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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:
5%
(low)
Question Stats:
83% (01:03) correct
17%
(01:07)
wrong
based on 807
sessions
History
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Time
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Sleeping pills had been showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests, sometimes involving drivers who later claim that they have no memory of getting behind the wheel after ingesting the pills.
(A) Sleeping pills had been showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests
(B) Sleeping pills had been showing up with regularity as factors in traffic arrests
(C) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests
(D) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity as factors in traffic arrests
(E) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity in traffic arrests
(A) Sleeping pills had been showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests
(B) Sleeping pills had been showing up with regularity as factors in traffic arrests
(C) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests
(D) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity as factors in traffic arrests
(E) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity in traffic arrests
Posts: 354
Picking C.
We need "have been" for correct SVA.
This leaves C,D and E.
D) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity as factors in traffic arrests
E) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity in traffic arrests......this seems to suggest that pills are found in traffic arrests
We need "have been" for correct SVA.
This leaves C,D and E.
D) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity as factors in traffic arrests
E) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity in traffic arrests......this seems to suggest that pills are found in traffic arrests
buzzgaurav
Why do we use present perfect rather than simple past?
Posts: 354
bmwhype2
That's because the non-underlined portion in the question does not hint that the the event occurred in the past. It is still happening.
C.
Was stuck between C and D. But... Sleeping pills, though plural, is only one factor. Close one.
Was stuck between C and D. But... Sleeping pills, though plural, is only one factor. Close one.
+1 C , present perfect because of "involving"
Sleeping pills had been showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests, sometimes involving drivers who later claim that they have no memory of getting behind the wheel after ingesting the pills.
Error Analysis:
Usage of past perfect is not justified. You have to have another past event to relate to.
POE:
A) Sleeping pills had been showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests
Usage of past perfect is not justified. You have to have another past event to relate to.
B) Sleeping pills had been showing up with regularity as factors in traffic arrests
Usage of past perfect is not justified. You have to have another past event to relate to. Sleeping pills is one of the factor for traffic arrests not factors.
C) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests
This looks fine.
D) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity as factors in traffic arrests
Sleeping pills is one of the factor for traffic arrests not factors.
E) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity in traffic arrests
This changes the meaning. Does it mean that Sleeping pills are frequently found with people arrested in traffic arrests irrespective of factors.
Should be C
Error Analysis:
Usage of past perfect is not justified. You have to have another past event to relate to.
POE:
A) Sleeping pills had been showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests
Usage of past perfect is not justified. You have to have another past event to relate to.
B) Sleeping pills had been showing up with regularity as factors in traffic arrests
Usage of past perfect is not justified. You have to have another past event to relate to. Sleeping pills is one of the factor for traffic arrests not factors.
C) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests
This looks fine.
D) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity as factors in traffic arrests
Sleeping pills is one of the factor for traffic arrests not factors.
E) Sleeping pills have been showing up with regularity in traffic arrests
This changes the meaning. Does it mean that Sleeping pills are frequently found with people arrested in traffic arrests irrespective of factors.
Should be C
suramya26
Joined: 02 Jul 2016
Last visit: 15 Jul 2021
Posts: 159
Location: India
Schools: Imperial '22 (D) MBS '22 (A) Tepper '23 (D) Olin '23 (D) Simon '23 (D) Scheller (D) Carroll Katz '23 (A$) Kelley '23 (D) Babson (A$) WBS (D) Smeal (D)
GMAT 1: 650 Q49 V28
GPA: 4
Schools: Imperial '22 (D) MBS '22 (A) Tepper '23 (D) Olin '23 (D) Simon '23 (D) Scheller (D) Carroll Katz '23 (A$) Kelley '23 (D) Babson (A$) WBS (D) Smeal (D)
GMAT 1: 650 Q49 V28
Posts: 159
Why can't the answer be E????
I thought the meaning is sleeping pills are found in the crime site...
Can't it be like the cops did investigation and they found sleep pills...
Can't it be this case?????
Posted from my mobile device
I thought the meaning is sleeping pills are found in the crime site...
Can't it be like the cops did investigation and they found sleep pills...
Can't it be this case?????
Posted from my mobile device
Posts: 4
tarunk31
If Sleeping pills is a factoR .... then shouldn't it be sleeping pills has been showing up as a factor in .....
Sleeping pills (factor) has been showing up??? what is wrong in this. (pills is plural but sleeping pills is a factor here and not actually sleeping pill right?)
