Question: Those with a cynical turn of mind might speculate if the new corporation, eager for profit, might not have started the rumor that caused its competitor to declare bankruptcy.

(A) speculate if the new corporation, eager for profit, might not have started
(B) speculate if the new corporation, eager for profit, had not started
(C) speculate if, in its eagerness for profit, the new corporation started
(D) wonder as to whether, in its eagerness for profit, the new corporation did not start
(E) wonder whether the new corporation, eager for profit, had started

Correct Answer: E
Explanation:

The GMAT Sentence Correction section tests a candidate’s ability to identify and correct errors in written English. It measures the candidate’s ability to recognize and correct errors in grammar, vocabulary, usage, and sentence structure. This section tests the candidate’s understanding of basic grammar rules, such as subject-verb agreement, modifier placement, parallelism, and clear and concise expression. To prepare for the GMAT Sentence Correction section, it is recommended that the candidate study grammar and usage rules, read extensively, and practice solving sentence correction questions.

The statement is a hypothetical scenario suggesting the possibility of corporate deceit and profit-motivated rumors, with a negative or cynical tone.

This line of reasoning can be in favor of the suggested linguistic alteration:

• Parallelism
• Considering two separate truths
• Modifiers

Use "if" in a conditional sentence on the GMAT to show that something will happen if something else does. Use "whether" to show that there are two possible outcomes.
If you switch the order of the words in a conditional sentence, you can still understand what it means.
eg
If he gets a scholarship, John will go to Harvard.
Backward: John will go to Harvard if he gets a scholarship.

A: Incorrect

This choice is an incorrect one. The use of the word "if" in the above-given example is correct. But for this passage, we cannot use the word “if” in the sentence. Hence, this choice has to be eliminated.

B: Incorrect

B is an incorrect choice. The use of the word "if" in the above-given example is correct. But for this passage, we cannot use the word “if” in the sentence. Hence, this choice has to be eliminated.

C: Incorrect

It is an incorrect choice. The use of the word "if" in the above-given example is correct. But for this passage, we cannot use the word “if” in the sentence. Hence, this choice has to be eliminated.

D: Incorrect

This is an incorrect choice. The use of the word “eagerness” is redundant in this sentence. Though it doesn’t use the word “if” in this sentence, it is still a redundant statement.

E: Correct

It is the correct choice. “Had started” is the reduced phrase and hence makes proper sense. The correct answer is (E) "speculate if, in its eagerness for profit, the new corporation started." This choice accurately captures the hypothetical scenario and the negative or cynical tone. It is also the most concise and grammatically correct among the options.

“Those with a cynical turn of mind might speculate if the new corporation” - is a GMAT sentence correction question. The text that is underlined in these questions has grammatical mistakes, and we must select the right response from the list of possibilities. The GMAT verbal section includes GMAT sentence correction.

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