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fitzpratik
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Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
45%
(medium)
Question Stats:
51% (01:08) correct
49%
(01:14)
wrong
based on 642
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
According to a new rule by the income tax department of Xanadu, Xanadu citizens residing in other countries are required to file income tax returns in Xanadu even if they did not earn any income in their home country.
A. they did not earn any income
B. he did not have any income he earned
C. the income is not earned
D. none of their income is
E. they would not have earned any income
A. they did not earn any income
B. he did not have any income he earned
C. the income is not earned
D. none of their income is
E. they would not have earned any income
Tushar4284
Hello, Tushar4284, as well as the rest of the community. There are some meaning issues that keep us from choosing any of the options besides the correct one. I will get into these details below.
fitzpratik
If you are reading too closely, you might think that they is ambiguous, since the closest plural noun is [tax] returns; however, we can logically infer that since returns do not earn income, and neither do countries as the closest plural noun before, it must be citizens who have done the earning. The original sentence is free of any obvious errors, both in terms of grammar and meaning, so we can keep it while we assess the other options.
fitzpratik
Who is this he? The singular pronoun certainly does not agree with the plural citizens earlier in the sentence. Even if every citizen of Xanadu is a male, they would still be the appropriate pronoun in reference to Xanadu citizens. This is an easy elimination.
fitzpratik
The biggest problem here occurs at the beginning. The article the in reference to income is restrictive and has no earlier anchor in the sentence. Yes, the word income appears as an adjective in income tax returns, but it is used to define the type of return. It is not the same as the income itself. Since the main clause begins with Xanadu citizens, a subsequent reference to their income would be more appropriate. Beyond this meaning issue, the passive construct is not earned [by someone] is less preferable to a more active iteration. It is true that some correct SC answers employ the passive tense, but when an alternative exists in the active voice that is also clear and free of other errors, the latter type of sentence will win out.
fitzpratik
This one looks fine until you link it up with the non-underlined portion that follows: none of their income is in their home country. What is is doing in the sentence in place of was and some sort of action word, as in earned? Somebody earns or draws income in a certain place. Income itself cannot be in a home country or any other physical location. In short, the meaning of the sentence is off, and if anything, the answer choice illustrates why it is important to consider the whole sentence before making a determination as to the validity of the answer.
fitzpratik
Behind (B), this is probably the second easiest elimination. The verb tense should be in the past, not in a conditional. Citizens either did or did not earn income in Xanadu. Case closed.
I hope that helps shed some light on the issues in the different answer choices. If anybody has further questions, I would be happy to offer my thoughts. Good luck with your studies.
- Andrew
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General Discussion
NRJ11090
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Answer choice A seems correct here but what is wrong with answer choice C
First, I m a learner , but this is I can think of for now.
If ..., Else... construction.
Else-part is in present tense. So if part shud be in past tense.
So c is wrong. Also c is passive.
Active is preferred.
Posted from my mobile device
If ..., Else... construction.
Else-part is in present tense. So if part shud be in past tense.
So c is wrong. Also c is passive.
Active is preferred.
Posted from my mobile device
ravigupta2912
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Can someone clarify the reason for elimination of E? I can't quite get it.
rr10
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Why option C is incorrect? Can someone please provide explanation ?
ravigupta2912
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rx10
I eliminated on the basis of passive voice since a better option (A) in active voice was present. Also if you see, the first part of the sentence (after comma) is in active voice "Xanadu citizens residing in other countries" (subject) ; are required to file (verb), logically the 2nd portion of the sentence should also have active voice.
Why is answer option E incorrect?
Posted from my mobile device
Posted from my mobile device
fitzpratik
Anyone please explain why option C is wrong.
I eliminated B because the use of he is not correct.
eliminated C because " even if the income is not earned...." is better than " even if none of the income...."
Eliminated "E" because of the use of would.
