The director of the conservatory emphasized to the new

Question

6. The director of the conservatory emphasized to the new students that to become successful musicians not only talent but also hard work were necessary.
(A) to become successful musicians not only talent but also hard work were necessary
-- plural verb. incorrect
(B) in order to be successful musicians requires hard work as well as talent
-- verb shift following 'that'.

(C) becoming a successful musician requires hard work as well as talent

-- Same as B

(D) not only talent but also hard work was necessary to become a successful musician

-- OK with a consistent singular verb for non-compound additive phrases.

(E) both hard work and talent were necessary for them becoming successful musicians

-- becoming is not correct. to become is better.

Rupstar · Answer

(D)
for its tense matching with the word "Emphasized"

prep_gmat · Answer

6. The director of the conservatory emphasized to the new students that to become successful musicians not only talent but also hard work were necessary. 
(A) to become successful musicians not only talent but also hard work were necessary 
-- plural verb. incorrect
(B) in order to be successful musicians requires hard work as well as talent 
-- verb shift following 'that'.

(C) becoming a successful musician requires hard work as well as talent 

-- Same as B

(D) not only talent but also hard work was necessary to become a successful musician 

-- OK with a consistent singular verb for non-compound additive phrases.

(E) both hard work and talent were necessary for them becoming successful musicians 

-- becoming is not correct. to become is better.

Rupstar · Answer

Hey Prep Gmat
can u elaborate on your explanation for D?

jpv · Answer

Is it not a question of Subjunctive Mood (requirement)?? :roll:

I will go with (A)..

prep_gmat · Answer

Here is something that nocilis wrote on additive phrases a day or so ago:
And is the only additive that can make two singular subjects in to a plural one. 

In addition to, not only X but also Y, etc. will not make the singular subjects in to a plural. 


The boys, in addition to the girls, are participating in the games. 

In the above example you gave, it is not in addition that makes the subject plural, it is the plural subject boys that makes it plural. 

Even if your sentence were: 
1) The boy, in addition to the girl, is participating in the games. -> still singular 
2) The boy, in addition to the girls, is participating in the games. -> still Singular.

I am not sure if the question is about subjunctive mood, even if it is I think you cant mix 'that' and 'to' construction.

ywilfred · Answer

(A) - grammatically wrong ("not only talent")
(B) - subject-verb (musicians require, not requires)
(D) - not as concise as c 
(E) - needs to become, instead of becoming

(C) for me

prep_gmat · Answer

the original sentence mentions 'necessity' as opposed to 'requirement'. kind of necessary/sufficient condition stuff in SC?. I think we are expected to look for such subtelities in SC?.

ywilfred · Answer

but doesn't require and nescessary mean the same thing.

e.g. 
You will require a password to go through this door.
A password is nescessary in order to pass through this door.

From the webster-merrian online dictionary:

Nescessary: absolutely needed : REQUIRED

christoph · Answer

C) !

D) incorrect becauce it distorts the meaning "not only talent but also hard work was necessary" it  still is  necessary...

C) "becoming" is better because it describes an ongoing process

ywilfred · Answer

Good point, chris. I failed to see the tense 'was'.

prep_gmat · Answer

Yes, continuous tense makes sense. Thanks Christoph.

banerjeea_98 · Answer

Isn't the whole sentence in past tense, then why there is an issue with the usage of "was" in choice "D" ? Or is it becose of the subjunctive mood.

FN · Answer

C it is ....reason for me, is that its short and sweet!

gets rid of all the other "fatty" words!...cant really explain what else is good about C.

however, the rest all suffer from wordiness and in some options wrong idiom....i think it should be "to become"....some options have that wrong.

faizaniftikhar83 · Answer

always prefer infinitive over gerund. then A and D are left. In A, 'were' does not agree with 'hardwork'. so, D is the right answer.

mdf2 · Answer

I would pick D. Straight forward and correct. respecting tense and meaning. 
"Becoming and the on going process " mmmmmm? I don t understand the flow behind that statement. 
I thought : 
either you are successful or you are not.. you are not in the process of beeing successful. the wish, desire and will of beeing successful can be an on going process but not the fact that you are.

He is successful because he s having success. 
I duno if I am clear. 
anyway we are waiting for the OA

bozo190101 · Answer

D for me. 

A) to become successful musicians not only talent but also hard work were necessary INCORRECT
(B) in order to be successful musicians requires hard work as well as talent INCORRECT  
(C) becoming a successful musician requires hard work as well as talent 
[BECOMING....REQUIRES...UNIDIOMATIC. TO BECOME APPROPRIATE. 
(D) not only talent but also hard work was necessary to become a successful musician CORRECT! I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH WAS, IT SURELY STILL IS BUT THAT IS NOT THE MAIN POINT IN THE QUESTION. THE TENSE USAGE IS ACCURATE. 
(E) both hard work and talent were necessary for them becoming successful musicians INCORRECT. 


The more I see it, i am convinced that becoming is incorrect. To become is probably the correct usage. 

OA Banerjee??
What is the source of this question. Good ones.

banerjeea_98 · Answer

oops my bad, OA is "C", no OE.

The director of the conservatory emphasized to the new

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