V01-12

Official Solution:

Controversial mortgage laws passed last year state that, at any point during the maturation period of the loan, if the person in whose name the loan is taken is not able to make the payments, that person’s spouse will be responsible to fulfill all contractual requirements that include paying the balance.

A. will be responsible to fulfill all contractual requirements that
B. would be responsible for fulfilling all contractual requirements that
C. is responsible to fulfill all contractual requirements, which
D. would be responsible for fulfilling all contractual requirements, and that would
E. will be responsible for fulfilling all contractual requirements, which


The question deals with 3 issues as below:

Issue 1: The sentence is testing the ability to correctly use the if…then… construction.

Right: If simple present, then simple present: general rule with no uncertainty (If temperature is too high, low pressure forms.)

Right: If simple present, then simple future: a particular event in future with no uncertainty (If you hit me, I will hit you back.)

Right: If hypothetical subjunctive, then conditional (would): Unlikely event in future (If I were the king, I would abolish taxes.)

Issue 2: The sentence also tests the ability to identify the correct idiomatic usage for “responsible….”.

Right: I am responsible for the pricing of the vaccines.

Wrong: I am responsible to the pricing of the vaccines.

Right: I am responsible to Dr. Fiedler, and she is responsible to the CEO.

Issue 3: The use of the essential modifier “that” without a comma before is incorrect.

The modifier “that include paying the balance” does not define or identify the modified noun “responsibilities” but provides some additional information about (example of) it. Therefore non-essential modifier must be used.

A. Wrong because of issue 2: “Responsible for” should be used instead of “responsible to”.

Wrong because of issue 3: essential modifier without comma is used.

B. Wrong because of issue 1: conditional “would” is used without a subjunctive. Moreover this event is not unlikely, rather it is certain.

Wrong because of issue 3 as explained in A above.

C. Wrong because of issue 2: “Responsible for” should be used instead of “responsible to”.

D. Wrong because of issue 1: conditional “would” is used without a subjunctive. Moreover this event is not unlikely, rather it is certain.

“That” here is used as a demonstrative adjective, but without a noun.

E. Correct. All the issues are addressed correctly. The sentence refers to a particular event in the future with no uncertainty.


Answer: E