Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel

Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now
than at any time in their production history.

A.small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their
B.small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their
C.small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in
D.more fuel-efficient small cars than those at any other time in their
E.more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in


The sentence, as stands, is confusing. It implies that the 'small cars' are now more fuel efficient than they were in the past. That is the manufactures took an old small car and said, "hey let's make this more efficient." Clearly, however, the small cars today are different from those in the past. Notice, how I use the word 'those.' It refers to the other 'small cars' in the past. For this reason, we can omit (A), (B).

Notice, how (D) and (E) change the meaning of the original sentence. Both imply that manufacturers are making a great number of fuel efficient cars, and not cars that are more fuel efficient. To illustrate, saying that you have increased the number of cars that get 50 km/gallon is different from saying that you now make more fuel efficient cars that can get. 60km/gallon.

This leaves us with (C).
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The first thing to note in this case is that there is a comparative degree of comparison (more than …., any other thing)involved. One should not miss the word other in such comparisons in order to distinguish the one compared with the others. As per that norm, we can straight away reject, A. B and E. Between C and D, D suffers from a logical predication in that it is more fuel efficiency that is discussed rather than a greater number of more fuel efficient cars. Secondly, the pronoun there is rather ambiguous with more than one plausible antecedent such as the manufactures or the small cars.
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Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their production history.

A) small cars are more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their
B) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their
C) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in
D) more fuel-efficient small cars than those at any other time in their
E) more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in

A) The "are" is unnecessary, and "at any time" should read "at any other time." Otherwise it is an invalid comparison, since now is also a time. That's like saying "Sachin Tendulkar is better than any cricketer," which of course should read, "Sachin Tendulkar is better than any other cricketer," because he is not better than himself!

B) Again, "at any time" should read "at any other time."

C) Correct. "those" is an elegant way of referencing "small cars," and it also preserves the focus and meaning of the original.

D) We cannot compare a verb to a noun. In other words, we cannot compare how many cars are made to the cars themselves.

E) Sounds pretty good other than the "at any time" vs. "at any other time" issue that we should already be aware of, thanks to answers A/B vs. answers C/D. You could also argue that it shifts the meaning slightly from the original, changing the focus from small cars that are fuel efficient to fuel-efficient cars that are small.

You could also argue that both the answer choices with the word "now" (A and E) are redundant because of the reference to "Today's technology."

When confused by a tough SC, don't forget to compare and contrast your answers for inspiration. Omitting the "other" from this expression is a common mistake, but you can catch this mistake by scanning vertically, and paying close attention to the small differences between each answer choice.

This can get complex, if you so desire. However, just limit it to two aspects.
1. ‘Their’ has no clear antecedent. We cannot say, whether 'their' is the possessive pronoun of producers or small cars. So drop A, B, and D.
2. When in comparisons between two things, use of 'other' is a customary adjective for excluding the one compared from the rest of others. Note that choice E does not use the term ‘other’. So C is the choice.

Alternately, we can also see whether the comparison is 1)between cars of more fuel efficiency and of the current efficiency or 2) between more number of and the same number of small cars. Whichever way you take, you will finally land in C
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Difference between "any time" and "any other time".
Any time- includes the current time as well so the comparison may include the contemporary cars as well. Incorrect
Any other time- includes the time period apart from today's time or current period. Sounds fine

Comparison has to be made between "small cars of today" and "small cars of other time".

D and E are ambigous in that they may intend to say "more number of fuel efficient cars" or "more fuel efficient small cars"

Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their production history.

(A) small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their If you come across any option where there is a stray pronoun, you need to first check is the pronoun has an antecedent. The plural pronoun “their” can have either “manufacturers” or “cars” as its antecedent. Vague.

(B) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their Same as A

(C) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in “those” refers to “small cars”. This option is saying that today’s technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more furl efficient that the small cars at any other time. Correct.

(D) more fuel-efficient small cars than those at any other time in their Same as A and same problem as in D

(E) more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in This option is talking about more small cars; the original sentence is taking of more fuel efficiency.

- Nitha Jay

For those who are short-timed on the floor, here is a quickie;

‘Their’ is simply ambiguous, unable to pinpoint whether it stands for cars or manufactures; drop A, B and D on that count; Between B and E; note that we have to use the term any other when we compare two things. So E is out; C wins
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Hi,
two reasons why E is wrong..

Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their production history.
5) more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in

1) more fuel efficient small cars means different from 'small cars that are more fuel efficient'...
the comparison shifts from fuel efficiency to more number of fuel efficient small cars, illogically..

2) now is also a time in the production history..
so at any time should change to at any other time..

hope it helped
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"Those" stands for "small cars". Small cars manufactured today are more fuel efficient than small cars (those) at any other time.

sayantanc2k, does answer B has a correct referral "they"? I am stuck with they + verv vs. those

"Those" is preferred in this case, because a "different copy" of "small cars" is required. We are not referring to the same "small cars that are more fuel efficient", but to a "different copy" of the "small cars", which were produced at any other time in production history. "They" could be used if we were referring the same cars. Another example may make the mistake more visible:

On the bridge I saw cars that are bigger than those in front of the house.... right
On the bridge I saw cars that are bigger than they are in front of the house....... wrong.

Therefore answer B is wrong.

Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their production history.

(A) small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their

(B) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their

(C) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in

(D) more fuel-efficient small cars than those at any other time in their

(E) more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in

Without burning much midnight oil, simply reject A, B, and D, for the awful ambiguity of the pronoun 'their' and limit oneself to just considering C and E.
The focus of new technology is not more numbers but better performance. It is no great USP to say that I make one million cars using my new technology and get 15 kilometers to a liter Vs that I may make only 100,000 cars but still can give 20 kilometers to a liter.
This is the one reason C scores over E.
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I am really confused between C and E, please help

Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars more fuel-efficient now than at any time in their production history.

(C) small cars that are more fuel-efficient than those at any other time in - Notice any other time here. Also 'those' correctly refers to small cars. Comparison is between small cars using today's technology vs small cars of the past.

(E) more fuel-efficient small cars now than at any time in - Here comparison is between today's fuel efficient small cars vs fuel efficient small cars of the past and the present. This is illogical.

I am not able to choose between B and C. Please help

This is the sentence that option B leads to:

Today's technology allows manufacturers to make small cars that are more fuel-efficient than they were at any time in their production history.

1. We need to distinguish between "old small cars" and "new small cars", so we don't want to use the they that option B uses, because the they makes it sound like we are talking about the same small cars. For example:

Today's politicians are better than they were in the 1800s.

This does not have exactly the same structure as B, but it shows the problem that the they introduces.

2. We should try to use "any other time" rather than "any time".

Spring is better than any other season.
Spring is better than any season. ← Spring itself is a season, so we need "any other".
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I find the comparison in c illogical.
You wouldn’t say I am taller than Jane. You would say I am taller than Jane is.

So it should be small cars are more fuel-efficient than smalls cars of the past were.

Please someone explain.

And would b have been correct if it were just changed to any other time?

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Hi sislam04,

"I am taller than Jane" should be fine. Why do you feel that we'd have to go with "I am taller than Jane is"?
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Well you wouldn’t say:
“I am smarter than you”

You would say:
“I am smarter than you are”

The comparison should be the the features of each and not the feature of one person to a person.

Hence why I have trouble with C. It’s conspiring the small car fuel efficiency to the another car. Whereas it should be small car fuel efficient to small car fuel efficeny at any other time.

Hope that makes sense and thank you for your time.

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