In ancient Japan, a samurais honor was so valued that if a samurai

Question

In ancient Japan,  a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process by which the dishonored samurai requested that his second should decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life .

A) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second should decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life

B) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai was to be dishonored, the samurai’s second should help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second should decapitate him if the dishonored samurai were incapable of taking his own life

C) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life

D) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai’s second helped him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life

E) a samurai’s honor were so valued that if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life

generis · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1) THE PROMPT • Strategy: long underlined portion → As you read the sentence, no "major" errors jump out (subject/verb, missing verbs), but you should notice that the sentence contains two subjunctive constructions. → Look for errors in the subjunctive constructions. One such construction is the hypothetical if ... were, would. This subjunctive usage occurs in what is called a Type 2 Conditional: a hypothetical condition and its probable result. The verb tense in the if clause is the simple past, and the tense in the main (then) clause is the present conditional, would . If this thing WERE to happen, that thing WOULD happen. When the verb in the IF clause is to be, we use the simple past tense were for everyone and everything. We notice that the verb is strange only in the first and third persons (subject with whom we usually use simple past was ). Correct: If I were taller, I would be a basketball player. Correct: If he were taller, he would be a basketball player. Correct, but not noticeably weird: If you were taller, you would be a basketball player. The second instance is a command subjunctive construction; request is a "bossy" verb. The command subjunctive is constructed this way: bossy verb + THAT + noun/subject + bare infinitive → Example: The judge required that the jury be sequestered. The bare infinitive (sometimes called a "base infinitive") is the infinitive without the word "to." Full infinitive: to decapitate Bare infinitive: decapitate THE OPTIONS • command subjunctive error: do not use the word should → A command/"bossy" verb already implies a "should," so do not use that word in a command subjunctive construction. → Speakers of British English, be on alert. In B.E., the addition of "should" is acceptable and common. On the GMAT and in formal U.S. English, should is incorrect; should is not allowed in a command subjunctive structure. ELIMINATE A • command subjunctive error: do not use should, but rather, simply, decapitate → same problem as that in option A → Correct version : ... the dishonored samurai requested that his second decapitate him .... • incorrect construction of hypothetical subjunctive → We need IF . . . WERE, THEN . . . WOULD → this option misuses should in both subjunctive constructions. In the hypothetical part, would is correct, not should . Eliminate B • I do not see any errors • first subjunctive construction, correct verbs : . . . if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai's second would help him perform seppuku . . . • second subjunctive construction, correct verb in the form of the bare infinitive: . . . a dishonored samurai requested that his second decapitate him . . . Don't get mixed up about the last part of the sentence, if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life . This part of the sentence is not a conditional despite the use of if. Rather, this part describes what happened in the past. → If X happened, Y happened. → If Sarah watered the garden, the flowers grew. That description of the past does happen to contain a command subjunctive . KEEP • the hypothetical subjunctive (Type 2 conditional) requires the use of would help , not helped ELIMINATE D • subject/verb disagreement → The singular honor does not agree with the plural were. ELIMINATE E The correct answer is C. COMMENTS albsilvag , welcome to SC Butler.

Thanks for linking to this page on the use of the subjunctive, here . You're right. The whole thread presents a good overview of the use of the subjunctive. GMAT Club founder bb has a terrific post on that page that you can find by clicking here . These answers range from very good to excellent. Nicely done!

zhanbo · Answer

My answer is  (C) . It took me 01:40.

We are faced with five long sentences. Fortunately, the differences are very much localized.

(A) "requested that his second  should  decapitate": "should" cannot be used in the clause after bossy verbs such as request, require, demand, stipulate, and so on.

(B) "if a samurai  was  to be dishonored": "was" should be "were" because, in subjunctive mood, "were" is used even for single subject.

(D) "the samurai’s second  helped  him": "helped" should be "would / should / could / might help" in subjunctive mood.

(E) "a samurai’s honor  were  so valued": Not a subjunctive mood here. "were" should be "was".

sumitkrocks · Answer

(C) is the answer IMO

A) Verb "request" is a command verb and "should" is not compatible in the meaning intended by such command words - Eliminate

B) Verb "request" is a command verb and "should" is not compatible in the meaning intended by such command words 
Subject verb disagreement in the last conditional statement : Verb for dishonored samurai should be "was" - Eliminate

C) conditional/Hypothesis is supported by model verb " Would" - All issues resolved

D) The connection b/w hypothetical condition and outcome is lost by using past perfect; Not a correct syntax

E) Subject verb disagreement : Honor is singular subject

winterschool · Answer

In ancient Japan, a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process by which the dishonored samurai requested that his second should decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life.

A) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process  by which  the dishonored samurai requested that his second should decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life  Incorrect

by which is wrong, it will be in which

B) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai  was  to be dishonored, the samurai’s second  should  help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second should decapitate him if the dishonored samurai were incapable of taking his own life  Incorrect

hypothetical situation, so were needed

C)  a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life   Correct

D) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai’s  second helped him  perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life  Incorrect

would require in second part of if clause

E) a samurai’s honor  were  so valued that if a samurai were to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life  Incorrect

SV error - honor singular, were uses wrong

aarkay87 · Answer

My process of elimination

Option-A: Use of SHOULD with verb “decapitate” is not appropriate in this choice, as this modal will indicate either suggestion or moral obligation AND anyway this is not a correct combination with a command trigger verb such as “request” in command subjunctive mood

Option-B: 
1) Same error as in A
2) Use of 1st SHOULD is also incorrect – This construction should use simple past tense (helped)

Option-C: Correct

Option-D: Use of conditional structure is not correct
RIGHT: if a samurai  were  to be dishonored, the samurai’s second  WOULD help  him perform seppuku
RIGHT: if a samurai  was  to be dishonored, the samurai’s second  helped  him perform seppuku
WRONG: if a samurai  were  to be dishonored, the samurai’s second  helped  him perform seppuku

Option-E: 
1) SV agreement error between singular subject “honor” and plural verb “were”

albsilvag · Answer

A) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai  were  to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second  should decapitate  him if the dishonored samurai  was  incapable of taking his own life --> Incorrect use of the subjunctive mode for "decapitate". "if the dishonored samurai was incapabale of..." is not a conditional that requires the use of subjunctive, thus it is correct. -->  INCORRECT

B) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai  was  to be dishonored, the samurai’s second should help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second  should decapitate  him if the dishonored samurai  were  incapable of taking his own life --> Incorrect use of "was" in the first subjunctive; it should be "were". Incorrect use of the subjunctive mode for "decapitate". -->  INCORRECT

C) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai  were  to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second  decapitate  him if the dishonored samurai  was  incapable of taking his own life --> Corrects the mistakes of the rest of the answer choices -->  CORRECT

D) a samurai’s honor was so valued that if a samurai  were  to be dishonored, the samurai’s second  helped  him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life --> "helped" does not follow a proper conditional structure. -->  INCORRECT

E) a samurai’s honor  were  so valued that if a samurai  were  to be dishonored, the samurai’s second would help him perform seppuku, a process in which the dishonored samurai requested that his second decapitate him if the dishonored samurai was incapable of taking his own life --> it should be "samurai's honor was", as it is referring to a singular thing and there is no subjunctive mode involved in that piece. -->  INCORRECT

Here is a link that contains some theory about subjunctive mode  https://gmatclub.com/forum/subjunctive-and-use-of-that-with-simple-verb-form-79606.html

VerbalBot · Answer

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In ancient Japan, a samurais honor was so valued that if a samurai

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In ancient Japan, a samurais honor was so valued that if a samurai

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