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C
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
5%
(low)
Question Stats:
93% (01:00) correct
7%
(01:07)
wrong
based on 370
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Advanced market research for the MegaTek Corporation predicts that launching a MegaTek Superstore in a given city would only succeed should the density of repeat customers have been greater than 200 per square mile.
A) would only succeed should the density of repeat customers have been greater than
B) will succeed only should the density of repeat customers be more numerous than
C) will succeed only if the density of repeat customers is greater than
D) should only succeed with a repeat customer density of greater than
E) will succeed only with repeat customer density being greater than
03 Dec 2021, 01:06
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
THE PROMPT
→ Verb tense
Because the underlined portion is what the MegaTek Corporation predicts, and because this sentence is best written as a Type 1 conditional, the underlined portion should take the future tense will rather than would or should.
The word "only" tells us that we are or should be dealing with a conditional, in which the IF/THEN clauses are reversed: Y only if X
X, IF clause = the density of repeat customers IS greater than 200 per square mile
Y, then/result clause = launching a MegaTek will succeed
A Type 1 conditional is a statement about a possible real-world condition (repeat customers) and its probable result (success of launch).
A Type 1 conditional is often a prediction or a warning.
-- If THIS thing happens, then THAT thing will happen.
-- Or, THAT thing will happen (main/then clause) only if THIS thing happens (IF clause)
-- In Type 1 conditionals, the verb tenses are
IF simple present, THEN simple future
(In this sentence, we switch the order of the IF and THEN clauses, a switch that is common.)
→ countable/uncountable nouns
The noun at issue is density, not repeat customers.
Density anchors the noun phrase density of repeat customers.
Density is the main or head noun in that noun phrase. Of repeat customers is an adjective phrase that describes density.
Density, like capacity, cannot be counted.
We can use greater as a modifier but not numerous.
• British English
Speakers of British English, just be aware that in British English, many constructions that involve would or should are allowed in B.E..
Those two words might sound normal to you, but on the GMAT, British conventions are occasionally incorrect.
(In command subjunctive, for example, in B.E. it is common and acceptable to use "should." Not so in U.S. English or on the GMAT.)
THE OPTIONS
→ Would refers to the future whereas should have been refers to the past.
→ Similar error: He would win the tennis tournament only should the top player have been injured.
• we need the verb will, not would (or should)
→ by definition, someone who predicts, simple present, is predicting something about the future, in which case the simple future tense is needed
• placement of only is questionable
→ only is often placed after an auxiliary and before a main verb, but in this case, only is modifying an entire phrase, namely, if the density of repeat customers is greater than 200 per square mile.
→ only should be placed right before that phrase rather than modifying "will succeed."
Right now, only is placed to suggest that the launch will do nothing other than succeed (the launch could be delayed, for example).
More importantly, in inverted conditionals, we want Y only if X.
• diction: the choice and placement of words is stilted and clumsy—in a word, "awkward."
Do not eliminate an option on the first place on the basis of "awkwardness" or any style issue.
The verb problems in this option make it easy to eliminate.
Eliminate A
• verb tense error
→ we need simple present (only IF the density IS), not should
• diction error
→ in a Type 1 conditional, in U.S. English and on the GMAT, we do not substitute should for if
Eliminate B
• Correct verbs are used for the main and if clauses
→ recall that we have an inverted structure in which the main/then clause comes before the if clause:
Y will happen only if X happens
(You can flip the sentence around, but it starts to sound stiff: Only if X happens will Y happen.)
In this inverted structure, we need Y = simple future, X = simple present
We have what we need
Y = [launch] will succeed (simple future)
only if X = density IS greater than (simple present)
• uncountable density is correctly modified by greater
• this option does not contain any errant should or would
KEEP
→ should succeed is incorrect. Will succeed is correct.
• placement of "only" is similar to the problematic placement in option A
• with is not a strong substitute for IF
→ compare options C and D. Option C is clearer and, I think, more accessible.
"Predict" is a very typical Type 1 conditional statement; the IF/THEN construction suits.
