Quote:
During the past decade, the labor market in France has not been operating according to free market principles, but instead stifling functioning through its various government regulations restricting the hiring and firing of workers.
principles, but instead stifling functioning through its various government regulations restricting the hiring and firing of workers
principles, instead it has been functioning in a stifled manner as a result of various government regulations that restrict the hiring and firing of workers
principles, rather functioning despite being stifled as a result of government regulations that variously restrict worker hiring and firing
principles; the hiring and firing of workers is restricted there by various government regulations, its functioning being stifled
principles; instead, its functioning has been stifled by various government regulations restricting the hiring and firing of workers
Superficially, the sentence is taking two statements loosely connected one which refers to how the Labor market was operating in the past , and another to How it is operating now..
We need someway to connect the two clauses ..
A sounds to confusing and wrong therefore best to start off with the remaining options and try to eliminate maximum possible..
(B) Tries to connect these clauses by using the conjunctive adverb INSTEAD and puts a COMMA preceding instead..One rule regarding conjunctive adverb worth remembering is that they may be used to connect two clauses by USING
i) a Semi colon ... CLAUSE X - SEMI COLON - Conjunctive adverb, CLAUSE Y ..
ii) Use a PERIOD/FULL STOP after the first clause. - Introduce the conjunctive adverb followed by the CLAUSE Y ...
Because B adds the conjunctive adverb INSTEAD it looks tempting however it fails to use a semi colon, nor does it use a period / full stop to separate the two clauses.. Therefore it looks suspect ...
(C) Like B, C also introduces a conjunctive adverb RATHER however it it uses RATHER much like (B) used INSTEAD... C too looks suspect..
(D) Introduces a semi colon, but does not use a conjunctive adverb or a linking/transitional phrase. Semi colon alone does not permit one to connect two clauses...we need something to BRIDGE THE GAP..
(E) Correctly uses the semi colon followed by the conjunctive adverb INSTEAD ...
Other correct versions of this sentence :
principles. Instead, it has been functioning in a stifled manner as a result of various government regulations that restrict the hiring and firing of workers
principles. Rather, functioning despite being stifled as a result of government regulations that variously restrict worker hiring and firing
Use of SEMI COLON, COLON, COMMA etc are less important than say Parralelism or modifiers however few rules are a must , and overall as long as you memorize the rules regarding their usage, they aren't much of an issue..
Hope it helps..