MGMAT CAT Test question SC

[dinesh19aug]

With government funding for the arts dwindling, even major orchestras would feel the pressure of trying to meet their payroll and travel costs over the past several years.

a) would feel
b) will feel
c) have felt
d) feel
e) are feeling

OA is C. I chose A. The reason is I chose A is that goverment funding is dwindling, which means it is still dwindling. The reduction in funds have not stopped and has been reducing even now. Therefor orchestras "are feeling" pressure over the past few years.

If the sentences started with line "The government fund dwindled over the past few years ...", then we can use "orchestras have felt". However in the present case the fund is still reducing and if we use "have felt", it would mean that fund dwindling is over and Orchestras are no longer feeling pressurized.


Can some one please explain?

[debmalya.dutta]

Note "over the past several years"
That should guide you .

[tim]

Exactly. Both effects are still continuing, therefore we want to use the present perfect tense. Also Dinesh, please note that you claim to have chosen A but clearly advocate for E in your analysis. i'm not sure what's going on here, but both answers are incorrect in light of the need to use the present perfect tense..

[radiant.vivek]

Can you please explain what is wrong with option E?

Regards

[jlucero]

(E) Over the past several years, orchestras are feeling pressure to meet payroll.

(C) Over the past several years, orchestras have felt pressure to meet payroll.

As Debmalya stated, "over the past several years" is the key to this sentence. It means an event started in the past and continues through today. This means we need to use the present perfect have/has + participle. (E) would imply that orchestras have just now felt this pressure from dwindling funding.