If the current market trends persist as projected, the majority of mob

Question

Project SC Butler: Day 154: Sentence Correction (SC2) 
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If the current market trends persist as projected, the majority of mobile phone manufacturers  go out of business rather than continue to lose  money and customers to a small number of competitors.

A) go out of business rather than continue to lose

B) would go out of business rather than continue losing

C) will go out of business rather than continued to lose

D) will go out of business rather than continue to lose

E) would go out of business rather than continue to lose

generis · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION HIGHLIGHTS Because the IF clause in the non-underlined portion contains the verb persist in simple present tense, this construction is either a Zero Conditional or a Type 1 conditional. (See below the POE for an explanation.) Zero conditionals are general truths, scientific facts, results of studies—things that are true now and always. If X happens, then Y happens. Type 1 conditionals are often predictions or warnings. They describe a real, possible condition and a probable future result. If X happens, then Y will happen. We have a Big Hint that this statement is not a zero conditional that expresses a general truth or scientific fact: If . . . trends persist as projected The phrase in bold indicates that the sentence is describing an action that is expected to take place. As in: expected to take place in the future. We have a Type 1 conditional: If simple present, THEN simple future. Finally, as a very general rule, predictions use WILL and hypotheticals use WOULD. THE PROMPT THE OPTIONS • the verb go should not be in the present tense. -- For a Type 1 conditional, we need the main clause to use simple future tense: will go Eliminate A • the main clause incorrectly uses would go . We need will go. • would happen is a verb construction often used in hypotheticals -- more on that issue below • continue losing ? The phrase is okay. Continue is a verb that can take either a gerund or an infinitive without a change in meaning. -- I agree that continue to lose is better in terms of flow. This particular __ING construction weighs the sentence down, but that opinion is a style call you will never have to make. Eliminate B • what the heck is this continued word? It's in the past tense. We are talking about the future. Nonsense. Eliminate C • will go is correct and nothing else is strange KEEP • same verb problem as that in B: would go is not correct. We need will go The answer is D • ISSUES • conditional statements The word IF is a cue: look for some kind of conditional or hypothetical statement. (IF/THEN, condition/result) In English, conditional statements use very particular verbs to express different kinds of conditional meaning. In this post, here, in the footnote, I wrote a summary of the five types of conditionals. Each type uses different verbs. I would memorize the verb patterns. Conditional statements have an IF clause (or a condition clause) and a THEN clause (or a main clause that is a result clause). • assessing this sentence In this sentence, the verb in the IF clause is a given because it is in the non-underlined portion: If the current market trends persist . . . The verb persist is in simple present tense. The IF clause can be in simple present tense in only two conditionals: Zero conditionals and Type 1 conditionals. Zero conditional: IF simple present, THEN simple present Type 1 conditional: IF simple present, THEN simple future A zero conditional expresses something that is always true—meaning, true right this minute and always. -- If you mix ammonia and chlorine, then you get a toxic gas. (Just ask me.) We have a Big Hint that this statement is not a zero conditional (not a general truth or scientific fact): If . . . trends persist as projected The phrase in bold indicates that the sentence is describing an action that is expected to take place. Zero conditionals are true right now and always. A result that is expected (anticipated, likely TO happen) is in the future. -- zero conditionals do not use future tense in the main clause -- if something is expected to be true, then it is not true right now. Zero conditionals are true right now and always. We have a Type 1 conditional: If simple present, THEN simple future Type 1 conditionals are often used to convey warnings, predictions, possible plans, promises, or threats. Type 1 conditionals state the future result of a present and real (not hypothetical) possibility. Type 1 = a statement made in the present about the future. If THIS thing happens, then THAT thing will happen. If this trend persists , then companies will go out of business. • WOULD? -- the modal verbs may, might , and could can be used in the result clause of Type 1 conditionals to express different levels of certainty (NOT in the IF clause) -- although would is also a modal, it is not used in Type 1 conditionals. -- Type 1 conditionals are based on actual fact and predict possible or likely events in the future. By contrast, in conditional statements, would is used to express the impossible and the unlikely. -- as a very general rule, WILL is used for predictions whereas WOULD is used for hypotheticals Hypotheticals are IF simple past, THEN would verb If they were good conversationalists, then I would invite them to the cocktail party tomorrow night. (But they aren't good conversationalists. I'm hypothesizing about a counterfactual possibility.) COMMENTS gmatway and chondro48 welcome to SC Butler.

I am impressed by a few of these answers. Kudos to all who explained well. Nice work!

gmatway · Answer

If is used for conditional .

