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02 Oct 2021, 23:51
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E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
55%
(hard)
Question Stats:
58% (01:35) correct
42%
(01:43)
wrong
based on 580
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Those who are concerned about the environment question if the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, might not be initiating a program that increased productivity but polluted nearby rivers and streams.
A) question if the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, might not be initiating
B) question if the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, had not initiated
C) question whether the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, might not initiate
D) wonder as to whether the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, were to initiate
E) wonder whether the timber industry, with its interest in cost efficiency, initiated
02 Oct 2021, 23:57
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
THE PROMPT
• Meaning?
People who are concerned about the environment wonder about what the timber industry is doing or, more likely, what the timber industry did (note the past tense words increased and polluted).
Perhaps the timber industry created a program that increased productivity but polluted rivers and streams.
• IF vs. WHETHER
→ If is used to express a conditional or hypothetical.
-- If this thing happens, [then] that thing happens. (We usually omit the word then.)
-- If this thing were to happen, [then] that thing would happen.
Tips
Look for a [tacit] "then" clause. If the sentence involves a then (or consequence) part, use if.
If you cannot find a then part of the sentence, do not use if.
→ Whether is used to introduce alternative possibilities or choices.
-- Easy and obvious: Rohit does not know whether he will take the GMAT or the LSAT.
-- Medium, not obvious: Reva asked whether she should bring dessert to the dinner party. (Perhaps she should not bring dessert.)
-- Hard, not obvious: Annabelle planned a picnic even though she did not know whether it would rain. (It could rain. It could not rain.)
Tips
Can you coherently insert the words "or not" after the word whether or after the clause that whether introduces?
(Except in extraordinary circumstances described in this article, do not actually write or say "or not," but do insert the phrase to determine whether the insertion is coherent.)
Let's try inserting the words or not.
→ Annabelle planned a picnic even though she did not know whether [or not] it would rain.
YES, "or not" makes sense. Whether is correct.
→ I asked her to call me IF [or not?] she needed help.
NO. I cannot coherently insert "or not." Use if.
Many native speakers in informal conversation use the word if when they should use whether.
→ I don't know, I cannot decide, and I wonder are common expressions that should almost always be followed by whether.
I don't know whether he likes hamburgers. (He might not like them.)
I cannot decide whether I believe in extra-terrestrial life. (I might not believe in them.)
I wonder whether he will be on time. (He might not be on time.)
• verbs: watch the timeline.
→ MIGHT: very often, might introduces hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situations—events that have not yet happened.
Well, if the events have not yet happened, then other verbs in the sentence should not be alluding to the past.
→ WERE: in this sentence, were is part of a subjunctive construction—were, too, describes events that have not yet happened.
If the events have not happened, we should not discuss them in past tense. Full stop.
The past tense verbs, though, are in the nonunderlined portion.
Flip the logic. If the events happened in the past, we should not discuss them in a hypothetical or subjunctive construction.
THE OPTIONS
→ if should only be used to introduce a conditional clause, so its use in this sentence is not idiomatic.
• verb tense error
→ this option employs the subjunctive verb phrase might not be initiating, so look for verb tense errors.
→ The phrase might not be initiating refers to a pair of possible alternatives.
The timber industry might or might not be initiating a program, but if it is, the present participle initiating indicates that the program is being initiated in the present.
We have a problem.
The verbs that follow the underlined portion of the sentence are in the simple past tense (increased and polluted).
The sentence creates a verb tense error by suggesting the possibility that the timber industry is initiating a program that has effects in the past.
In sum, the tense of the verb phrase might not be initiating does not match the tense of the verbs increased and polluted.
ELIMINATE A
→ this option commits the same error as that in option A.
Do not use if to describe alternatives such as whether the timber industry increased productivity but polluted nearby waterways.
ELIMINATE B
→ Option C corrects the idiom error by replacing if with whether, and whether matches the doubt about possible alternatives that is suggested by the use of the subjunctive tense (might not initiate).
