For decades mirrors have been used to trigger aggressive responses in

Question

For decades mirrors have been used to trigger aggressive responses in territorial and less self-aware species such as birds or fish, but a new study revealed that in many cases the fish did not react to its own reflection as it was to a rival fish.

A. it was to a
B. it reacted; just to a
C. it did to a
D. it would to a
E. its

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Official Answer

C

A. it was to a 
B. it reacted; just to a
C. it did to a
D. it would to a 
E. its

aragonn · Answer

Vinodsai1995 - Can you help me understand ... why C is the answer ? A detail POE will help

rahul6019 · Answer

Both C and D looks correct. I chose D over C as D is more hypothetical and a reaction of a fish to it's rival may not have happened and looks better of the two.

Upon re-reading, I realize C is better grammatically as DO should follow would and to be silent, it should be used earlier in the sentence.

Here DID is used earlier and A Fish DID not react to X as it would  (DID)  to Y doesn't sound right.

Waiting for OE on this.

aragonn · Answer

rahul6019  - You should take care for parallel structure first. The fish is reacting to its own reflection and rival's. Both of these should create right structure.

rahul6019 · Answer

aragonn  - I have modified my answer above. Can you tell me if it's correct?

NCRanjan · Answer

+C

For decades mirrors have been used to trigger aggressive responses in territorial and less self-aware species such as birds or fish, but a new study revealed that in many cases the fish did not react to its own reflection as it was to a rival fish.

A. it was to a
B. it reacted; just to a
C. it did to a
D. it would to a
E. its

Show Answer

Official Answer

C

A. was to a 
B. it reacted; just to a
C. it did to a
D. it would to a 
E. its

Honestly i was looking for as it did to the reflection of a rival fish , but there is norm in comparing the reaction to its reflection to reaction to a rival fish because at te end we are comparing reactions only.

So C for me

Others do not make sense

A. was to a - Fish did not react to its own reflection as Fish was to rival fish 
B. it reacted; just to a- As fish reacted; ( absolutely incomplete) ; Just to a rival fish ( what is just to doing here )
C. it did to a - CORRECT for reason mentioned above
D. it would to a - as it would to a rival fish ( its a conditional would but the study has already happened in past and the result is known )
E. its - Fish did not react to its own reflection as its rival fish ( the construction will have to entirely different to make sense out of this one .On the lines of- Fish did not react to its rival fish did

you are welcome to point the errors out .i would be grateful

Thanks

gmatconqueror2018 · Answer

I chose C but I could see D being correct as well. For me, if you replace did with reacted, you get the answer and I assumed the did refers to reacted.

aragonn · Answer

You need to understand the meaning ----- we are talking about a historical event. 2 things in past. both already happened. using would means you are comparing a past event with a hypothetical one. does not making sense. D can not be answer.

app219 · Answer

Hey guys! Thanks for posting.

My bet on this: Answer (D) "would" expresses a conditional, over that something that might happen in the future, if a condition is fullfilled. However, here we are talking about an observation in the past.
Hence, conditional is incorrect

Only posible remaining answer is (C), as it respestcs the past tense in both side of the sentence.

hiranmay · Answer

For decades mirrors have been used to trigger aggressive responses in territorial and less self-aware species such as birds or fish, but a new study revealed that in many cases the fish did not react to its own reflection as it was to a rival fish.

A. it was to a
B. it reacted; just to a
C. it did to a
D. it would to a
E. its

Show Answer

Official Answer

C

A.  was  to a 
B. it reacted ; just  to a
C. it did to a -->  correct : the fish did not react to A as it did to B
D. it  would  to a 
E.  its

LeoniePitu02 · Answer

I think the underlined portion is not quite right here - "it" isn't underlined in the sentence, therefore, the OA is not correct as it would say "it it did to a".

Bunuel · Answer

_______________________
Fixed the issue. Thank you!

minalgambhir · Answer

ERROR ANALYSIS -

1) 'was' is wrong by meaning

A) 'was' is wrong by meaning
B) We need an independent clause after semi colon
C) CORRECT
D) 'would' is used for any hypothesis or assumption, not valid here
E) as cannot be followed by noun

arbazfatmi1994 · Answer

For decades mirrors have been used to trigger aggressive responses in territorial and less self-aware species such as birds or fish, but a new study revealed that in many cases the fish did not react to its own reflection as it was to a rival fish.

A. it was to a
B. it reacted; just to a
C. it did to a
D. it would to a
E. its

Show Answer

Official Answer

C

Please note that -as we are talking about a new study (A study that has already been concluded), we can't use "would" We use "would" while talking about a hypothetical situation, but the study is neither hypothetical nor is it about to happen in the future. Hence, choose C over D

For decades mirrors have been used to trigger aggressive responses in

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For decades mirrors have been used to trigger aggressive responses in

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