One historical theory posits that an important effect of the Industria

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION





• TIP: when the underlined portion of the sentence contains the pronoun it or they (but especially it), GMAC will often test pronoun agreement.

That tendency is confirmed by a quick scan of the answer choices, which alternate between it and they.
(In other words, scan quickly to see whether it is indeed an issue.)

• Pronoun strategy?
Well, now we must decide which noun it refers to.

What did not begin to improve meaningfully until the late 1800s?
We re-read the sentence even if we think know the answer.
Then we see the phrase living standards for the general population began to increase.

The logical antecedent is the plural noun living standards.
The pronoun should be they, not it

• Meaning?

One theory hypothesizes that living standards began to improve consistently because of the Industrial Revolution, while an opposing theory hypothesizes that living standards did not begin to improve significantly until well after the Industrial Revolution.

We do not know that the end of the Industrial Revolution period is usually estimated to be 1840.
But we do know from context that an opposing theory (present in every option) disagrees with the first theory's causal analysis and dates.

THE OPTIONS


• the noun living standards is plural and disagrees with the pronoun it
ELIMINATE A


• have not begun [to improve meaningfully until the late 1800s] is the wrong verb tense
→ the present perfect tense is used in have not begun, and present perfect is used to "bridge the past and present."
-- Present perfect should be used to describe events that started in the past and that continue into the present.

→ Present perfect can be used for other situations not related to this kind of context.
-- You can find a good summary of present perfect from an excellent resource here.
ELIMINATE B


• just as in option A, living standards, plural, do not agree with the pronoun it

Sidebar: the words but and while both signal contrast. Either is fine to use.
-- True, while can mean during the time that, but while can also mean whereas, which is the meaning in this sentence.
ELIMINATE C

• I see no errors
→ using the plural pronoun they to refer to living standards is correct
→ simple past tense did not begin is also correct; this whole sentence is set in the nineteenth century
KEEP D


• the pronoun it cannot refer to living standards
• with is rarely a strong contrast word and is not as effective as but or while
ELIMINATE E

The answer is D.

COMMENTS

Shubham1213372 , vanshi2301 , Neha2404 , and AC203 , welcome to SC Butler.

I am always glad to have new participants.
Truly, the more, the merrier.
(Okay, I'm not sure that I should be calling a test section "merry," but these days, I'll take what I can get.)

For some new people and those who need a little reminder: assertion and labeling are not explanation.
You don't have to write a book, but you do have to explain what you mean by, say, "modifier error."

Okay, you have been given a heads up.
In some posts, a few details here and there are not quite accurate.
See whether your answer matches my analysis.
If not, adjust your understanding of the matter.

I'll let not-really-explained slide today.
These answers range from good to excellent. Kudos to all.