Answer Choices
NO CHANGE
had not been
would not have been
was not
Explanation for Question 24 From the Writing Section on the 2018 May Sat
Okay. Question number 24, we are looking at this underlined phrase 2 is not until 2007 that a study demonstrated that the 3 theaters, um, the theater seating arrangement is the source of its excellent acoustics. 4 Um, it is not our no change option is incorrect here 5 because it's talking about 2007. 6 This is in the past. Um, 7 because 2007 is in the past. It doesn't make to say it doesn't make 8 sense to say it is not until we would say it was not until 9 was being the past tense there. So that, 10 that suggests or correct answer for 24 is going to be choice D it 11 was not, um, with answer choices, 12 B and C, these are slightly different forms of the past tense. 13 Um, but they don't really apply and they make this sentence unnecessarily confusing. 14 Let's take a look at those in turn answer. 15 Choice B says, had not been, 16 it had not been until 2007 that a study demonstrated, 17 um, had not been, again, 18 it sort of feels maybe a little bit more correct than is, 19 but it's, it's not as concise as using the word was, 20 there was the most simple and concise way to put this. 21 So B is out answer choice C it would not have been, 22 um, would not have kind of suggests, 23 um, an alternative, um, 24 what is, and what could or would, 25 or should have been. Um, so we sort of see like two different, 26 two different outcomes. They're two different alternatives in this case that doesn't really make 27 sense. We might use, like would have not been if we're talking about an 28 alternative where, um, 29 maybe this was never discovered, but we're not bringing up that alternative. 30 So it doesn't make sense to say would not have been. 31 Um, we just want to say was not that's the clearest and it doesn't 32 complicate things for the reader. So choice D is going to be correct for 33 number 24 because it correctly uses the past tense in the most concise 34 way possible.