Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year
than last because refiners are paying about $5 a
barrel more for crude oil than they were last year.

(A) Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year
than last because refiners are paying about $5 a
barrel more for crude oil than they were

(B) Heating-oil prices are expected to rise higher
this year over last because refiners pay about
$5 a barrel for crude oil more than they did

(C) Expectations are for heating-oil prices to be
higher this year than last year's because refiners
are paying about $5 a barrel for crude oil
now than what they were

(D) It is expected that heating-oil prices will rise
higher this year than last year's because refiners
pay about $5 a barrel for crude oil more than
they did

Agreed that B C D Are wrong...but even in A comparison is wrong i guess.

"Expected to be higher this year than last" this compares last year with this year's price.

It should be "expected to be higher this year than that of last year..

Isnt it??


Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year
than last because refiners are paying about $5 a
barrel more for crude oil than they were

(D) It is expected that heating-oil prices will rise
higher this year than last year's because refiners
pay about $5 a barrel for crude oil more than
they did--redundant 'rise higher'
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A) Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year
than last because refiners are paying about $5 a
barrel more for crude oil than they were--correct comparison and no redundancy


let us take 2 examples- I have made more money this yr than (i did) last yr--correct. Here I did is understood and not repeated in the sentence to keep it concise
such constructions with short omissions of parallel parts are called ellipses. commonly seen on gmat

so the whole sentence is Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year
than (they were)last because refiners are paying about $5 a
barrel more for crude oil than they were (they were) is understood

hope its clear

you may refer a similar discussion below

http://www.beatthegmat.com/heating-oil- ... 96507.html
_________________

Thanks = Kudos. Kudos are always welcome

Ellipsis is at its full play in this topic. Let me paraphrase it, with the elliptical elements in parenthesis.

A) Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year
than last (year) because refiners are paying about $5 a
barrel more for crude oil than they were (paying) last year.
One can now see how the comparisons are smugly fitting in.

2.) It is expected that heating-oil prices will rise
higher this year than last year's because refiners
pay about $5 a barrel for crude oil more than
they did

A cue for the correctness of the comparison can be had from the placement of the comparison -marker such as than etc. The comparison marker is place placed either next or prior to what it compares. Here in this case, than is placed next to this year and therefore the comparison should legally appear with a similar feature such as last year and not last year’s.

Another example

Even though Béla Bartók’s music has proved less popular than Igor Stravinsky’s and less influential than Arnold Schonberg’s, it is no less important.
(A) Stravinsky’s and less influential than Arnold Schonberg’s, it
(B) Stravinsky’s and less influential than Arnold Schonberg’s, he
(C) Stravinsky’s is and less influential than Arnold Schonberg’s is, it
(D) Stravinsky and not as influential as Arnold Schonberg, he
(E) Stravinsky and not as influential as Arnold Schonberg, it

Now the comparison- marker ‘than’ is placed just before the Arnold Schonberg’s, implying that something that belongs to Stravinsky is being compared. And the text says that Béla Bartók’s music is compared with Arnold Schonberg’s music. Here music is elliptical

Hope Chocie E is no serious contender
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