SC:Radiocarbon dating of fossils taken from caves

[sahil.2441]

Hi Ron

What is the difference between these 2 sentences:

1. suggests that at least a portion of the area remained [Option C -as it is]

2.suggests that at least a portion of the area was remaining.

Is the second sentence wrong ?

Sahil

[thanghnvn]

on sc , many times I see gmat distort meaning and require us to differentiate between the intended meaning and the distorted meaning. the problem is that in many cases, both the intended meaning and the distorted meaning are correct if they stand alone. but if they stand together, we can realize which is the intended meaing, using common sense.

I want to cite some couples of the intended meaning and the distorted meaning.

I like his leaning gmat
I like him learning gmat

I suggest that he learn gmat
I suggest him learning gmat.

the educators are at fault for not anticipating the problem
that educator did not anticipate the problem is at fault.

when the distored meaning is not logical, we can eliminate the distorted meaning easily. But when the distorted meaning is still logical and grammatical if it stand alone, we often ask why this distorted meaning is wrong. the answer is that when the 2 correct meanings stand together, one meaning must be considered distorted. This is reasonable because gmat wants to test our ability to convey the intended meaning exactly . gmat dose not want us to convey another meaning, though, this meaning is still grammatical and logical. This thinking of gmat is not hard to understand but it seems that this thinking is not declared.

I used to analyse the distorted meaning and confirm that if I see this meaning alone, this meaning is quite logical and grammatical simply because that meaning is what I want to convey. But if this distorted meaning and the offical meaning stand together, we can realize easily which is the intended meaning, using the common sense.

Ron's explanation of why D and E are incorrect proves my above thinking above. Ron can eliminate D and E, using only meaning analysis and not using grammatical (had done) analysis.

If my above thinking is not correct, why do we have to try to keep the meaning of the original? we have to keep the meaning of the original because there are 2 choices both of which contain logical meanings but only one of which is closer to the meaning of the original.

Ron used to advise us not to see/analyse an answer choice separately. This clearly proves what I am saying here.

pls comment. is my thinking correct. Thank you Manhanan experts

[RonPurewal]

thang, i am having a hard time following your post above. but, the short version is this: you shouldn't ever see 2 choices that are both grammatically correct and reasonable in meaning.

[Emma L]

Hi , I have a problem about the tense here. Since this sentence uses "during the last ice age", why don't we use present perfect tense?

[RonPurewal]

Hi , I have a problem about the tense here. Since this sentence uses "during the last ice age", why don't we use present perfect tense?

"the last ice age" is in the past.

[JaneJ740]

Hi , I have a problem about the tense here. Since this sentence uses "during the last ice age", why don't we use present perfect tense?

"the last ice age" is in the past.

Then why don't use past perfect tense?

Thanks in advence.

[RonPurewal]

If you're talking about "had ___ed", that tense requires another (later) past point of view.

E.g.,
On Saturday, I found out that you had left town earlier in the week.
"You had left town" happened BEFORE Saturday, but the point of view of the sentence is on Saturday (= a later point, still in the past).

There's no "later past point" here. We're only talking about what was true at ONE point in the past. So, simple past tense.

[FanPurewal]

hi ron

in choice C, why is *a least* not *at least*?

sorry, since i am not a native speaker, i can not find out what is the difference. for the first glance, although i know it is totally wrong that eliminate a choice by *feelings*, i thought the structure *a least* is so weird and unidiomatic.

can you please clarify the differences between those structures?

thank you in advance!

[RonPurewal]

should be "at least". not everyone is meticulous, i guess.

thanks; i've edited post #1.

[MARSHALLM603]

Option C follows the rule, but I'm confused about the use of "remained" - which is a past participle. I thought that we should have used a bare infinitive "remain".

"remained" is a past-tense verb.

in fact, it's impossible for "remained" to be a past participle. past participles only exist for verbs that have direct objects (isaac wrote a book --> the book written by isaac became a bestseller).

Dear Ron, sorry to open this old thread again.

I have one question regarding to option C, the usage of "suggest".

Could you pls comment the following structures:

1. Suggest that sb. (should) do
Should must be omitted in above structures.
2. Suggest doing

However, option C, the sentence uses suggest xxx area remained, not a Verb, but a Verbed, am I missing something here, or the first structure is totally wrong.

Pls help, thanks!

[RonPurewal]

we're talking about two completely different words here. both are spelled and pronounced "suggest", but they're not the same word.

YOU are talking about a word that means "urging someone to do something" or "giving advice to somebody".
that word isn't the one in this problem -- this should be pretty obvious, since the meaning would be total nonsense if you tried to insert THAT kind of "suggest".

the kind of "suggest" in this problem is like this:
The large footprints suggest that the robber has big feet.
These big puffy clouds suggest that thunderstorms are likely.
this word has to do with "serving as evidence" or "giving clues".

[MARSHALLM603]

we're talking about two completely different words here. both are spelled and pronounced "suggest", but they're not the same word.

YOU are talking about a word that means "urging someone to do something" or "giving advice to somebody".
that word isn't the one in this problem -- this should be pretty obvious, since the meaning would be total nonsense if you tried to insert THAT kind of "suggest".

the kind of "suggest" in this problem is like this:
The large footprints suggest that the robber has big feet.
These big puffy clouds suggest that thunderstorms are likely.
this word has to do with "serving as evidence" or "giving clues".

Much clear now, thank you Ron!

[RonPurewal]

you're welcome.

[seven]

hi Ron,
sry to bump up.
I read from the Manhattan SC book, at chapter 8, page 146, it says " use the present perfect with within the past... or in the last... phrases, such as within the past five minutes or in the last ten days. "
based on this rule, i chose E "have remained" because of "during the last ice age". what makes it different from the case mentioned above? as in, why this one can use simple past instead of present perfect. really confuse.
thank you in advance.