Citing increasing worker mobility between companies, poor financial

Hi there

Citing increasing worker mobility between companies, poor financial planning by workers, and finding that the plans themselves are excessively complex, the authors of a recent study have found that most eligible American workers had not made the maximum allowed contribution to their employer-offered retirement plans.



Error Analysis

1. There are three reasons cited by the “authors” of the study that says that most eligible American workers don’t make the maximum allowed contribution to their employer-offered retirement plans. These three reasons are:
a. increasing worker mobility between companies,
b. poor financial planning by workers, and
c. finding that the plans themselves are excessively complex.
If we study the structure of these three entities carefully, we will find that the first two are noun entities while the last entity is a clause. This structure makes the list un-parallel.

2. Use of part perfect tense “had not made” is incorrect. The study has found out a fact that should be written in simple present tense. There are no two past events in the sentence that we need sequencing.

PoE:

Choice A: Incorrect for the reasons discussed above.

Choice B: Increasing worker mobility between companies, poor financial planning on the part of workers, and excess complexity in the plans themselves have been explained by a recent study finding the majority of eligible American workers who do not make the maximum allowed contribution to their employer-offered retirement plans. Incorrect:
1. This choice says that three reasons have been explained by a recent study. It seems to suggest that study has explained these three topics. The choice fails to establish these three factors as the reason for most eligible Americans failing to contribute to their employer-offered retirement plans.
2. The choice also suggests that the study found majority of eligible American workers. This choice distorts the intended meaning.

Choice C: Citing increasing worker mobility between companies, poor worker financial planning, and excessively complex plans themselves as possible explanations, a majority of American workers had failed to make the maximum allowed contribution to their employer-offered retirement plans, a recent study has found. Incorrect:
1. This choice has a modifier error. Verb-ing modifier “citing” is illogically modifying “a majority of American workers”. This modifier should modify “a recent study”.
2. Same verb tense error as in choice A.
3. Two independent clauses have been connected using comma.

Choice D: The authors of a recent study, citing increasing worker mobility between companies, poor financial planning by workers, and finding that the plans themselves are excessively complex, have found that most eligible American workers do not make the maximum allowed contribution to their employer-offered retirement plans. Incorrect.
1. This choice has changed the intended list. Now “citing” and “finding” have become parallel instead of the three reasons cited by the study.
2. The choice is wordy.

Choice E: A recent study has found that most eligible American workers fail to make the maximum allowed contribution to their employer-offered retirement plans; among the explanations cited are increasing worker mobility between companies, poor financial planning on the workers' part, and excess complexity in the plans themselves. Correct. This choice is an error free concise choice. This choice has removed “the authors” but that does not hamper the meaning of the sentence. This choice says that the study had found out. It is obvious that has been written by someone. The authors have out the findings into the study. So the study has found implies that the authors of the study has found. The finding of the study is of importance here.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha