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ashisplb The GMAT no longer follows the "possessive poison" rule, so it's fine for "them" to refer to husbands, even though the word only appears as a possessive.

I also feel obliged to point out that this is NOT a Manhattan Prep question. It's from Manhattan Review. I don't think we (or the GMAT) would produce a sentence that talks about "housewives" submitting to their husbands!
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abhimahna , daagh

I have one question. Is past perfect tense "had submitted" ok in this context or is it redundant?
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Past perfect in the given context is not the clincher. It is not incorrect but is not essential either;
The issue on hand is more about idiom in the main.
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Hi hazelnut , gmatexam439

(D) While once housewives submitted to their husbands’ authority by agreeing with them on every political issue

I am finding it difficult to accept that "them" can refer to "husband's" which happens to be a possessive. Can such pronouns always have a possessive as their referent or is there some particular case??
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Hi hazelnut , gmatexam439

(D) While once housewives submitted to their husbands’ authority by agreeing with them on every political issue

I am finding it difficult to accept that "them" can refer to "husband's" which happens to be a possessive. Can such pronouns always have a possessive as their referent or is there some particular case??

Hi Prateek,

You might want to refer this : https://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/gmat-pronoun-traps/

I hope that helps!

Regards

Posted from my mobile device
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Hi Divyadisha.
I understood that we can split choices on the basis of use of where and while.
Since question doesn't talk about physical location and place, where is wrong and choice A and B are wrong.

Now
By agreement in option C and by their agreeing in option E are clearly wrong.

Only D left now. But don't you think that how housewives could be submissive and self-reliant in same time frame. How it is "after"
which forced us to use simple past in "while------issue, " statement.

I think past perfect should be used in option D.
If I am wrong, please tell me "why I am wrong" to clear my grammatical mistake.

vijay


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Where once housewives had submitted to the authority of their husbands by
agreeing
with them on every political issue, after many men supported America’s
decision not to sign an international treaty on the rights of women, many
housewives decided to form their own political ideas.
(A) Where once housewives had submitted to the authority of their husbands by
agreeing
(B) Where once housewives submitted to their husbands’ authority for the agreement
of
(C) While once housewives had submitted to the authority of their husbands by
agreement
(D) While once housewives submitted to their husbands’ authority by agreeing
(E) While once housewives had submitted to the authority of their husbands by
their agreeing

'Where' must always refer to place, and hence is not correct for this sentence. A and B are out

In order to have contrast, we need 'while' for this sentence.

(C) While once housewives had submitted to the authority of their husbands by
agreement. 'agreeing' and 'agreement' are not same.
Wives did something by agreeing with their husbands. Wives did not make any agreement.

(D) While once housewives submitted to their husbands’ authority by agreeing. Clear meaning.

(E) While once housewives had submitted to the authority of their husbands by
their agreeing. What is 'their' referring to. Try replacing 'their' with 'husband's' or 'wives'. It doesn't make sense.
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Shawnik
Where once housewives had submitted to the authority of their husbands by agreeing with them on every political issue, after many men supported America’s decision not to sign an international treaty on the rights of women, many housewives decided to form their own political ideas.


(A) Where once housewives had submitted to the authority of their husbands by agreeing

(B) Where once housewives submitted to their husbands’ authority for the agreement of

(C) While once housewives had submitted to the authority of their husbands by agreement

(D) While once housewives submitted to their husbands’ authority by agreeing

(E) While once housewives had submitted to the authority of their husbands by their agreeing

MANHATTAN REVIEW OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:



Is ‘where’ or ‘while’ correct? ‘Where’ is used for locations. While is used for contrasts. This sentence introduces a contrast. Eliminate A and B. ‘Agreement’ in C is not correct. ‘Agreeing’ in D is correct. D is also more efficient than C and E. Choice D is the correct answer.
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