Verbal questions from any Manhattan Prep GMAT Computer Adaptive Test. Topic subject should be the first few words of your question.
nandsharma
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Confusing SC on Subjunctive

by nandsharma Thu Oct 01, 2009 7:15 am

Legislation of country X requires of both public and private employers that pay be
the same for jobs historically held by women as for jobs requiring comparable skill that are
usually held by
men.
(A) that pay be the same for jobs historically held by women as for jobs requiring comparable skill that are
(B) that pay for jobs historically held by women should be the same as for a job requiring comparable skills
(C) to pay the same in jobs historically held by women as in jobs of comparable skill that are
(D) to pay the same regardless of whether a job was historically held by women or is one demanding
comparable skills
(E) to pay as much for jobs historically held by women as for a job demanding comparable skills

The OA for the Q is A.

The OA can right only if the above use of subjunctive construction in A is correct. According to the MGMAT SC guide, however, the construction for the Command Subjunctive should always be:
BOSSY VERB+THAT+Subject+Command Subjunctive

But in choice A, the construction is:
BOSSY VERB+prepositional phrase+THAT+Subject+Command Subjunctive

Citing faulty subjunctive construction, I chose C.
Could the someone on the MGMAT staff please tell me if the use of subjunctive in choice A is correct?
RonPurewal
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Re: Confusing SC on Subjunctive

by RonPurewal Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:43 am

hi

nandsharma Wrote:BOSSY VERB+THAT+Subject+Command Subjunctive

But in choice A, the construction is:
BOSSY VERB+prepositional phrase+THAT+Subject+Command Subjunctive


prepositional phrases are MODIFIERS, and are therefore "middlemen" (i.e., they can be eliminated from the overall sentence structure). provided that they are placed logically (so that they don't destroy clarity), they exert no forces on the underlying structure of the sentence.

therefore, the insertion of the prepositional phrase, in this case, doesn't affect the integrity of the sentence structure at all.