V21-15

Question

A proposed law would require citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote to curb potential fraud.

A. A proposed law would require citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote to curb potential fraud.
B. To curb potential fraud, a proposed law would require citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote.
C. A proposed law will require citizens to curb potential fraud by bringing photo ID to polling places when they vote.
D. A proposed law will curb potential fraud by requiring citizens to vote at polling places with photo ID.
E. To curb potential fraud, a proposed law requires citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote.

jeffn · Answer

Official Solution:

A proposed law would require citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote to curb potential fraud.

A. A proposed law would require citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote to curb potential fraud.
B. To curb potential fraud, a proposed law would require citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote.
C. A proposed law will require citizens to curb potential fraud by bringing photo ID to polling places when they vote.
D. A proposed law will curb potential fraud by requiring citizens to vote at polling places with photo ID.
E. To curb potential fraud, a proposed law requires citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote.

This question is pretty much 100% about meaning. 
 
 (A) A proposed law would require citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote to curb potential fraud 
 
 I think we would all love to vote to curb potential fraud, but that's clearly not the intended meaning of the sentence. (A) is gone 
 
 (B) To curb potential fraud, a proposed law would require citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote 
 
 This looks good. In order to curb potential fraud, a proposed law would make people bring ID when the vote. And the verb "would" makes sense, too: the proposed law isn't in effect yet, so the conditional is correct. Keep (B) 
 
 (C) A proposed law will require citizens to curb potential fraud by bringing photo ID to polling places when they vote 
 
 There are a few issues here. "Will require" is a little bit too certain, since the law has only been proposed; "would" is better. It's a little bit of a stretch to say that citizens "curb potential fraud by bringing photo ID to polling places," but that's not necessarily wrong -- it just makes more sense to say that the law curbs fraud by requiring ID, as in answer choice (B). And "they" is a little bit further from "citizens" than we'd ideally like. 
 
 There's no single factor that makes (C) DEFINITELY wrong, but there's enough goofiness here to make it an inferior choice to (B) 
 
 (D) A proposed law will curb potential fraud by requiring citizens to vote at polling places with photo ID 
 
 The phrase "polling places with photo ID" makes it sound like the polling places themselves have photo ID, and that doesn't make much sense. "Will" is also not ideal here. (D) is out 
 
 (E) To curb potential fraud, a proposed law requires citizens to bring photo ID to polling places when they vote 
 
 "Requires" is the wrong verb tense here, since the law hasn't taken effect yet. "They" is also arguably a little bit ambiguous. And sure, pronoun ambiguity isn't an absolute rule (as discussed in this YouTube video), but (B) is clearly better than (E)

Answer: B

Tumma123 · Answer

I guess "E" is correct. Although the law was not implemented, its already proposed. So the law requires the people to bring Voter ID. Law is certain to implement new rule. please correct me if I'm wrong.

IImbahopeful23II · Answer

I think E is correct as well. Even though the law has not been passed, we can say that the proposed requires that citizens bring their photo id.

iclicker · Answer

This is my take on why e) is incorrect, original sentence ("a proposed law would ...") means a proposed law can require citizens to bring photo ID, law may be get proposed yet, whereas e) states the proposed law is requiring citizens to bring photo ID

Gigie · Answer

I think this is a  poor-quality  question. First, "they" is in option B and E, placed exactly in the same position. How is it ambiguous in E and not in B?(i.e per your explanation of the reason E is wrong). Also, my understanding of "would" is that it is a conditional that is used in a hypothetical situation, that is, when there is no certainty. A proposed law alreaday has this requirement, there is no uncertainty here. Why then is "would" correct in this instance, instead of the simple present "requires"?

RK007 · Answer

daagh , GMATNinja , Could you guys please help us out here - B vs E! Also, please clarify the 'would'. I have mostly seen 'would' in hypothetical/ were-would sentences. Where else 'would' can be used? Thanks in advance

bimlakcrt · Answer

This Question is not good at all. I am not satisfied with solution. Please throw some light on this question. How to reject E? and choose B?

saro · Answer

I think this is a  poor-quality  question and I don't agree with the explanation. Why is E wrong.

Pallav0642 · Answer

I think this is a  poor-quality  question and I don't agree with the explanation. one of the worst question I ever saw on the platform, Test setters Please adhere to the GMAT standard questions.
When you write an explanation of the question, Please cross-check the option choices as in this case E and B make perfect sense as far as placement of "they " is concerned.
secondly, when you say the proposed law, it means that the law is proposed and the author intends to say a peculiarity of the law i.e. to say a general rule or fact that the law mandates. Hence the presence of Simple present tense should not be harm!

priyanshu14 · Answer

Dear  GMATNinja   VeritasKarishma   bb   Bunuel   generis   egmat   RaviSreerama  @payaltondon,

I feel that since "proposed" is already mentioned, verb "requires" is correct. So, option E is correct. Proposed law itself means that law is not in effect.
Please support to clarify

Thanks in advance

KarishmaB · Answer

Since the law is not in effect, we cannot say that it "requires" citizens to do... It has only been proposed as of now. Had it been "a new law requires..", that would have been fine. 
We say that it "would require" citizens to do... (if it becomes a law in future). To make a hypotheses, we use "would". 
Hence, (B) is correct, not (E).

sanchitb23 · Answer

I think E is correct, and as the OA mentioned, I concur and B is definitely incorrect as it mentions "when they vote" when implies future tense, and would is used for conditional case but it is used for past tense, so this clearly is a tense issue here and not correct, Correct me if I am wrong

V21-15

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