Coca Cola

[Saurabh Malpani]

Hi I don't know how many times will i get this question wrong and still i don't understand the explaination.

In one of the most stunning reversals in the history of marketing, the Coca-Cola company in July 1985 yielded to thousands of irate consumers demanding that it should bring back the original Coke formula.

A) demanding that it should
B )demanding it to
C )and their demand to
D )who demanded that it
E) who demanded it to


Why is B wrong here. IMO B is far better choice than E.

Please explain.

[Guest]

Just to add to this..it's demanding working as a participle here?

Thanks
Saurabh Malpani

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, Saurabh

Is this question possibly from the 1000 SC list that floats around the Internet? If so, just FYI - we're debating whether to accept this source in future because many of the questions from this source are not good representations of the actual GMAT. If you are studying from this source, I highly recommend not using it anymore. For example, your note seems to indicate that E was the posted answer but D should be the right answer. A lot of the answers are marked incorrectly in the versions floating around the Net. (And even beyond that, a lot of the questions are not good representations of the actual test.)

So, I can demand that you do something, but I don't demand that you should do something. If I'm demanding it, I'm not saying I think you should do it. I'm telling you to do it. Choice A is wrong for this reason.

Also, I can demand that you do something, but I don't demand you do something - I need the "that" in there because I am "demanding that you do the entire statement. I'm not just "demanding you." Choice B is wrong for this reason.

C is wrong because the "and" seems to indicate some kind of separation between the two parts (before and after the and) but they are connected.

D is the right answer. "Who" indicates a noun modifier, which is correctly placed (right next to the noun it modifies - consumers). Again, I demand that you do something, so this is right.

E is wrong because "that" is missing. "That" is necessary, as described above.

[Saurabh Malpani]

Hi, Saurabh

Is this question possibly from the 1000 SC list that floats around the Internet? If so, just FYI - we're debating whether to accept this source in future because many of the questions from this source are not good representations of the actual GMAT. If you are studying from this source, I highly recommend not using it anymore. For example, your note seems to indicate that E was the posted answer but D should be the right answer. A lot of the answers are marked incorrectly in the versions floating around the Net. (And even beyond that, a lot of the questions are not good representations of the actual test.)

So, I can demand that you do something, but I don't demand that you should do something. If I'm demanding it, I'm not saying I think you should do it. I'm telling you to do it. Choice A is wrong for this reason.

Also, I can demand that you do something, but I don't demand you do something - I need the "that" in there because I am "demanding that you do the entire statement. I'm not just "demanding you." Choice B is wrong for this reason.

C is wrong because the "and" seems to indicate some kind of separation between the two parts (before and after the and) but they are connected.

D is the right answer. "Who" indicates a noun modifier, which is correctly placed (right next to the noun it modifies - consumers). Again, I demand that you do something, so this is right.

E is wrong because "that" is missing. "That" is necessary, as described above.

Stacy I am sorry for typing in the wrong asnwer indeed the correct answer is D. This question is from OG 10th edition--Question 142.

Thanks for your suggestion I am infact not using anything other than OGs and the test papers for my prep as I very well understand that the questions could be wrong and mislead me.

[StaceyKoprince]

Got it! I thought it might be part of 1000 SC because so many versions of it have the wrong answers marked down. Anyway, hope my explanation helped!

[asth678]

I was going through this and i have a question do you always need to use that with demand- stacey said- "I demand that you...."
Is it a rule?or is using demand without that ok?

[ChrisB]

Hi,

Great question:

I was going through this and i have a question do you always need to use that with demand- stacey said- "I demand that you...."
Is it a rule?or is using demand without that ok?

When used as a verb "to demand" must be followed by "that." That is because "to demand that" is an example of command subjunctive verbs. These verbs show urgency or demonstrate that an action is important. In that case the construction goes as follows:

"command subjunctive verb" that x "infinitive form -to" y

Using your example verbs:

I demand that you be on time.

Other examples of command subjunctive verbs can be found in the SC strategy guide. You can read up on this topic on this site as well if you need further reading:
http://www.englishpage.com/minitutorial ... ctive.html

Again, great question and best of luck.

-Chris

[deepus31]

I eliminated D because for D to be correct, the non underlined sentence should start with brings. As in "consumers who demanded that it (refers to Coca Cola company) brings back the original coke formula." it is singular and thus the verb should be brings and not bring. Where am I going wrong ??

[jnelson0612]

I eliminated D because for D to be correct, the non underlined sentence should start with brings. As in "consumers who demanded that it (refers to Coca Cola company) brings back the original coke formula." it is singular and thus the verb should be brings and not bring. Where am I going wrong ??

The command subjunctive mood has very specific rules about the construction of the sentence. The verb does not necessarily have to match up with the noun in the clause. Instead use this construction:

bossy verb (demand) + that + (someone/something) + (infinitive minus the "to"; in this case the infinitive is "to bring" so just use "bring").

Here it works out to be "consumers who demanded that it bring back . . .

Some other examples:
I demand that you do your homework.
The mayor suggested that the city council pass the lesislation.
He insisted that she leave the party.

When you see the bossy verb followed by that, just follow this construction. Hope this helps!