Confuse between "C" and "A" .... anyone please explain.
fitzpratik
would you pls suggest how past tense in option A is correct here when whole argument is for present tense and applicable law would have applied in future as well.
I disagree with past tense in option A.
would you pls suggest how past tense in option A is correct here when whole argument is for present tense and applicable law would have applied in future as well.
I disagree with past tense in option A.
The present tense in option C seems to be correct. (Citizens are required to file taxes even if the income is not earned ...).
Option A has ambiguous pronoun 'they' which could refer to 'tax returns' instead of 'citizens'.
Please help understand why option A is the best among the choices.
Posted from my mobile device
Option A has ambiguous pronoun 'they' which could refer to 'tax returns' instead of 'citizens'.
Please help understand why option A is the best among the choices.
Posted from my mobile device
scranjith
scranjith
first of all ,pronoun does not hold of much importance as far the meaning is concerned...although "they " here is clearly referring to the citizens.
Secondly , in C .."if the income is not earned " is grammatically correct...but the meaning issue makes option C incorrect choice over A.
for option C,ask yourself.."whose income is not earned "???
Hope it helps
rohit8865
well agree with you on option C.
But how do we justify past tense in option A, when all other terms are in present and meaning wise rule will be applicable irrespective of time ?
abhik1502
abhik1502
tax is something which u have to pay after you earned anything in past
hope it helps
shauryahanda
Joined: 14 Jan 2020
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A quick word to all the people asking why C is not right
See this is not the official ans, it's just a trick that i USE
When both active and passive seem correct and you can't see any glaring error and are stuck.
GO WITH ACTIVE - as it will be simpler and less verbose than passive
See this is not the official ans, it's just a trick that i USE
When both active and passive seem correct and you can't see any glaring error and are stuck.
GO WITH ACTIVE - as it will be simpler and less verbose than passive
Posts: 1
How do we differentiate between options A, C and D? All seem to fit.
sssanskaar
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AndrewN
Hey AndrewN, I would like to pitch in my thoughts on this one.
a. Xanadu citizens residing in other countries are required to file income tax returns in Xanadu even if they did not earn any income in their home country.
Here, this sentence seems incorrect to me.
Reason: Even if citizen X does not earn any income in Xanadu, do they have to file an income tax? Does this make sense? If I am a citizen of the US and I am earning zero dollars, should I be filing taxes (Totally hypothetical, but I hope that you get the point)? Is this the intended meaning? Or the intended meaning should be on the line of something like - If I am a citizen of the US and the money which I have has not been earned in the US, even then I would have to file the taxes.?
c. Xanadu citizens residing in other countries are required to file income tax returns in Xanadu even if the income is not earned in their home country.
This looks correct to me because of the last point mentioned above. From the meaning standpoint, this logically makes sense to me more than option A does.
Please let me know your thoughts as well.
sssanskaar
Hello, sssanskaar. I know what you mean about the absurdity of the tax law from a real-life standpoint, but you should not have to think that deeply about intended meaning in a Sentence Correction question. I would call that an overwrought approach. Grammatically speaking, (A) works because they has a clear referent in Xanadu citizens, and such people would be the ones earning income in one place or another. Meanwhile, (C) does not work for the exact reason I outlined earlier: the income does not draw from any earlier information in a clear and logical manner. You are welcome to disagree, but the income is a complete dealbreaker for me, not to mention that present-tense is.
Thank you for following up.
- Andrew
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Guys, pls clarify; we have learnt from multiple sources that, IF (simple present), Then (Simple present or future);
Here the correct option should have been citizens are required to file taxes, even if they do not earn any income in their home country.
I simply dont get how A is correct; If (simple past), then (simple present) ?? Is this a valid construction????
e-GMAT?
Karishma?
gmatninja
Here the correct option should have been citizens are required to file taxes, even if they do not earn any income in their home country.
I simply dont get how A is correct; If (simple past), then (simple present) ?? Is this a valid construction????
e-GMAT?
Karishma?
gmatninja
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