Bunuel wrote:
Since the new manufacturing process for plastic containers was introduced 10 years ago, the average size of plastic manufacturing plants
have dropped from 200,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet, an area that is about a football field's size.
A. have dropped from 200,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet, an area that is about a football field's size
B. have dropped from 200,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet, about the size of a football field
C. has dropped from 200,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet, about the size of a football field
D. has dropped from 200,000 square feet down to 50,000 square feet, about the size of football field's
E. has dropped from 200,000 square feet down to 50,000 square feet, about a football fields size
KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:
C
Notice the descriptive phrase of
plastic manufacturing plants between the subject
size and the verb
have dropped. That's our clue to check for subject-verb agreement In fact,
size is singular but
have dropped is plural. (C) corrects that by using
has. Furthermore, the phrase
an area that is about a football field's size is wordy, so look for a choice that improves this construction.
(A) and (B) contain
have. The remaining choices all use
has, so they could be correct. But (D) and (E) needlessly add "down after 200,000 square feet," and neither improves the clunky football field construction. (C), on the other hand, does, with "about the size of a football field."