Verbal questions and topics from the Official Guide and Verbal Review books.
Guest79
 
 

OG - SC - #92

by Guest79 Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:40 pm

Despite protests from some waste-disposal companies, state health officials have ordered the levels of bacteria in seawater at popular beaches to be measured and that the results bepublished

(A) the levels of bacteria in seawater at popular beaches to be measured and that the result be
(B) that seawater at popular beaches should be measured for their levels of bacteria, with the result being
(C) the measure of levels of bacteria in seawater at popular beaches and the results be
(D) seawater measured at popular beaches for levels of bateria, with their results
(E) that the levels of bacteria in seawater at popular beaches be measured and the results

The correct answer is (E). OG explanation says (E) uses the correct usage of the idiom order that X be Y

My question - Doesn't this sentence fall in the category of the Subjunctive mood? Because it is an order and the subordinate clause is missing 'that'. (E) corrects it. Am I on the track here?

Thanks
StaceyKoprince
ManhattanGMAT Staff
 
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by StaceyKoprince Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:10 am

Yep, you've got it - "be" is subjunctive. You can just remember the whole idiom "order that X be Y" - but, yes, "be" is subjunctive here. Also, you can use that knowledge (that it should be subjunctive) to eliminate the choices that don't use the right tense!
Stacey Koprince
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