→ But the verb phrase might not initiate means that the program has not yet been initiated.
Consequently, this answer choice introduces a verb tense error by suggesting that a program that might be initiated in the future will have effects in the past.
Huh? Nonsensical.
Eliminate C
→ This option creates a verb tense error similar to that in option C by using the subjunctive were to initiate.
Were to initiate suggests that a program that might be initiated in the future will have effects in the past.
• not idiomatic
→ wonder as to whether is not idiomatic
We can wonder whether XYZ will happen.
We can wonder about ABC.
We can wonder who, how, when, where, and why.
But we cannot wonder as to anything. Ever.
ELIMINATE D
• I do not see any errors.
→ Correct idiom
This option uses the idiomatic phrase wonder whether.
→ Correct verb tense
The tense of the verb initiated matches the tense of the verbs that follow it (increased and polluted).
KEEP
The answer is E.
COMMENTS
This group of sentences is slippery, in part because we do not often see sentences that report uncertainty about the past.
All of you aspirants handled the question very well.
You all seem to have honed a tool that is indispensable when taking the GMAT: the ability to wade or muddle through five options until the sentence starts to make sense.
I get the impression that you all did not get stuck and that you took bite-sized pieces out of each option.
In other words, you started with what you knew.
For readers who did get stuck, no matter! No worries.
Better that you should get stuck on the forum, figure out what went wrong, and go to the test armed and ready.
Nice work, aspirants.
Stay safe.
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)
THE PROMPT
Quote:
• Meaning?
People who are concerned about the environment wonder about what the timber industry is doing or, more likely, what the timber industry did (note the past tense words increased and polluted).
Perhaps the timber industry created a program that increased productivity but polluted rivers and streams.
• IF vs. WHETHER
→ If is used to express a conditional or hypothetical.
-- If this thing happens, [then] that thing happens. (We usually omit the word then.)
-- If this thing were to happen, [then] that thing would happen.
Tips
Look for a [tacit] "then" clause. If the sentence involves a then (or consequence) part, use if.
If you cannot find a then part of the sentence, do not use if.
→ Whether is used to introduce alternative possibilities or choices.
-- Easy and obvious: Rohit does not know whether he will take the GMAT or the LSAT.
-- Medium, not obvious: Reva asked whether she should bring dessert to the dinner party. (Perhaps she should not bring dessert.)
-- Hard, not obvious: Annabelle planned a picnic even though she did not know whether it would rain. (It could rain. It could not rain.)
Tips
Can you coherently insert the words "or not" after the word whether or after the clause that whether introduces?
(Except in extraordinary circumstances described in this article, do not actually write or say "or not," but do insert the phrase to determine whether the insertion is coherent.)
Let's try inserting the words or not.
→ Annabelle planned a picnic even though she did not know whether [or not] it would rain.
YES, "or not" makes sense. Whether is correct.
→ I asked her to call me IF [or not?] she needed help.
NO. I cannot coherently insert "or not." Use if.
Many native speakers in informal conversation use the word if when they should use whether.
→ I don't know, I cannot decide, and I wonder are common expressions that should almost always be followed by whether.
I don't know whether he likes hamburgers. (He might not like them.)
I cannot decide whether I believe in extra-terrestrial life. (I might not believe in them.)
I wonder whether he will be on time. (He might not be on time.)
• verbs: watch the timeline.
→ MIGHT: very often, might introduces hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situations—events that have not yet happened.
Well, if the events have not yet happened, then other verbs in the sentence should not be alluding to the past.
→ WERE: in this sentence, were is part of a subjunctive construction—were, too, describes events that have not yet happened.
If the events have not happened, we should not discuss them in past tense. Full stop.
The past tense verbs, though, are in the nonunderlined portion.
Flip the logic. If the events happened in the past, we should not discuss them in a hypothetical or subjunctive construction.
THE OPTIONS
Quote:
• not idiomatic
→ if should only be used to introduce a conditional clause, so its use in this sentence is not idiomatic.
