Before the 1700s, people dwelling in urban areas made up only 10

Question

Before the 1700s, people dwelling in urban areas made up only 10 percent of the entire human population;  by the 2010s, they increased by 50 percent.

A. by the 2010s, they increased by 50 percent.

B. increasing in proportion by 50 percent in the 2010s.

C. by the 2010s, they had increased by 50 percent.

D. by the 2010s, this proportion had increased by 50 percent.

E. which had increased in proportion by 50 percent by the 2010s.

Source-  GMAT  Whiz

daagh · Answer

Before the 1700s, people dwelling in urban areas made up only 10 percent of the entire human population;  by the 2010s, they increased by 50 percent .

A. by the 2010s, they increased by 50 percent. ---‘They’ is misleading because the pronoun refers to the people. But not to the percentage.

B. increasing in proportion by 50 percent in the 2010s. ---means that the people increased in There is no IC after the semicolon.

C. by the 2010s, they had increased by 50 percent. – The wrong pronoun ‘they”

D. by the 2010s, this proportion had increased by 50 percent. --- The only choice referring to the proportion. The correct choice

E. which had increased in proportion by 50 percent by the 2010s.—‘which’ wrongly refers to the population

GabriellaKhingg · Answer

Why isn't they refering back to people okay? People made up only 10% .... By 2010s people had increased by 50%

I selected option C
I thought 'they' refering back to people is correct

Posted from my mobile device

Raman109 · Answer

Before the 1700s, people dwelling in urban areas made up only 10 percent of the entire human population;  by the 2010s, they increased by 50 percent.

Option Elimination -

A. by the 2010s, they increased by 50 percent. - "They" can refer to people, but "people" can't increase by 50%. Wrong. No antecedent for "they." Moreover, we need past perfect to indicate the past actions before 2010.

B. increasing in proportion by 50 percent in the 2010s. - No clause after semicolon.

C. by the 2010s, they had increased by 50 percent.- the same issue of "they."

D. by the 2010s, this proportion had increased by 50 percent. - ok

E. which had increased in proportion by 50 percent by the 2010s. - We can't have a dependent clause after the semicolon. Moreover, "which" refers to "the entire human population." Wrong.

Before the 1700s, people dwelling in urban areas made up only 10

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Before the 1700s, people dwelling in urban areas made up only 10

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615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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