→ with might be okay if option C weren't here.
I don't have to think about this possibility, though, because option C is here.
Option C is far better than this option (and the others).
Eliminate D
• with is not a strong substitute for if, especially when coupled with being
• diction/verb tense error
We really do need the Type 1 conditional sentence setup, but in this sentence we do not have an IF clause at all, let alone one in simple present tense
• with connotes alongside or in addition to, neither of which makes a lot of sense and neither of which follows the Type 1 conditional construction
• strange wording
This one I cannot teach in any specific way because usage is idiomatic and gleaned from lots of reading, but a native or nearly fluent speaker would never use these words in this way to express the thought the sentence is trying to state.
Eliminate E
The correct answer is C.
NOTES
I purposely avoided most discussion of "only" because modals (would, should) and auxiliaries (will) complicate matters, and because I think there are easier ways to eliminate answers.
That said, if you considered (or posted about) only, good for you!
If you did not catch the "only" errors, do not worry.
I am glad to see that different people come at these questions in different ways.
COMMENTS
Vatsal7794 and Kirala241 , welcome to SC Butler.
Although this question is fairly easy (I'm looking at the numbers), there is plenty to glean from it.
In addition, people often forget to review or to build and review the foundations.
These answers range from very good to excellent.
Nice work!
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)
THE PROMPT
Quote:
• Issues
→ Verb tense
Because the underlined portion is what the MegaTek Corporation predicts, and because this sentence is best written as a Type 1 conditional, the underlined portion should take the future tense will rather than would or should.
The word "only" tells us that we are or should be dealing with a conditional, in which the IF/THEN clauses are reversed: Y only if X
X, IF clause = the density of repeat customers IS greater than 200 per square mile
Y, then/result clause = launching a MegaTek will succeed
A Type 1 conditional is a statement about a possible real-world condition (repeat customers) and its probable result (success of launch).
A Type 1 conditional is often a prediction or a warning.
-- If THIS thing happens, then THAT thing will happen.
-- Or, THAT thing will happen (main/then clause) only if THIS thing happens (IF clause)
-- In Type 1 conditionals, the verb tenses are
IF simple present, THEN simple future
(In this sentence, we switch the order of the IF and THEN clauses, a switch that is common.)
→ countable/uncountable nouns
The noun at issue is density, not repeat customers.
Density anchors the noun phrase density of repeat customers.
Density is the main or head noun in that noun phrase. Of repeat customers is an adjective phrase that describes density.
Density, like capacity, cannot be counted.
We can use greater as a modifier but not numerous.
• British English
Speakers of British English, just be aware that in British English, many constructions that involve would or should are allowed in B.E..
Those two words might sound normal to you, but on the GMAT, British conventions are occasionally incorrect.
(In command subjunctive, for example, in B.E. it is common and acceptable to use "should." Not so in U.S. English or on the GMAT.)
THE OPTIONS
Quote:
• verb tenses make the sentence nonsensical: one part takes place in the future and the other, in the past
→ Would refers to the future whereas should have been refers to the past.
→ Similar error: He would win the tennis tournament only should the top player have been injured.
• we need the verb will, not would (or should)
→ by definition, someone who predicts, simple present, is predicting something about the future, in which case the simple future tense is needed
• placement of only is questionable
→ only is often placed after an auxiliary and before a main verb, but in this case, only is modifying an entire phrase, namely, if the density of repeat customers is greater than 200 per square mile.
→ only should be placed right before that phrase rather than modifying "will succeed."
Right now, only is placed to suggest that the launch will do nothing other than succeed (the launch could be delayed, for example).
More importantly, in inverted conditionals, we want Y only if X.
• diction: the choice and placement of words is stilted and clumsy—in a word, "awkward."
Do not eliminate an option on the first place on the basis of "awkwardness" or any style issue.
The verb problems in this option make it easy to eliminate.
Eliminate A
Quote:
• incorrect modifier: numerous is for countable nouns. We cannot count "density."
