Wendell Willkie was a Democrat so newly and casually converted to the Republican party that at the moment of his nomination he had yet to change his voter registration.

A) that at the moment of his nomination he had yet to change his voter registration
B) he had yet to change his voter registration at the moment of his nomination
C) at the moment of his nomination there was yet his voter registration to change
D) that his voter registration was yet to be changed at the moment of his nomination
E) that changing his voter registration was yet to be done at the moment of his nomination

SC: 16902

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:

Sentence Correction

Wendell Willkie was the Republican nominee for U.S. president in 1940. The underlined portion of this sentence is a subordinate clause stating that when he was nominated, he had not yet changed his voter registration. This clause must be concisely worded to convey this meaning clearly, smoothly, and unambiguously. The phrase at the moment of his nomination must be carefully placed so that it unambiguously modifies the entire phrase indicating that he had not yet changed his voter registration.

A Correct. This wording is clear and concise. The use of that demarcates the beginning of the subordinate clause, clarifying that at the moment of his nomination is part of the clause. The placement of at the moment of his nomination before he had yet to change his voter registration shows that the former phrase modifies the latter.

B This wording confusingly suggests that at the moment of his nomination modifies only change his voter registration rather than the entire phrase he had yet to change his voter registration.

C With no that to mark where the subordinate clause begins, this phrasing confusingly suggests that at the moment of his nomination is part of the main clause and modifies converted to the Republican party. The phrasing there was yet his voter registration to change is awkward and unclear.

D This awkward use of the passive voice is unnecessarily confusing, leaving it unclear who or what had not yet changed Willkie's voter registration. The placement of at the moment of his nomination confusingly suggests that the phrase modifies only changed rather than the entire phrase his voter registration was yet to be changed.

E This awkward combination of the gerund phrase changing his registration with the passive voice is unnecessarily wordy, convoluted, and confusing, leaving it unclear who or what had not yet changed Willkie's voter registration. The use of both changed and done is unnecessarily redundant. The placement of at the moment of his nomination confusingly suggests that the phrase modifies only done rather than the entire phrase changing his voter registration was yet to be done.

The correct answer is A.

The difference between A and D is that:
Option A specifies that Democrat was the one who had to change his registration
Option D does not say who is going to change the registration, so it does not give complete meaning

EducationAisle could you please help decode this and tell why A is correct and others are wrong?

Posted from my mobile device

Whenever simple past conveys the meaning correctly, it is preferred to past perfect. But that doesn't make use of past perfect incorrect.

In absence of better alternatives, we have to choose option that uses past perfect. Best to keep 'was vs. had' difference as last point of elimination, after you have exhausted other issues.

A is the correct answer here.

A) that at the moment of his nomination he had yet to change his voter registration Correct

=>so..that
=>Per the intended meaning, WW had yet to change his voter registration at the moment of his nomination

B) he had yet to change his voter registration at the moment of his nomination Incorrect

=>so..that is a correct idiom

C) at the moment of his nomination there was yet his voter registration to change Incorrect

=>so..that is a correct idiom

D) that his voter registration was yet to be changed at the moment of his nomination Incorrect

=> Meaning changed: This sentence fails to express who changed WW's voter registration. Per the intended meaning, WW had yet to change his voter registration at the moment of his nomination

E) that changing his voter registration was yet to be done at the moment of his nomination Incorrect

=> Meaning changed: This sentence fails to express who changed WW's voter registration. Per the intended meaning, WW had yet to change his voter registration at the moment of his nomination
=> Wordy