|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
30 Oct 2021, 10:25
Kudos
Bookmarks
A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
35%
(medium)
Question Stats:
65% (01:03) correct
35%
(01:22)
wrong
based on 234
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
The spike in Covid positive cases post the lockdown has decreased significantly.
A. spike in Covid positive cases post the lockdown has decreased significantly
B. Covid positive cases spike post the lockdown has significantly decreased
C. spike in cases which have tested positive for Covid decreased significantly post the lock down
D. spike in Covid positive cases, post the lockdown, have significantly decreased
E. post lockdown spike has decreased significantly in Covid positive cases
Sourcs: GmatWhiz
A. spike in Covid positive cases post the lockdown has decreased significantly
B. Covid positive cases spike post the lockdown has significantly decreased
C. spike in cases which have tested positive for Covid decreased significantly post the lock down
D. spike in Covid positive cases, post the lockdown, have significantly decreased
E. post lockdown spike has decreased significantly in Covid positive cases
Sourcs: GmatWhiz
31 Oct 2021, 02:05
Kudos
Bookmarks
Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
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 since the lockdown, the spike in Covid positive cases has decreased significantly.
Concepts tested here: Subject-Verb Agreement + Meaning + Tenses + Grammatical Construction + Awkwardness/Redundancy
• The present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb “has/have”) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present.
• The simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past.
• Information that is vital to the core meaning of the sentence must not be placed between two commas.
A: Correct. This answer choice correctly refers to the singular noun "spike" with the singular verb "has decreased". Moreover, Option A uses the phrase "spike in Covid positive cases", conveying the intended meaning - that since the lockdown, the spike in Covid positive cases has decreased significantly. Further, Option A correctly uses the present perfect tense verb "has decreased" to refer to an action that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present. Additionally, Option A avoids the grammatical construction error seen in Option D, as it places no information between commas. Besides, Option A is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
B: This answer choice uses the passive construction "Covid positive cases spike", rendering it awkward and needlessly indirect.
C: This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple past tense verb "decreased" to refer to an action that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, the present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb “has/have”) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present, and the simple past tense is only used to refer to events that concluded in the past. Further, Option C uses the needlessly wordy phrase "spike in cases which have tested positive for Covid", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
D: This answer choice incorrectly refers to the singular noun "spike" with the plural verb "have decreased". Further, Option D incorrectly places information that is vital to the core meaning of the sentence - the fact that the spike has decreased post the lockdown - between two commas; please remember, information that is vital to the core meaning of the sentence must not be placed between two commas.
E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "has decreased significantly in Covid positive cases"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that since the lockdown, the spike in Covid positive cases has decreased significantly.
Hence, A 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 "Present Perfect Tense" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):
To understand the concept of "Extra Information Between Commas" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
ktzsikka
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 since the lockdown, the spike in Covid positive cases has decreased significantly.
Concepts tested here: Subject-Verb Agreement + Meaning + Tenses + Grammatical Construction + Awkwardness/Redundancy
• The present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb “has/have”) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present.
• The simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past.
• Information that is vital to the core meaning of the sentence must not be placed between two commas.
A: Correct. This answer choice correctly refers to the singular noun "spike" with the singular verb "has decreased". Moreover, Option A uses the phrase "spike in Covid positive cases", conveying the intended meaning - that since the lockdown, the spike in Covid positive cases has decreased significantly. Further, Option A correctly uses the present perfect tense verb "has decreased" to refer to an action that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present. Additionally, Option A avoids the grammatical construction error seen in Option D, as it places no information between commas. Besides, Option A is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
B: This answer choice uses the passive construction "Covid positive cases spike", rendering it awkward and needlessly indirect.
C: This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple past tense verb "decreased" to refer to an action that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, the present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb “has/have”) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present, and the simple past tense is only used to refer to events that concluded in the past. Further, Option C uses the needlessly wordy phrase "spike in cases which have tested positive for Covid", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
D: This answer choice incorrectly refers to the singular noun "spike" with the plural verb "have decreased". Further, Option D incorrectly places information that is vital to the core meaning of the sentence - the fact that the spike has decreased post the lockdown - between two commas; please remember, information that is vital to the core meaning of the sentence must not be placed between two commas.