• verb tense error
→ we need simple present (only IF the density IS), not should
• diction error
→ in a Type 1 conditional, in U.S. English and on the GMAT, we do not substitute should for if
Eliminate B
Quote:
• I do not see any errors
• Correct verbs are used for the main and if clauses
→ recall that we have an inverted structure in which the main/then clause comes before the if clause:
Y will happen only if X happens
(You can flip the sentence around, but it starts to sound stiff: Only if X happens will Y happen.)
In this inverted structure, we need Y = simple future, X = simple present
We have what we need
Y = [launch] will succeed (simple future)
only if X = density IS greater than (simple present)
• uncountable density is correctly modified by greater
• this option does not contain any errant should or would
KEEP
Quote:
• verb tense error
→ should succeed is incorrect. Will succeed is correct.
• placement of "only" is similar to the problematic placement in option A
• with is not a strong substitute for IF
→ compare options C and D. Option C is clearer and, I think, more accessible.
"Predict" is a very typical Type 1 conditional statement; the IF/THEN construction suits.
→ with might be okay if option C weren't here.
I don't have to think about this possibility, though, because option C is here.
Option C is far better than this option (and the others).
Eliminate D
Quote:
• with is not a strong substitute for if, especially when coupled with being
• diction/verb tense error
We really do need the Type 1 conditional sentence setup, but in this sentence we do not have an IF clause at all, let alone one in simple present tense
• with connotes alongside or in addition to, neither of which makes a lot of sense and neither of which follows the Type 1 conditional construction
• strange wording
This one I cannot teach in any specific way because usage is idiomatic and gleaned from lots of reading, but a native or nearly fluent speaker would never use these words in this way to express the thought the sentence is trying to state.
Eliminate E
The correct answer is C.
NOTES
I purposely avoided most discussion of "only" because modals (would, should) and auxiliaries (will) complicate matters, and because I think there are easier ways to eliminate answers.
That said, if you considered (or posted about) only, good for you!
If you did not catch the "only" errors, do not worry.
I am glad to see that different people come at these questions in different ways.
COMMENTS
Vatsal7794 and Kirala241 , welcome to SC Butler.
Although this question is fairly easy (I'm looking at the numbers), there is plenty to glean from it.
In addition, people often forget to review or to build and review the foundations.
These answers range from very good to excellent.
Nice work!
03 Dec 2021, 01:56
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My answer is (C). It took me 01:09.
(C) is clear and uses expected verb tense for "type 1 conditional": Simple present in "if" clause while simple future for main clause. The location of "only" is spot on.
(A) "only" is misplaced.
The use of "would" and "should" is unwarranted.
(B) "will" and "should" are not compatible.
"only should" is very awkward, if not outright incorrect. It is fine to use inversion ("if I had heeded your advice" -> "had I heeded your advice"), but when "only" is before "if", I wonder whether inversion is appropriate. ("Only if I had heeded your advice -> "Only had I heeded your advice”. ??)
(D) "with" is used rather loosely in everyday writing. In GMAT, we should read it more literally / critically.
"Launching a store will succeed only with a repeat customer density“ means that its success is together with a density only, not with other measurements such as height, width, weight, or voltage. Such meaning is rather nonsensical.
(E) See above.
In addition, "being" can be safely removed.
(C) is clear and uses expected verb tense for "type 1 conditional": Simple present in "if" clause while simple future for main clause. The location of "only" is spot on.
(A) "only" is misplaced.
The use of "would" and "should" is unwarranted.
(B) "will" and "should" are not compatible.
"only should" is very awkward, if not outright incorrect. It is fine to use inversion ("if I had heeded your advice" -> "had I heeded your advice"), but when "only" is before "if", I wonder whether inversion is appropriate. ("Only if I had heeded your advice -> "Only had I heeded your advice”. ??)
(D) "with" is used rather loosely in everyday writing. In GMAT, we should read it more literally / critically.
"Launching a store will succeed only with a repeat customer density“ means that its success is together with a density only, not with other measurements such as height, width, weight, or voltage. Such meaning is rather nonsensical.
(E) See above.
In addition, "being" can be safely removed.
