GMAT Test 55, Q21, Q8 - SC

[raj]

Art historians are using a process known as infrared scanning in analyzing the Mona Lisa to determine if it has been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as done by many artists of the time.
(A) if it has been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as done
(B) if it had been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice employed
(C) whether it has been altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice employed
(D) whether it was altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as was done
(E) whether it had been altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice done

[From GMAT Test 55, Q21]

I have two questions:
1. is the usage of "has been" more correct or "was" more correct in this sentence.
2. "as was done" in option D seems ok to me. Isn't "as" used to indicate the manner (used as adverb) i.e., "sketched the figure in a certain way".

OA is not D.

Contrary to the scholarly wisdom of the 1950’s and early 1960’s that predicted the processes of modernization and rationalization would gradually undermine it, ethnicity is a worldwide phenomenon of increasing importance.
(A) would gradually undermine it
(B) to be a gradual undermining of it
(C) would be a gradual undermining of ethnicity
(D) to gradually undermine ethnicity
(E) gradually undermining it
[From GMAT Test 55, Q8] [OA is A]

I have following question:
Is there a good rule to use when pronoun is used before the noun. In the above sentence "it" refers to "ethnicity". If ethnicity was repeated instead of "it", and then again followed by "ethnicity" after comma then would it be a wrong usage.

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, Raj

Can you please indicate the author of "GMAT Test 55"? (Either GMAC or OG if from the official test writers, or the name of the company producing the material, if commercially available.) We need to give proper credit for copyright reasons. Thanks!

[raj]

source is GMAC (www.mba.com)

[StaceyKoprince]

For Q21, "has been altered" is better than "was altered." Has been is present perfect, which indicates something that started in the past but is still true or still going on today. If it was altered sometime in the past... then it would also be altered today (that is, still true).

I agree that "as was done" could work here - but D, of course, uses the wrong tense elsewhere in the sentence ("was altered"). The original sentence used "as done," which is incorrect - sometimes they fix one thing, but not everything.

For Q8, I just commented on this problem in another post, actually. I don't recommend that people study from the old paper-based tests b/c things have changed a lot since then (the last paper-based test was administered in 1997). For instance, nowadays, they strongly avoid using subject pronouns before the antecedent in a sentence, and they generally avoid using object pronouns before the antecedent. But, here, they do use an object pronoun before the antecedent. You're less likely to see that today.

[Guest]

For Q21, "has been altered" is better than "was altered." Has been is present perfect, which indicates something that started in the past but is still true or still going on today. If it was altered sometime in the past... then it would also be altered today (that is, still true).

I agree that "as was done" could work here - but D, of course, uses the wrong tense elsewhere in the sentence ("was altered"). The original sentence used "as done," which is incorrect - sometimes they fix one thing, but not everything.

Hi Stacey,
what about the choice E, "a practice done"? what's wrong with this?
Thank You!

[JonathanSchneider]

"that predicted noun and noun undermining it" - if we were to select this choice, then what would be the prediction? Notice that "predict" requires either a simple noun (I predict rain) or some sort of clause (I predict that it will rain). By introducing the noun and noun here, we need a tensed verb to follow; otherwise, it would seem as though those nouns were the things that we were predicting (like the rain)

[Guest]

"that predicted noun and noun undermining it" - if we were to select this choice, then what would be the prediction? Notice that "predict" requires either a simple noun (I predict rain) or some sort of clause (I predict that it will rain). By introducing the noun and noun here, we need a tensed verb to follow; otherwise, it would seem as though those nouns were the things that we were predicting (like the rain)

Jon,
I am still confused. Why is then "a practice employed" in answer choice "C" okay (C is the OA)?

Thanks,

[JonathanSchneider]

Ah, sorry, I was looking at the wrong problem (there were two listed in the original post). My reasoning above was related to the second of the two. E is wrong because of "had been altered" (past perfect) where we want "has been altered" (the present perfect). We know this because there are no two past actions here; the scientists are described in the present tense. "done" is also awkward in comparison with "employed."

[radiant.vivek]

For Q21, "has been altered" is better than "was altered." Has been is present perfect, which indicates something that started in the past but is still true or still going on today. If it was altered sometime in the past... then it would also be altered today (that is, still true).

I agree that "as was done" could work here - but D, of course, uses the wrong tense elsewhere in the sentence ("was altered"). The original sentence used "as done," which is incorrect - sometimes they fix one thing, but not everything.

For Q8, I just commented on this problem in another post, actually. I don't recommend that people study from the old paper-based tests b/c things have changed a lot since then (the last paper-based test was administered in 1997). For instance, nowadays, they strongly avoid using subject pronouns before the antecedent in a sentence, and they generally avoid using object pronouns before the antecedent. But, here, they do use an object pronoun before the antecedent. You're less likely to see that today.

Hi Stacey,

I can understand that this sentence requires perfect tense, but when it says "a practice employed", shouldn't that refer to a noun ?
I agree D might not be correct but I have got doubts about C as well.
I may be wrong about the noun thing. Can you please explain?

Thanks,
Vivek

[tim]

apparently it doesn't have to refer to a noun. keep in mind it does no good to "doubt" or question officially correct answers; instead you just need to learn from the question what is or isn't acceptable and adjust your perception accordingly..