Question

Metal prices continue to soar and have scarcely risen so high in over 25 years. A. have scarcely risen so B. have rarely raised so C. have scarcely raised so D. have rarely risen so E. have rarely rising so

Short answer

D

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Context

The sentence discusses the history of metal prices over 25 years. This will help in choosing the best fitting phrase.

Identify the Correct Verb - 'raise' vs 'rise'

'Raise' means to lift something up or increase something. 'Rise' means to go up or increase on its own.

Determine the Right Adverb - 'scarcely' vs 'rarely'

'Scarcely' means hardly, almost not, which usually isn't used with the verb 'to rise'. 'Rarely' means infrequently, suitable in this context.

Verify Usage of Present Perfect Tense

The sentence talks about prices in the past till now. Therefore, present perfect tense ('have risen') is appropriate.

Eliminate Incorrect Options

Based on the above analysis, options A, B, C, and E use either the wrong verb or adverb. Thus, D is the correct choice.

Key concepts

Verb Usage

Understanding verb usage is crucial in GMAT Sentence Correction questions. In the provided exercise, it's important to distinguish between 'raise' and 'rise.'
'Raise' is a transitive verb, which means it requires a direct object. For example, 'I raise my hand.'
On the other hand, 'rise' is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object. For example, 'The sun rises.'
Since the exercise involves metal prices increasing on their own, 'rise' is the appropriate verb. Correct verb usage ensures clarity and precision in your sentences, which is critical for acing the GMAT.

Adverb Choice

Choosing the right adverb can significantly alter the meaning of a sentence. In this exercise, the adverbs 'scarcely' and 'rarely' are examined.
'Scarcely' means hardly or almost not, which isn't commonly used with verbs like 'to rise.' For example, saying 'Prices have scarcely risen' suggests they almost did not rise, which seems contradictory when prices are said to be soaring.
'Rarely' means infrequently or seldom, which fits well in this context as we are discussing the infrequency of high metal prices over 25 years. Proper adverb choice ensures that the sentence conveys the intended meaning accurately.

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that occurred at some point in the past but have relevance to the present moment.
In the exercise, 'have risen' is in the present perfect tense, indicating that metal prices have been increasing over a period of time up to now. This tense is formed using 'have' or 'has' followed by the past participle of the verb. For instance, 'I have visited Paris.'
The present perfect tense is apt for discussing trends or actions that span over a period, highlighting its continuing impact.

Elimination Process

The elimination process is a strategic approach to narrow down answer choices in GMAT Sentence Correction. It's about systematically excluding incorrect options based on grammatical rules and context.
In this exercise, options are eliminated as follows:

- Option A uses 'scarcely,' which doesn't fit well with 'risen.'
- Option B uses 'raised,' the wrong verb form.
- Option C also uses 'raised.'
- Option E uses 'rising,' an incorrect form in this tense.
After eliminating these options, we are left with Option D, which uses the correct verb 'risen' and the suitable adverb 'rarely'. The elimination process saves time and hones in on the correct answer efficiently.