Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
tarek99 wrote:
The sale of government surplus machinery will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until the supply lasts.
(A) will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until the supply lasts
(B) begins at 9 a.m., continuing until the supply lasts
(C) will begin at 9 a.m. and, until the supply lasts, will continue
(D) begins at 9 a.m. and, as long as the supply may last, it continues
(E) will begin at 9 a.m. and continue as long as the supply lasts
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of this sentence is that the sale of government surplus machinery will begin at 9 a.m. and will continue until the supply is exhausted.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Tenses + Grammatical Construction + Redundacy/Awkwardness• The simple future tense is used to refer to actions that will take place in the future.
• The simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, to indicate habitual actions, to state universal truths, and to convey information that is permanent in nature.
• Information important to the core meaning should not be placed within two commas.
• The introduction of present participle ("verb+ing"- “continuing” in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship.
A: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “until the supply lasts”; the construction of this phrase illogically implies that the sale of government surplus machinery will continue until the supply is
not exhausted; the intended meaning is that the sale of government surplus machinery will continue until the supply
is exhausted.
B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “continuing until the supply lasts”; the construction of this phrase illogically implies that the sale of government surplus machinery will begin at 9 a.m, and
as a result continue until the supply is
not exhausted; the intended meaning is that the sale of government surplus machinery will begin at 9 a.m, and
as a separate action continue until the supply
is exhausted; please remember, the introduction of present participle ("verb+ing"- “continuing” in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship. Further, Option B incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb “begins” to refer to an action that will take place in the future; please remember, the simple future tense is used to refer to actions that will take place in the future, and the simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature.
C: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “until the supply lasts”; the construction of this phrase illogically implies that the sale of government surplus machinery will continue until the supply is
not exhausted; the intended meaning is that the sale of government surplus machinery will continue until the supply
is exhausted. Further, Option C incorrectly puts information vital to the meaning of the sentence – until what point in time the sale will last – between two commas; please remember, information that is important to the core meaning should not be placed within two commas.
D: This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple present tense verbs “begins” and “continues” to refer to actions that will take place in the future; please remember, the simple future tense is used to refer to actions that will take place in the future, and the simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature. Further, Option D incorrectly puts information vital to the meaning of the sentence – until what point in time the sale will last – between two commas; please remember, information that is important to the core meaning should not be placed within two commas. Additionally, Option D uses the needlessly wordy phrase “the supply may last”, leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
E: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase “continue as long as the supply lasts”, conveying the intended meaning – that the sale of government surplus machinery will begin at 9 a.m, and
as a separate action continue until the supply
is exhausted. Further, Option E correctly uses the simple future tense verbs “will begin” and “will…continue” to refer to actions that will take place in the future. Additionally, Option E avoids the grammatical construction errors seen in Options C and D, as it places no information between commas. Besides, Option E is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
Hence, E is the best answer choice.To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):
To understand the concept of "Extra Information Between Commas" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~4 minute):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
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