The huge success of the novel The Help has expanded the author's

Question

The huge success of the novel The Help has expanded the author's fan base to tenfold, and nowhere else was
that popularity more clearly evident when compared to the three-pages devoted to her in the latest issue of
the Time Magazine.

A. has expanded the author's fan base to tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident when compared to
B. has expanded the author's fan base to tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident than in
C. expanded the author's fan base by tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident as
D. expanded the author's fan base tenfold, and nowhere was that popularity as clearly evident than in
E. expanded the author's fan base tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident than in

Source: Experts Global

mrinal0308 · Accepted Answer

In my view, since "was" is common in all 5 options, we need a simple past tense in the 1st half of the sentence. So A,B eliminated for having "has expanded" (present perfect) A. has expanded the author's fan base to tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident when compared to --> eliminated B. has expanded the author's fan base to tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident than in --> Eliminated C. expanded the author's fan base by tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident as --> more X as is incorrect. it should be more than D. expanded the author's fan base tenfold, and nowhere was that popularity as clearly evident than in --> as X than is incorrect. E. expanded the author's fan base tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident than in --> Correct. Clearly conveys the meaning. Let me know if that helped you by giving kudos...

AkshdeepS · Answer

A. has expanded the author's fan base to tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident when compared to

B. has expanded the author's fan base to tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident than in

C. expanded the author's fan base by tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident as

D. expanded the author's fan base tenfold, and nowhere was that popularity as clearly evident than in

E. expanded the author's fan base tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident than in

We need "more + than".

A and C are wrong.

D is wrong for using "as + than".

From B and E, B is correct for using "has+verb".

B IMO

GYANENDRA88 · Answer

In A and B ...has expanded...was evident- wrong tense
In C...more ..as-wrong comparison
In D...as..than-wrong comparison
Ans E

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tarunanandani · Answer

Stuck between B and E, then chose E (simple past over perfect tense).

A, C and D are out for using wrong idioms.
A: more...+when... wrong idiom
C: more... +as... wrong idiom
D: as... +than... wrong idiom

SonalSinha803 · Answer

A. has expanded the author's fan base ((to tenfold)), and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident ((when compared to)) - incorrect.

B. has expanded the author's fan base ((to tenfold)), and nowhere else was that popularity more clearly evident than in - incorrect.

C. expanded the author's fan base by tenfold, and nowhere else was that popularity ((more)) clearly evident ((as))
 - incorrect comparison terms...more.. than is correct not more...as....

D. expanded the author's fan base tenfold, and nowhere was that popularity ((as)) clearly evident ((than)) in - same as C.

E. expanded the author's /fan base tenfold/, and nowhere else was that popularity /more/ clearly evident /than// in/ - correct.

Hence, E.

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Abhishek009 · Answer

I second you, answer must be (E), more....than is idiomatically correct.

Cbirole · Answer

Straight E. For people stuck between B and E , E is wrong since it uses  to tenfold and has(We are talking about past tense here-no need of verb sequencing)

aaksii · Answer

I think a simple and quick approach would be as follow:
step 1: notice the 2/3 split and then you see the past perfect tense is wrong (has expanded) hence eliminate A & B
step 2: Search of idioms. Again in the 3 choices we see a 2/1 split and "by tenfold" and "more+as" are the wrong idioms 
Step 3: "as" should catch our attention as its commonly used in idiom. Eliminate D - as+than wrong idiom.

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utkbits · Answer

I completely understand why Option E is the best. Just wanted to know what is wrong in option B apart from "to tenfold". We chose "has" when the action started in past and either the action or its effect is still present. In this case the expansion of the author's fan base must have started in past and its effect, i.e the fanbase is still present. So in that case can we use has in option E and still be right?

generis · Answer

• Split #1:  has expanded  and  was (evident)  cannot coexist in this sentence.   
The use of  has expanded  implies connection to the present,
and we should speak about the phenomenon in the present tense.

Either the expansion of popularity is still in effect or it is not.
If popularity IS still expanding, then that expansion IS now most evident in ABC.
("nowhere else more evident than in ABC" = "most evident in ABC")

If we say that expanded popularity WAS most evident in ABC, then we mean that the expansion began and ended.

The author's popularity began to expand in the past, but "began in the past" does not mean we can talk about evidence of its existence in the simple past tense. 
We need to figure out whether the effects continue into the present.
The starting point does not control the second verb tense; whether the event finished controls the second verb tense.

--  This good source, here  explains the use of present perfect. 
-- if the present is still in play, then we talk about the whole situation in that sense. 
-- We would say, "Nowhere else IS that popularity more evident than in ABC"

Options A and B incorrectly use  has expanded  and  was evident. 
Eliminate them.

Split #2: Idioms of comparison with MORE

Option C:  more . . . as  is never correct
 more . . . than  is correct

Option D:  as . . . than  is never correct
 as . . . as  is correct

Eliminate C and D.

By POE, option E is the answer. Check.

In the simple past, two things happened: 
1) the author's fan base  expanded  and
2) that expansion  was  most noticeable in a magazine article

tenfold  is fine, and the idiom  more . . . than  is correct

ANSWER E

generis · Answer

utkbits  , this issue is hard. The answer to your question is "No, we cannot use  has expanded  in option E."

As I wrote in my post above,  HERE  ,  either the expansion of the author's popularity continued or it did not.
If the expansion of popularity IS still happening, then that expansion IS most evident in ABC.

Although the action started in the past, if the effect IS still happening in the present, 
then we speak about the current state of affairs in the present tense.
We do not speak about the action or event as if it were over. 
Simple past tense verbs = the event or action is over.

We need either 
X has expanded and IS most evident in ABC
or
X expanded and WAS most evident in ABC

Hope that helps.

VerbalBot · Answer

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The huge success of the novel The Help has expanded the author's

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