The increasing costs of both materials and labor

Question

The increasing costs of both materials and labor, the two largest components of the manufacturing process,  are going to drive profit margins down .

A) are going to drive profit margins down

B) is going to drive profit margins down

C) are the causes underlying the downward trend of profit margins

D) are the causes that will drive profit margins down

E) is the symptom of lowering profit margins down

Source: 800Score

daagh · Answer

1. Costs are plural and hence we can drop B and E. 
2. Among A, C, and D, we must take that the increasing costs are an already begun phenomenon and that the downward trend is also a concurrent feature. Therefore, denoting the downward trend in futuristic terms is faulty. We can eliminate A and D on this count. C is the best among the choices.

mehrotrayashraj · Answer

daagh  can you please explain how you came to the above conclusion in bold?
I went for concision.

daagh · Answer

Let's appreciate the meaning of the word 'increasing'. This is an ongoing process. Therefore, it is fair to surmise that the process has started some time ago and is being carried on now. If the cause has set in, the effect also should be happening in tandem, than to expect that the effect will suddenly one day erupt like a volcano.

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

This question is based on Subject-Verb agreement and Construction.

A vertical scan of all the options shows us that the options begin with the singular form ‘is’ or the plural form ‘are’. The subject is “increasing costs”, which is plural. 
So, Options B and E that contain the singular form ‘is’ can be eliminated.

There is a slight difference in meaning among Options A, C, and D. Options A and D contain the present continuous tense and the simple future tense, both of which can be used to convey the future. Option C conveys a sense of the present time. However, there doesn't seem to be enough information in the sentence to indicate whether it should be in the present or the future tense. 
Options A and D contain  an extra noun ‘causes’ . So,  the meaning conveyed is that the “increasing costs” are causes .  While “the increasing costs of both materials and labor” are mentioned, they cannot be said to be two or more 'causes'.  “The increasing costs” will still be referred to as “the cause”.  
Moreover, it is more appropriate to say that “the increasing costs are  the cause of the downward trend of profit margins  or  the cause for profit margins to go down ”. The wording of these options is not idiomatically appropriate. 
So, Options C and D can be eliminated.

Therefore, A is the most appropriate option.

Jayanthi Kumar.

The increasing costs of both materials and labor

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

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

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

The increasing costs of both materials and labor

Prep Toolkit

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

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards