Rising inventories, when unaccompanied correspondingly by increases in

now one more silly doubt, when to use increase in and when to use increases in , might be very silly but suddenly this confusing me now over the usage of increases in sales.

Increases is singular only if we use it as a verb.

1 This strategy increases the company's debt significantly. ← This is fine. Strategy is a singular noun, and it takes a singular verb (increases).
2 These strategies increase the company's debt significantly. ← If we switch to a plural subject (strategies), we'll need a plural verb (increase).

However, when used as a noun, increases is plural.

3 The increase in the company's debt is a sign of... ← Here the subject is increase (singular noun), and it needs a singular verb like is.
4 The increases in the company's debt are a sign of... ← Here the subject is increases (plural noun), and it needs a plural verb like are.

Hi b2bt,
Thank you for the post.

You have correctly said that “in the above sentence, when refers to a situation”. However there is a change in meaning if ‘when’ is replaced by ‘if’.
Let’s take two simple examples to understand:
• When Joey comes to India, Rahul will meet him.
• If Joey comes to India, Rahul will meet him.

Is there a difference in the meaning of the above sentences?
Yes, there is. The first sentence tells us about a certain event in the future, while the second one poses a condition. From the first sentence we know that the event of Joey coming to India is certain. So, Rahul will get to meet Joey. However, there is no such certainty in the second sentence.

Hi b2bt,
Thank you for the post.

You have correctly said that “in the above sentence, when refers to a situation”. However there is a change in meaning if ‘when’ is replaced by ‘if’.
Let’s take two simple examples to understand:
• When Joey comes to India, Rahul will meet him.
• If Joey comes to India, Rahul will meet him.

Is there a difference in the meaning of the above sentences?
Yes, there is. The first sentence tells us about a certain event in the future, while the second one poses a condition. From the first sentence we know that the event of Joey coming to India is certain. So, Rahul will get to meet Joey. However, there is no such certainty in the second sentence.

Now, let’s look at option B:
• Rising inventories, when not accompanied by corresponding increases in sales, possibly leads to production cutbacks that would hamper economic growth.

This sentence conveys the meaning that we are talking about some specific cases in which the rising inventories are not accompanied by something. However, from the context it seems that a condition and its result is presented by the sentence.
Also, there is one more error in option B as pointed out by you. So, the correct answer is option E.


Hope this helps!
Deepak

1. I do not quite understand what does corresponding describe- in all options?
According to me, it describes increase (which I dont think is a non though I don't know what kind of word is it- maybe verb?). If it describes increase by this logic, corresponding is incorrect and it should be an adverb not an adjective. Also 'sales' according to be is the noun which is in prep phrase so can an adjective refer to a noun in a prep phrase?