The Use Of The Bar Code, Or Universal Product Code, Which Was Created GMAT Sentence Correction

Question: The use of the bar code, or Universal Product Code, which was created in part to enable supermarkets to process customers at a faster rate, has expanded beyond supermarkets to other retail outlets and have become readily accepted despite some initial opposition when it was first introduced in 1974.

(A) have become readily accepted despite some initial opposition when it was first introduced in 1974
(B) has become readily accepted despite some initial opposition when they were first introduced in 1974
(C) have become readily accepted despite some initial opposition when first introduced in 1974
(D) has become readily accepted despite some initial opposition when the bar code was first introduced in 1974
(E) bar codes have become readily accepted despite some initial opposition when it was first introduced in 1974

“The use of the bar code, or Universal Product Code, which was created” - is a GMAT sentence correction question. These sorts of questions possess grammatical errors in the underlined portion of the sentence, and the candidate needs to pick the correct statement. The GMAT sentence correction section detects the grammatical skills of the candidates. It enables the candidate to identify basic grammatical errors. It encourages the candidates to go through intricate and lengthy sentences precisely. GMAT sentence correction is part of GMAT verbal.

Answer: (D)
Explanation: The key to answering this question is understanding the intended meaning of this sentence. It is that despite some initial opposition when the bar code was first introduced in 1974, its use has come to be widely accepted.

Concepts examined here: Pronouns, subject-verb agreement, and grammar construction

• If a list only contains two items, a conjunction must be used to connect them.
• ​Independent clauses are introduced with semicolons or "comma + conjunction."

Let us examine each option to find the answer.

Option - A : Incorrect
This option incorrectly combines the plural verb phrase "have become readily accepted" with the singular noun phrase "The use of the bar code." Therefore this option is ruled out.

Option – B : Incorrect
This option has a pronoun mistake because the pronoun "they" lacks a logical referent. Therefore this option is ruled out.

Option – C : Incorrect
This option incorrectly combines the plural verb phrase "have become readily accepted" with the singular noun phrase "The use of the bar code." Therefore this option is ruled out.

Option - D : Correct
This option correctly combines the singular verb "has become readily accepted" with the singular noun phrase "The use of the bar code." This also does not use pronouns, which prevents the pronoun error seen in the second option. Additionally, this option uses the phrases which conveys the meaning that using bar codes has been widely accepted.

Option – E : Incorrect
The phrase "bar codes have become readily accepted" in this choice changes the meaning of the sentence. This sentence's wording incorrectly implies that barcodes have gained widespread acceptance. The practice of using bar codes has become widely accepted, according to the intended meaning. The independent clauses are also joined incorrectly by the conjunction ("and'' in this case). Keep in mind that semicolons or "comma + conjunction" are used to introduce an independent clause. Therefore this option is ruled out.

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