Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[sejpdw]

"Park, a 43-year-old salaried worker, is mot entirely happy about his recent promotion at a large auto company. "These days, it is not a good thing for salaried workers to advance to higher positions because the highter you climb the corporate ladder, the sooner you will be out on the street," he said with a sigh. His predecessor with whom he worked over the past 14 years received a pink slip on the same day that he was promoted. 1) In the past, salaried workers failing to get promotions were regarded as incompetent, but now remaining a salaried employee has become a survival technique in companies 2) plagued with frequent restructuring and a tight job market."

1) about tense : these three sentences are possible in the given context?
1. In the past, salareid workers failing to get promotions had been regarded...
2. salareid workers failing to get promotions had been regarded...
3. In/during 1950s, salareid workers failing to get promotions had been regarded...
4. Untill 1950s, salareid workers failing to get promotions had been regarded...

2) which is right?
1. "plagued with frequent restructuring and a tight job market" is modifying "companies"
2. a salaried employee is "plagued with frequent restructuring and a tight job market"
3. a survival technique in companies plagued with frequent restructuring and in a tight job market

2) What's the meaning of "companies" in this paragraph?