Help me with this question please
santoshreddyk
same question here...I didn't think I can assume that sleeping pills are one factor-
Posts: 181
In regards to answer choice D: Sleeping Pills in this sentence is plural. There are multiple sleeping pills involved hence there should be multiple factors considered. Why is my reasoning wrong here? Thanks!
MartyTargetTestPrep
Expert
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 24 Nov 2014
Last visit: 11 Aug 2023
Posts: 3,471
Status:Chief Curriculum and Content Architect
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Posts: 3,471
kchen1994
Hi kchen1994.
There is nothing wrong with your reasoning. Choice (D) makes sense.
This question has at least two debatably correct answers.
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kaladin123
Current Student
Joined: 06 Jul 2019
Last visit: 10 Jul 2022
Posts: 134
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Strategy
Schools: IIMA PGPX'23 (II)
GMAT 1: 640 Q39 V39
GMAT 2: 700 Q48 V38 (Online)
GPA: 3.11
WE:Project Management (Computer Software)
Products:
OA:
The sentence incorrectly uses the past perfect verb phrase "had been showing up." The past perfect is only used when a sentence involves two past events; the past perfect tense ("had . . .") is used for the earlier past event while the simple past tense is used for the later past event. However, in this sentence there is no second event that takes place in the past. Therefore, the past perfect cannot be used.
(A) This choice is incorrect as it repeats the original sentence.
(B) This choice incorrectly uses the past perfect verb phrase "had been showing up." The past perfect is only used when a sentence involves two past events; the past perfect tense ("had . . .") is used for the earlier past event while the simple past tense is used for the later past event. However, since, in this sentence, there is no second event that takes place in the past, the past perfect cannot be used. In addition, this choice uses the phrase "as factors in traffic arrests." The plural "factors" is incorrect since "sleeping pills" represent only one factor in traffic arrests.
(C) CORRECT. This choice correctly uses the present perfect tense "have been showing up" to indicate an event that started in the past and continues into the present. This choice also correctly uses the phrase "as a factor" rather than "as factors" because sleeping pills constitute only one factor in arrests.
(D) This choice correctly uses the present perfect tense "have been showing up" to indicate an event that started in the past and continues into the present. However, this choice incorrectly uses the phrase "as factors in traffic arrests." The plural "factors" is incorrect since "sleeping pills" represent only one factor in traffic arrests.
(E) This choice correctly uses the present perfect tense "have been showing up" to indicate an event that started in the past and continues into the present. However, the phrase "sleeping pills have been showing up . . .in traffic arrests" nonsensically suggests that the pills themselves have shown up in traffic arrests. In fact, the pills have shown up as a factor in traffic arrests (while the pills themselves are safely hidden in the driver's stomach).
_________________
The sentence incorrectly uses the past perfect verb phrase "had been showing up." The past perfect is only used when a sentence involves two past events; the past perfect tense ("had . . .") is used for the earlier past event while the simple past tense is used for the later past event. However, in this sentence there is no second event that takes place in the past. Therefore, the past perfect cannot be used.
(A) This choice is incorrect as it repeats the original sentence.
(B) This choice incorrectly uses the past perfect verb phrase "had been showing up." The past perfect is only used when a sentence involves two past events; the past perfect tense ("had . . .") is used for the earlier past event while the simple past tense is used for the later past event. However, since, in this sentence, there is no second event that takes place in the past, the past perfect cannot be used. In addition, this choice uses the phrase "as factors in traffic arrests." The plural "factors" is incorrect since "sleeping pills" represent only one factor in traffic arrests.
(C) CORRECT. This choice correctly uses the present perfect tense "have been showing up" to indicate an event that started in the past and continues into the present. This choice also correctly uses the phrase "as a factor" rather than "as factors" because sleeping pills constitute only one factor in arrests.
(D) This choice correctly uses the present perfect tense "have been showing up" to indicate an event that started in the past and continues into the present. However, this choice incorrectly uses the phrase "as factors in traffic arrests." The plural "factors" is incorrect since "sleeping pills" represent only one factor in traffic arrests.
(E) This choice correctly uses the present perfect tense "have been showing up" to indicate an event that started in the past and continues into the present. However, the phrase "sleeping pills have been showing up . . .in traffic arrests" nonsensically suggests that the pills themselves have shown up in traffic arrests. In fact, the pills have shown up as a factor in traffic arrests (while the pills themselves are safely hidden in the driver's stomach).
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