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mSKR
Joined: 14 Aug 2019
Last visit: 10 Mar 2024
Posts: 1,202
Location: Hong Kong
Concentration: Strategy, Marketing
Schools: IE (A) IIML-IPMX '22 (A) HKUST '22
GMAT 1: 650 Q49 V29
GPA: 3.81
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
75%
(hard)
Question Stats:
43% (01:25) correct
57%
(01:38)
wrong
based on 434
sessions
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When Milton wrote his epic poem Paradise Lost, he set the work against the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that he first saw when he had visited Galileo 20 years earlier.
A. he set the work against the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that he first saw
B. he set the work against the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that he had first seen
C. the work was set in front of the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that was first seen
D. the work was set against the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that he first saw
E. he sets the work in front of the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that he had first seen
A. he set the work against the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that he first saw
B. he set the work against the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that he had first seen
C. the work was set in front of the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that was first seen
D. the work was set against the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that he first saw
E. he sets the work in front of the backdrop of interstellar space sparkling with "innumerable stars" that he had first seen
catinabox
Alum
Joined: 27 Nov 2019
Last visit: 02 Jun 2026
Posts: 662
Location: United States (IL)
Schools: Kellogg '24 (M)
GMAT 1: 770 Q50 V44
GPA: 4
Totally confused by this one. Why is past perfect required? Can anyone help?
mSKR
Joined: 14 Aug 2019
Last visit: 10 Mar 2024
Posts: 1,202
Location: Hong Kong
Concentration: Strategy, Marketing
Schools: IE (A) IIML-IPMX '22 (A) HKUST '22
GMAT 1: 650 Q49 V29
GPA: 3.81
catinabox
20 years earlier:
1. visited Galileo and 2. seen innumerable stars--PAST PERFECT
in past( 20 years later from first actions)
1. wrote and 2. set the work -- SIMPLE PAST TENSE
Hope it is clear?
Schools: Kenan-Flagler'23 (D)
Posts: 108
Easy Question, SV agreement and tenses.
Posts: 160
imSKR
The best way to mention in this sentence would be ‘he had first seen’. Got the top two sentences B & E. In E he sets the work is wrong.
Therefore B is the best answer choice.
Posted from my mobile device
catinabox
Remember a thumb rule:
When 2 actions happen simultaneously ( visit Galelio , see stars) then they will be in the same tense.
We know had seen stars is Past perfect hence the PP for visit too.
catinabox
Alum
Joined: 27 Nov 2019
Last visit: 02 Jun 2026
Posts: 662
Location: United States (IL)
Schools: Kellogg '24 (M)
GMAT 1: 770 Q50 V44
GPA: 4
Eaneru
Yes, this makes a lot of sense.
Does anyone have any links to similar questions? I don't think I've seen a lot of questions testing this concept.
mSKR
Options A, C, and D can be eliminated as they're missing a 'had' near the end of the sentence.
Option E can be eliminated as 'sets' does not stay parallel with 'wrote'.
Option B is correct.
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