E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "has decreased significantly in Covid positive cases"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that since the lockdown, the spike in Covid positive cases has decreased significantly.
Hence, A 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 "Present Perfect Tense" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):
To understand the concept of "Extra Information Between Commas" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team
27 Jan 2022, 10:14
Kudos
Bookmarks
Here is the OE
Solution:
Step 1: Understanding Intended Meaning
The spike in Covid positive cases post the lockdown has decreased significantly.
• Subject: Spike
• Prepositional phrase modifying “spike”: in Covid positive cases post the lockdown
• Verb: has decreased
• Verb modifier: significantly.
Intended meaning:
• The spike in Covid positive cases after the lockdown has decreased considerably.
Step 2: Eliminate choices with identified errors
Checking for five aspects
1. Golden rules
2. Meaning
3. Lists
a. No error
4. Tenses
a. No error
5. Idioms
Eliminate
There are no errors present in Choice A.
________________________________________
A. spike in Covid positive cases post the lockdown has decreased significantly
Option A Feedback:
Correct and Explained in Step 1
B. Covid positive cases spike post the lockdown has significantly decreased
Option B Feedback:
Fitting in the original sentence:
The Covid positive cases spike post the lockdown has significantly decreased
• The construction “Covid positive cases spike” is awkward and confuses as to what is the subject – the cases or the spike.
Incorrect Choice.
C. spike in cases which have tested positive for Covid decreased significantly post the lock down
Option C Feedback:
Fitting in the original sentence:
The spike in cases which have tested positive for Covid decreased significantly post the lock down
• “which” is modifying “cases”, implying that the cases have tested positive
• This makes the sentence very long-winded and therefore incorrect.
Incorrect Choice.
D. spike in Covid positive cases, post the lockdown, have significantly decreased
Option D Feedback:
Fitting in the original sentence:
The spike in Covid positive cases, post the lockdown, have significantly decreased
• SV pair does not agree in number.
Incorrect Choice.
E. post lockdown spike has decreased significantly in Covid positive cases
Option E Feedback:
Fitting in the original sentence:
The post lockdown spike has decreased significantly in Covid positive cases.
• The construction subtly suggests that there is spike in some other context which has not decreased but the spike has decreased in Covid cases. This is not the intended meaning.
Incorrect Choice.
Solution:
Step 1: Understanding Intended Meaning
The spike in Covid positive cases post the lockdown has decreased significantly.
• Subject: Spike
• Prepositional phrase modifying “spike”: in Covid positive cases post the lockdown
• Verb: has decreased
• Verb modifier: significantly.
Intended meaning:
• The spike in Covid positive cases after the lockdown has decreased considerably.
Step 2: Eliminate choices with identified errors
Checking for five aspects
1. Golden rules
2. Meaning
3. Lists
a. No error
4. Tenses
a. No error
5. Idioms
Eliminate
There are no errors present in Choice A.
________________________________________
A. spike in Covid positive cases post the lockdown has decreased significantly
Option A Feedback:
Correct and Explained in Step 1
B. Covid positive cases spike post the lockdown has significantly decreased
Option B Feedback:
Fitting in the original sentence:
The Covid positive cases spike post the lockdown has significantly decreased
• The construction “Covid positive cases spike” is awkward and confuses as to what is the subject – the cases or the spike.
Incorrect Choice.
C. spike in cases which have tested positive for Covid decreased significantly post the lock down
Option C Feedback:
Fitting in the original sentence:
The spike in cases which have tested positive for Covid decreased significantly post the lock down
• “which” is modifying “cases”, implying that the cases have tested positive
• This makes the sentence very long-winded and therefore incorrect.
Incorrect Choice.
D. spike in Covid positive cases, post the lockdown, have significantly decreased
Option D Feedback:
Fitting in the original sentence:
The spike in Covid positive cases, post the lockdown, have significantly decreased
• SV pair does not agree in number.
Incorrect Choice.
E. post lockdown spike has decreased significantly in Covid positive cases
Option E Feedback:
Fitting in the original sentence:
The post lockdown spike has decreased significantly in Covid positive cases.
• The construction subtly suggests that there is spike in some other context which has not decreased but the spike has decreased in Covid cases. This is not the intended meaning.
Incorrect Choice.
