bartow

1.(By painting them) this afternoon, the walls would be completely dry by tomorrow evening.
(A) By painting them
(B) If they would have been painted
(C) Were they to be painted
(D) After painting them
(E) They would be painted

Answer: C
Why is C the right answer and why are choices A and B incorrect?

2. One of the earliest of the ancient Greek writers of love poetry, Sappho (has had such a profound influence on) later lyric poets that she came to be known as "the tenth Muse"
(A) has had such a profound influence on
(B) has had so profound an influence on
(C) has so profoundly influenced
(D) so profoundly influenced
(E) profoundly in fluenced
Answer: D
Why is D the right answer and why are choices A and B incorrect?
Thanks!

momo1616

For #2: D is a better answer than A & B b/c although they are all saying the same thing D is MOST concise. Think- "shorter the better."

Hope this helps.

violinkid111

For #1, Choice C agrees with the subjunctive mood of the sentence (basically, anything sentence about something hypothetical). Ex: Were I to stay at home, I would be in a torpor.

fogcity

2. One of the earliest of the ancient Greek writers of love poetry, Sappho (has had such a profound influence on) later lyric poets that she came to be known as "the tenth Muse"
(A) has had such a profound influence on
(B) has had so profound an influence on
(C) has so profoundly influenced
(D) so profoundly influenced
(E) profoundly in fluenced

"has had" is the present perfect of the verb have. It typically refers to an action that started sometime in the past and continues into the present. There are other timelines where the present perfect is required, but not that in the sentence above. So (A) and (B) are incorrect.

"has" is the present tense of have, and so (C) is clearly incorrect.

(E) is incorrect because the "cause" that leads to the "effect clause" ... that she came etc. ... is not clearly defined. The necessary pair for a cause-effect is "so ... that [clause]"

bartow

Okay, Gotcha. Thanks, guys, This really helps.