Industry representatives maintain that the new

Industry representatives maintain that the new privacy and data protection policies the regulatory body requires that all social networking sites contain no provisions for the transfer of user data to foreign governments.

(A) requires that all social networking sites

(B) require that all social networking sites

(C) requires of all social networking sites

(D) requires all social networking sites to

(E) require all social networking sites to

The correct answer is B.

This sentence is testing our knowledge on subject verb agreement and subjunctives.

The formula for using subjunctive is subject + verb + that + subject + verb in simple form. . .

So C, D and E are ruled out.

A is out because we need a plural verb.


SUBJUNCTIVE

The subjunctive is used to indicate that one person wants another person to do something. The simple form of the verb is used after certain other verbs and that is always used. If that is omitted then it changes the structure of the second verb to the infinitive.

We require that he come to the office.
We require him to come to the office.

The following verbs in the below list are used in a subjunctive sentence.
advise
ask
command
decree
demand
insist
move
order
prefer
propose
recommend
request
require
stipulate
suggest
urge

NOTE: The verb want is not included in the above list. Want is not used in a subjunctive sentence.

In the following formula, substitute one of the verbs from the list (in any tense).
subject + verb + that + subject + verb in simple form. . .

The pilot requested that everyone fasten their seatbelts.
My mother insists that I practice piano for an hour every day after school.
The general commanded that his men charge up the hill.
I propose that you do odd jobs to earn enough money for the trip.
The powerful king decreed that his birthday be a national holiday.

Impersonal expressions which have the same meaning as the verbs above use a form of the verb be followed by certain adjectives. This form of the subjunctive also uses a simple form of the verb following it.
advised
important
mandatory
necessary
obligatory
proposed
recommended
required
suggested
urgent
imperative

In the following formula, substitute one of the adjectives from the list above. The verb be can be in any singular tense (which agrees with the subject it).
.
it + be + adjective + that + subject + verb in simple form. . .
It was advised that we wear our lifejackets because of the bad weather.
It is obligatory that you present your passport at the airport.
It is important that they catch the first train.
It has been suggested that we arrive early for the ceremony.
It was proposed that the mayor attend the meeting at city hall.

The entire bold part is taken from the GMAT club grammar book.

Thank you.

Please press kudos if the above post has helped you in anyway.

Please explain why it should not be C as subjunctive "maintain that" needs require.

Need explanation regards what's the difference between A,C & D. Any help would be great . Thanks

Please, someone, explain the correct answer C. egmat @abhimana @experts mike

This sentence isn't using the subjunctive. "Requires" is part of a modifier applying to "policies."

Sentence core (stripped of modifier): Representatives maintain that the policies contain no provisions.

Now adding the relevant modifier: Representatives maintain that the policies (the body requires of sites) contain no provisions.

This intent might be clearer if the non-underlined portion said "that the regulatory body requires" or "required by the regulatory body." However, folks need to be careful about assuming that every use of the word "requires" indicates the subjunctive. Most words have a number of different uses and meanings across several different parts of speech!

Hi,
Is this an idiom concept here for 'requires of' not able to understand why not requires to y requires of!!!!!!!

Can someone please explain in detail why is option C the correct answer here?

I can elaborate on my earlier explanation. If we take the modifiers out, we have this:

Representatives maintain that the policies contain no provisions.

Unfortunately, all of that is outside the underlined portion, so it doesn't eliminate any choices. Now we need to put the modifier back in. Again, this modifier isn't phrased very clearly, but it is meant to modify policies. In other words, which policies are we talking about? The policies the regulatory body requires.

Since the regulatory body is the subject, we need the singular "requires." That cuts B and E.

Now, before looking at the rest, remember that "contain" is not part of this modifier; it's the main verb of the sentence! So our modifier ends with the underlined portion. Can we refer to "the policies the regulatory body requires that all social networking sites"? No--that doesn't make sense. We also don't want D, which ends with "to," again trying to grab that verb "contain" that is not part of the modifier. So, can we refer to "the policies the regulatory body requires of all social networking sites"? Yes, these are policies required by the regulatory body, and that body requires these policies of all sites. ("Requires of" is a valid idiom for this situation.)

That's a tangled one, for sure, but I hope this helps!

Can you explain why D is incorrect.?

C is the only one that makes any sense. Try to paraphrase it and will all become clear.

Why is A incorrect. It makes clear meaning and uses the idioms coreectly

Posted from my mobile device

The relative clause in the sentence here is inverted. So we have the subject “regulatory body”, which is singular. Hence, the singular verb “requires” is appropriate here.

The second verb in the sentence is “contain”, which obviously refers to the “policies”.

Lastly, “something the reg body requires of X contain” is the structure. “Of” is the correct preposition here.

Only C fits the bill.

Posted from my mobile device

It's spoken as gospel around here that one should not use sound to tease apart sentences, and I generally agree...but my goodness C sounds absolutely awful. I was hesitant about the command subjunctive in B, but I can't make out why C is correct.

Hi AjiteshArun

Can you please provide your explanation for the correct answer (C) for my understanding?

Also, how do we eliminate other options?

Thanks.

Hi beeblebrox,

DmitryFarber has already done an excellent job of discussing the concepts tested in this question, so the only thing I can do here is add detail.

1. Require may be used with a that, but that's not the only way to use that word. In require of {someone} {something}, we could even combine an of and a that like this official question does:


2. The thats we see in this question take full subject-verb combinations after them. There are other ways to use that, but each of the thats in this question needs a subject-verb combination after it.

Industry representatives maintain THAT the new privacy and data protection policies (THAT) the regulatory body requires THAT all social networking sites contain no provisions for the transfer of user data to foreign governments.

The second (THAT) is understood to be there (dropping a that like this is common in English). Here's an official question that does the same thing:


Once we're comfortable with the second (THAT):

Industry representatives maintain THAT
the new privacy and data protection policies THAT
the regulatory body requires THAT
all social networking sites contain no provisions for the transfer of user data to foreign governments.

Every THAT is followed by a subject-verb combination except the first one. That's where the error is in option A. Options A and B can be taken out for this reason.

3. Options B and E use a plural verb (require) for a singular subject, the regulatory body.

4. Options D and E are also not complete sentences. It's easier to see why after taking a look at C.

5. This is the sentence option C leads to:

Industry representatives maintain THAT
the new privacy and data protection policies THAT
the regulatory body requires of all social networking sites
contain no provisions for the transfer of user data to foreign governments.

We now have a subject-verb combination after every THAT. By taking the third THAT out, we've made the verb contain available to the new privacy and data protection policies. This is the core we're left with:

Representatives maintain that [{the new policies the body requires of all sites} {contain no provisions for the transfer of user data to foreign governments}].
or
They maintain that the policies contain no provisions for something.

This is a complete sentence.

If you prefer elimination, you don't even need to know the idiom require of. You could just take the other options out (the four incorrect options all lead to incomplete sentences).

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