shikhar wrote:
870. To maintain a high demand for their product, the manufacturers first took over the marketing and sales functions previously performed by outside agents; next, they began changing their advertising campaigns monthly to keep pace with the rapid changes in consumers’ lives.
(A) they began changing
(B) this began changing
(C) the former began changing
(D) to begin changing
(E) to change
The correct answer is A. B. Incorrect pronoun and meaning distortion. "This" is ambiguous and suggests that the first change led to the second.
C. Incorrect pronoun. "The former" can only be used to apply to one of two nouns listed alongside one another; in this case "sales agents" appears in another clause as "the manufacturers."
D. Fragment, incorrect verb form. "To begin" is an infinitive and should be changed to conjugated "began"; additionally, the sentence has no subject.
E. Fragment, incorrect verb form. "To change" is an infinitive and should be changed to conjugated "began"; additionally, the sentence has no subject.
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