Guys,

Could you try the SC below? Please explain your answer.

Q3. Because of wireless service costs plummeting in the last year, and as mobile phones are increasingly common, many people now using their mobile phones to make calls across a wide region at night and on weekends, when numerous wireless companies provide
unlimited airtime for a relatively small monthly fee.

A. Because of wireless service costs plummeting in the last year, and as mobile phones are increasingly common, many people
B. As the cost of wireless service plummeted in the last year and as mobile phones became increasingly common, many people
C. In the last year, with the cost of wireless service plummeting, and mobile phones have become increasingly common, there are many people
D. With the cost of wireless service plummeting in the last year and mobile phones becoming increasingly common, many people are
E. While the cost of wireless service has plummeted in the last year and mobile phones are increasingly common, many people are

The ending of A and B doesn't match with the rest of the statement (Since missing "are"). That leaves C, D and E.

C is structurally flawed. And in E, While doesn't match with the cause-effect type structure that the sentence is supposed to be. So, D is my answer as well.

The original sentence is incorrect because it ends with a dependent clause that doesn't include a verb. The same problem appears in choices B, and C.

Using POE, we're left with D and E.

E is a little awkward and slighlty changes the meaning .. I think it could be better if it says "cost has been plummting" .


Answer: D

I choose E too.

"While the cost of wireless service has plummeted in the last year" refers to the past right? Therefore, shouldn't the verb for that particular part of the sentence be past tense?

has plummeted --> present perfect tense. It happened in the past and continues to happen. What's wrong with it?

[quote="dvtohir"]Guys,

Could you try the SC below? Please explain your answer.

Q3. [u]Because of wireless service costs plummeting in the last year, and as mobile phones are increasingly common, many people[/u] now using their mobile phones to make calls across a wide region at night and on weekends, when numerous wireless companies provide
unlimited airtime for a relatively small monthly fee.

A. Because of wireless service costs plummeting in the last year, and as mobile phones are increasingly common, many people
B. As the cost of wireless service plummeted in the last year and as mobile phones became increasingly common, many people
C. In the last year, with the cost of wireless service plummeting, and mobile phones have become increasingly common, there are many people
D. With the cost of wireless service plummeting in the last year and mobile phones becoming increasingly common, many people are
E. While the cost of wireless service has plummeted in the last year and mobile phones are increasingly common, many people are[/quote]

D for me

A,B- both answers have got the same problem, there must be a verb at the end of the underlined part "...many people ARE now using..."
C-awful construction; not parallel "...with costs plummeting... and mobile phones have become... "
D- correct parallelism "...cost of X plummeting.., and Y becoming..."; in addition, the end of the underlined part of the sentence includes the verb not entered in options A&B
E-if there is a reference of 'last year' then the verb tense should be 'simple past'. This problem also breaks the parallelism "...cost of service has plummeted... and mobile phones are..."