situation: Try not to use for + gerund.
6. An experimental cocktail of drugs was used to treat the president. ← This is what we'd normally expect to hear.
7. An experimental cocktail of drugs was used for treating the president. ← This is a very specific ("one-time") situation, and I would not use for + gerund here.

Just keep in mind, though, that with certain words, to + plain form is much more common (or in other cases, much less common) than for + gerund, leading to preference calls.

TL;DR: Choosing between [to + plain form] and [for + gerund] isn't always easy. Try to prioritise other entry points.
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GMATNinja, daagh,

Can you please explain this problem??
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I didn't like the answer choices. In option C, "future problem" sounds awkward, especially when the phrase is modified by "insufficient cash flow"
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