Alright, please help explain these writing questions to me.

<p>This is from the KAPLAN’s SAT prep book. </p>

<li>The hot air balloonists successfully traveled around the world but they refused to take full credit either for the technology they invented for the flight or for their quick time, because they had received a good deal of help.</li>
</ol>

<p>I still don’t quite understand the concept of past perfect tenses and stuff so can someone explain why “had” should be have been used.</p>

<li>Even though senators on the committee were reluctant to schedule a formal inquiry, they went on record as favoring one.</li>
</ol>

<p>A. were reluctant to schedule
B. Blah Blah Blah
C. were reluctant in scheduling
D. Blah Blah Blah
E. Blah Blah Blah</p>

<p>Why the heck does C sound more correct to me?</p>

<p>Thanks :)</p>

<p>on #2 C probably sounds better because it's closer to the way people would likely talk. A is grammatically better though, because of the tense being used.</p>

<p>and I really didn't understand exactly what you're asking in #1...</p>

<p>well the answer is supposed to be "they had invented" instead of "they invented"</p>

<p>to tell u the truth, college board will not put those kinds of problems on the tests. That is why it is best to study using CB materials</p>

<p>^^exactly. if only one or the other of "they invented" and "had received" were underlined, then you'd know you were supposed to change that one to match the other one. with both of them underlined, either one could be changed to make a sentence that the real SAT would consider grammatically acceptable. so you wouldn't see this question on a real CB test.</p>