The recent decrease in revenue has been attributed to rising energy pr

i think "D" ?
We need a modifier (typically) to modify the adjective "lower" . Just my 2 cents.

We can eliminate choices A and C, because, the relative pronoun –which - modifies the noun – year -, an absurd match.

We must select either the present participial hurting or the verb – hurt-.

We can not pick E because of the self contradiction within the clause; when we use a singular verb - is typical -, then we must match it up with another singular verb – hurts- in the second arm, rather than the plural verb - hurt- The subject of the sentence is the singular decrease rather than the plural - rising energy prices and plummeting consumer confidence –

We now have B and D. In D, the usage of being does denote a sense of ongoing, while it should not. Because the decease has been recent and is over. If it were to continue, we would rather call it the current decrease


This leaves us with B, not a satisfactory one too. The shift of tense from present perfect to past tense was is grammatically undesirable. Has been lower would have been better and parallel IMO.

All said and done, B perhaps, may be the final compulsion
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The answer can't be "D."

The thing that is lower in the question is Consumer Confidence, which requires an appropriate modifier, which in this case is "which." (Point stressed enough? )

Answer should be B.

Cheers,
Der alte Fritz.

1`First thing, the present participle – being –in choice D, separated by a comma, has to modify the entire clauses before and not just the noun it touches. Please try and see whether, modifying the entire clause makes any reasonable meaning

2. Which refers to what? Is it just the plummeting consumer confidence or both increasing energy prices and plummeting consumer confidence? The increasing energy prices being lower than what is typical for this time of the year is rather oxymoronic. Therefore, it cannot refer to both factors but only the plummeting consumer confidence. Hence the use of singular verb is acceptable.

We can ignore the doubts whether we need to use the verb is typical, since it is part of all the choices.
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I see the question little differently. We can read the statement as below. If phrase in bold are in continuation, we can very well use which for "rising energy prices and plummeting consumer confidence".

The recent decrease in revenue has been attributed to rising energy prices and plummeting consumer confidence, much lower than is typical for this time of year, which hurt sales of big ticket items such as automobiles.

A. much lower than is typical for this time of year, which hurt - looks correct
B. which was much lower than is typical for this time of year, hurting - "rising energy prices and plum...consumer confidence" hurting sales sounds odd
C. because it was much lower than is typical for this time of year, which hurt - second phrase is not a reason, so "because ..." doesnt make sense
D. being much lower than typically is for this time of year, hurting - passive voice
E. having been much lower than is typical for this time of year and hurt - passive voice and changing the meaning

Feel free to correct me.

If A were right the relative pronoun 'which' should be referring to the compound and plural object nouns namely rising energy prices and plummeting consumer confidence However, they are both said to be lower than normal for this time year, meaning that the energy prices did not rise as much as they do normally. This is a ppositive factor and therefore it can not be alluded to both the decrease in revenues and sales. Is the paradox evident ?
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The recent decrease in revenue has been attributed to rising energy prices and plummeting consumer confidence, much lower than is typical for this time of year, which hurt sales of big ticket items such as automobiles.

Meaning:
The decrease in revenue
Reasons: 1. rising energy 2. plummeting consumer confidence
reasoning has to be introduced,
One reasoning as hinted by the author: "something" got lower than last year,the same time.
Resulted in the decrease in the sale of high cost items such as automobiles.

A. much lower than is typical for this time of year, which hurt
which is modifying "year"-incorrect
B. which was much lower than is typical for this time of year, hurting
which is modifying "confidence".We know that plummeting consumer confidence is one of the reason of the decrease sales, so introduction of "hurting"(verb+ing modifier is correct)because "hurting"will modify the whole clause-correct
C. because it was much lower than is typical for this time of year, which hurt
[color=#0000ff]which is modifying "year"- incorrect
D. being much lower than typically is for this time of year, hurting
being is introducing wrong voice-incorrect
E. having been much lower than is typical for this time of year and hurt
incorrect tense-having been

CDE are obvious wrong choices for "which" in C, for "being" in D and for "having been" in E.

Its between A and B. I am considering B for "which" as modifying phrase in A is wrong.

So it should be B...

The verb that follows which is singular and therefore which must refer to a singular noun, which is the confidence. If it were confidence and prices, then the verb should be were. So, which refers to the noun it touches namely the singular confidence and is perfectly acceptable.
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What is "hurting" modifying in this sentence?

Hi Fozzy,

Here is the full sentence for B (the correct answer)

The recent decrease in revenue has been attributed to rising energy prices and plummeting consumer confidence, which was much lower than is typical for this time of year, hurting sales of big ticket items such as automobiles.


Hurting is related to 'plummeting consumer confidence' as ever with a section within 2 commas you can remove that bit from the sentence and it will still make sense. Here is the shorter sentence which makes it clear:


The recent decrease in revenue has been attributed to rising energy prices and plummeting consumer confidence, hurting sales of big ticket items such as automobiles.


Make Sense?

James

Hi Daagh,
I have one confusion regarding which as a modifier.
If there are two modifier and which appear in second modifier as in this case,
The recent decrease in revenue has been attributed to rising energy prices and plummeting consumer confidence, much lower than is typical for this time of year (1st modifier), which hurt sales of big ticket items such as automobiles (2nd modifier).

can which modify the original noun (in this case Consumer confidence)

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