Here the condition is IF X continues then y WILL ...

eg If you study hard, (and results are certain) you will score 750+ in GMAT.

It cant be would because would is used mostly for hypothetical conditions(Third conditional) UNREALISTIC/ NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN

eg If I were a king, I would free all the slaves .

Annet1524 · Answer

If the current market trends persist as projected, the majority of mobile phone manufacturers go out of business rather than continue to lose money and customers to a small number of competitors.

A)  go  out of business rather than continue to lose - wrong conditional tense

B)  would go  out of business rather than continue losing - wrong conditional tense

C) will go out of business rather than  continued  to lose not parallel

D) will go out of business rather than continue to lose -  correct answer

E)  would  go out of business rather than continue to lose - wrong conditional tense

bartk · Answer

In this question we're dealing with another conditional sentence (first conditional).

We want to talk about possible future event that may occur given certain condition in the present.

The correct structure is:  If + present simple, will + verb .

So, if these trends  persist , the manufacturers  will go  out of business. We're making here a real prediction.

Back to the answer choices:

(A) If the current market trends persist, phone manufacturers  go  out of business.

Nope, we need something with "will".

(B) If the current market trends persist, phone manufacturers  would go  out of business.

Wrong, "would" is typical for second conditional when we talk about situations that are impossible or imaginary. Here that's not the case - we make a prediction about an event that CAN occur (it's not impossible). We need "will".

(C) If the current market trends persist, phone manufacturers  will go  out of business.

Let's keep it. We'll get back to that one.

(D) If the current market trends persist, phone manufacturers  will go  out of business.

Keep it.

(E) If the current market trends persist, phone manufacturers  would go  out of business.

Eliminate it for above mentioned reasons.

Now, the only contenders are (C) and (D) and the only difference is between "rather than  continue " and "rather than  continued ". We need an infinitive after  rather than , but if you don't know that, use logic. We're talking about the future, so is there any justification to use past form "continued"? No, so it's incorrect, and (D) is the answer.

ahabib · Answer

A)  go out  of business rather than continue to lose

Missing action verb

B)  would  go out of business rather than  continue losing

1) Incorrectly uses "Would" rather than "Will"

If  A persists, then B  will   occur

is the correct construction/verb tense (Verb tense must match with  persist )

2) Infinitive "to lose" is more appropriate than using the participle -ing in this case.

C) will go out of business rather than  continued  to lose

Incorrect verb tense

D)  will  go out of business rather than  continue  to lose

Correct

E)  would  go out of business rather than continue to lose

Same as (B)

Doer01 · Answer

Hi,
 Two Things to notice here and answer choices become easy to split:
 1: If  present , then  simple future ...
 2: Parallel verbs structure w.r.t.  go and continue to lose

Commits error 1 but maintains parallelism.  Incorrect 
 
Commits error 1 but maintains parallelism.  Incorrect 
 
Corrects erro 1 but Commits error 2.  Incorrect 
 
Corrects both the error mentioned.  Correct 
 
Commits error 1 but maintains parallelism.  Incorrect

kunaldutt15 · Answer

The correct answer should be D.

Conditional verb: When "If + present tense" is used, Simple present/future is the correct form of the "then" part.

J2S2019 · Answer

I have choosen E out of same context as the other one. "If.........." - hypothetical situation requires an usage of "would" Between B & E, E portrays the correct meaning. Hence E is the answer.

TheNightKing · Answer

I am putting all my eggs in option B. A is out because it is missing a helping verb. (will or would). Now we have a will vs would split, Since will is used in the cases where there is almost 100% certainty I am picking the verb would here. Between B and E, B is a better choice because it is showing present continuous tense of the event. IMO B. generis , If this is wrong, I do not deserve kudos. Thank you

freedom128 · Answer

Proper first form of conditional sentence: If S+ simple present, then S + simple future.

A)  go  out of business rather than continue to lose. 
The correct verb form should be "will go"

B)  would  go out of business rather than continue losing
The correct verb form should be "will go". The use of "would" as present conditional is illogical.

C) will go out of business rather than  continued  to lose
The correct verb form should be continue

D) will go out of business rather than continue to lose
 CORRECT ANSWER . The sentence conveys the intended meaning properly and is grammatically correct.

E)  would  go out of business rather than continue to lose.
Same issue as in (B).

Answer is (D)

generis · Answer

I have posted the official explanation  HERE

VerbalBot · Answer

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If the current market trends persist as projected, the majority of mob

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

If the current market trends persist as projected, the majority of mob

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

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From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards