The Organization

[albema]

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) had long been expected to announce a reduction in output to bolster sagging oil prices, but officials of the organization just recently announced that the group will pare daily production by 1.5 million barrels by the beginning of next year, but only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were to trim output by a total of 500,000 barrels a day.

 

 

A. year, but only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were to trim output

B. year, but only if the output of non-OPEC nations, which includes Norway, Mexico, and Russia, is trimmed

C. year only if the output of non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, would be trimmed

D. year only if non-OPEC nations, which includes Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were trimming output

E. year only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, trim output

 

 

 

E

 

[12rk34]

The correct construction is 'if X happens, Y will happen'.

Let us have a look at part of the sentence:

that the group will pare daily production by 1.5 million barrels by the beginning of next year, but only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were to trim output by a total of 500,000 barrels a day.

It can be written as:

If non-OPEC nations were to trim output...., the group will pare production by...

So 'were to trim' in 'A', 'is trimmed' in 'B', 'would be trimmed' in 'C', and 'were trimming' in 'D' are all wrong verb tenses.

Only 'trim' in 'E' is correct verb tense.

Hence 'E' is the correct choice.

:)

[bearbull]

A. year, but only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were to trim output

 

C. year only if the output of non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, would be trimmed

D. year only if non-OPEC nations, which includes Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were trimming output

 

 

the correct forms are

 

if present , future tense

if past tense, would + verb

if past perfect , would + have + verb

 

rules:

don't use should or must with if

don't use if will , .....

 

considering the rules a , b, d are out

 

B vs E

B. year, but only if the output of non-OPEC nations, which includes Norway, Mexico, and Russia, is trimmed

E. year only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, trim output

 

a comma before but is wrong

moreover , but is not required

 

E wins

[babusim]

Yes. I takes the following format

X will reduce only if Y reduce(s)

[gmat_t1]

but is unnecessary. Out of © (D) (E), (E) is the best choice

[gmat_t1]

but is unnecessary. Out of © (D) (E), (E) is the best choice