V05-30

how can D be better than E? Is not it no longer an obstacle? Even if they decide to try their old plan, it IS still an obstacle right?

In option (E) can the answer choice be rectified if IS is replaced with WAS.

It depends on the meaning. If the meaning intended is that the obstacle existed at the same time of announcement, then "was" is alright.

Suppose that the announcement is in simple present:
Developers announce that there is an obstacle.
The past form of the above sentence is:
Developers announced that there was an obstacle.

Now consider another announcement in present:
Developers announce that there was (or has been) an obstacle.
The past form of the above sentence is:
Developers announced that there had been an obstacle.

Reporting that one of its many problems had been the recent extended sales
slump in women’s apparel, the seven-store retailer said it would start a
three-month liquidation sale in all of its stores.
a. its many problems had been the recent
b. its many problems has been the recently
c. its many problems is the recently
d. their many problems is the recent
e. their many problems had been the recent

This is a problem from OG. The official answer is "A" . C is completely wrong because it violates the tense as it doesn't show completed action.

We are not clear what your query is. For this question, A cannot be the answer because the singular pronoun "its" does not agree with its plural antecedent "developers". Also D is the OA for this question, not C.

as the solution mentions The Correct Verb tense is Past Perfect Tense . Can you please Elaborate What are the 2 events which take place here.
Event 1 : reporting that their obstacle was citizen's group.
Event2: reporters announced.

Aren't these 2 independent ??

With due respect, I think this is a poor-quality question, and needs revision.

Had been (past perfect) can be used only when the 1st event (obstacle) ended before the 2nd event (announcement) happened. If 1st event was in progression at the time 2nd event happened, then we need to use Past Continuous.

On the question statement, we have: citizens’ group seeking to preserve historic buildings. Doesn't that mean event 1 was in progression?

If we are saying that event 1 really ended before event 2 started, then I think we have a logical flaw. If event 1 ended, that means this obstacle didn't exist. That mean citizen's group did not have any objection. [Maybe they changed their minds, or realized that the plan is for greater good, or any other reason]. So why would the developers revise their plan when the obstacle didn't exist anymore?

I think the intention of this question was to test us on Past Perfect tense, and hence I feel the question statement needs to be revised to indicate that event 1 ended before event 2 started.

I think this is a poor-quality question and the explanation isn't clear enough, please elaborate.

Because the event of announcing was in the past, reporting that one of their obstacles "IS" cannot be correct. I should be either "WAS" or "HAD BEEN" and as only one of them is present the answer is D.

I'm not clear whether the use of past perfect tense denotes end of the event or start of the event before the other. If latter is the case, then I see no problem but, in the first case the sentence is logically not in place.
daagh sir, could you please clarify the concept ?

"and the verb form had been is appropriate to the sentence."
"Is is incorrect verb form for this sentence."
These are low quality explanations. We want to learn, not merely be corrected.

It is an explanation to a question.... I would say that most of our explanations are very much to the point and do not elaborate a whole lot or take detours to discuss the underlying grammar rules. Sorry if you were expecting something else

I think we can consider a separate feature that would advise someone who gets a question wrong some materials and links to brush up rather than rewriting each and every explanation that people may not even read...

I chose E as the answer since I thought "is" is the correct tense.

Developers are announcing a revision to resolve some obstacle. This means the obstacle still exists. "had been" implies that the obstacle existed in the past which is now mitigated. If it is already resolved, then developers need not change their plans.

If the option was "has been", I would have gone with this. "had been" is incorrect, IMO.

Ahhh Fifth poor-quality question in the same test.

The answer should be E without any iota of doubt. Reminds me of a similar OG question

When developers announced the thing was still happening. Had been would have been used if it was done and dusted in the past.

https://gmatclub.com/forum/a-1972-agree ... tml#p53762

A 1972 agreement between Canada and the United States reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities had been allowed to dump into the Great Lakes.


(A) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities had been allowed to dump

(B) reduced the phosphate amount that municipalities had been dumping

(C) reduces the phosphate amount municipalities have been allowed to dump

(D) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities are allowed to dump

(E) reduces the amount of phosphates allowed for dumping by municipalities

Similar question OA is D.

Bunuel chetan2u bb sayantanc2k

I totally agree with you. Even I selected E and not D, because earlier I committed the mistake of using "had been" for an existing problem in the OG question you mentioned. OG clearly mentioned why my answer was incorrect and this question is exactly the same.
I don't claim to be 100% confident with my answer, however I would need an explanation that would not contradict OG or at least show the difference, if any, between these 2 questions.

He is referring to a similar question that he has written for which C is the right answer. Using that logic, he is saying that E, not D, must be the right answer, irrespective of OA. I agree with him.

sayantanc2k I didnt understand the sequencing of the events. Since had been is used without a verb after it, it should ideally act as simple past tense. and thus both the events obstacles faced and announcement made should happen within the same time frame.