• verb tense error
→ this option employs the subjunctive verb phrase might not be initiating, so look for verb tense errors.
→ The phrase might not be initiating refers to a pair of possible alternatives.
The timber industry might or might not be initiating a program, but if it is, the present participle initiating indicates that the program is being initiated in the present.
We have a problem.
The verbs that follow the underlined portion of the sentence are in the simple past tense (increased and polluted).
The sentence creates a verb tense error by suggesting the possibility that the timber industry is initiating a program that has effects in the past.
In sum, the tense of the verb phrase might not be initiating does not match the tense of the verbs increased and polluted.
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
• not idiomatic
→ this option commits the same error as that in option A.
Do not use if to describe alternatives such as whether the timber industry increased productivity but polluted nearby waterways.
ELIMINATE B
Quote:
• verb tense error - don't be fooled
→ Option C corrects the idiom error by replacing if with whether, and whether matches the doubt about possible alternatives that is suggested by the use of the subjunctive tense (might not initiate).
→ But the verb phrase might not initiate means that the program has not yet been initiated.
Consequently, this answer choice introduces a verb tense error by suggesting that a program that might be initiated in the future will have effects in the past.
Huh? Nonsensical.
Eliminate C
Quote:
• verb tense error
→ This option creates a verb tense error similar to that in option C by using the subjunctive were to initiate.
Were to initiate suggests that a program that might be initiated in the future will have effects in the past.
• not idiomatic
→ wonder as to whether is not idiomatic
We can wonder whether XYZ will happen.
We can wonder about ABC.
We can wonder who, how, when, where, and why.
But we cannot wonder as to anything. Ever.
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
• By POE, this option must be the correct answer
• I do not see any errors.
→ Correct idiom
This option uses the idiomatic phrase wonder whether.
→ Correct verb tense
The tense of the verb initiated matches the tense of the verbs that follow it (increased and polluted).
KEEP
The answer is E.
COMMENTS
This group of sentences is slippery, in part because we do not often see sentences that report uncertainty about the past.
All of you aspirants handled the question very well.
You all seem to have honed a tool that is indispensable when taking the GMAT: the ability to wade or muddle through five options until the sentence starts to make sense.
I get the impression that you all did not get stuck and that you took bite-sized pieces out of each option.
In other words, you started with what you knew.
For readers who did get stuck, no matter! No worries.
Better that you should get stuck on the forum, figure out what went wrong, and go to the test armed and ready.
Nice work, aspirants.
Stay safe.
General Discussion
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03 Oct 2021, 01:21
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Those who are concerned about the environment question if the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, might not be initiating a program that increased productivity but polluted nearby rivers and streams.
A) question if the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, might not be initiating
There is no condition involved here, so the usage of "if" is inappropriate. Correct usage will be "whether".
B) question if the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, had not initiated
Same as above.
C) question whether the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, might not initiate
whether the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, might not initiate. Correct phrase should be something like, whether timber industry made the changes/ initiated the XYZ.
D) wonder as to whether the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, were to initiate
wonder as to whether the timber industry were to initiate.
E) wonder whether the timber industry, with its interest in cost efficiency, initiated
This choice is correct. Although, the part with its interest in cost efficiency might seem wrong to some, but it is the correct usage of adverbial modifier and the relative pronoun "its" correctly refers to 'the timber industry.
A) question if the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, might not be initiating
There is no condition involved here, so the usage of "if" is inappropriate. Correct usage will be "whether".
B) question if the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, had not initiated
Same as above.
C) question whether the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, might not initiate
whether the timber industry,
D) wonder as to whether the timber industry, interested in cost-efficiency, were to initiate
wonder as to whether the timber industry were to initiate.
E) wonder whether the timber industry, with its interest in cost efficiency, initiated
This choice is correct. Although, the part with its interest in cost efficiency might seem wrong to some, but it is the correct usage of adverbial modifier and the relative pronoun "its" correctly refers to 'the timber industry.
