Factories in southern states like Georgia and Mississippi

Question

Factories in southern states like Georgia and Mississippi employed more than 300,000 workers in the late nineteenth century, but they  were driven out of business by increasing federal taxes as well as a labor supply that migrated north in the hope of finding better wages.

Factories in southern states like Georgia and Mississippi employed more than 300,000 workers in the late nineteenth century, but they 

More than 300,000 workers had been employed by factories in southern states such as Georgia and Mississippi in the late nineteenth century, but they 

In the late nineteenth century, more than 300,000 workers were employed by factories in southern states such as Georgia and Mississippi, but they 

More than 300,000 workers had been employed by factories in southern states like Georgia and Mississippi in the late nineteenth century, but these factories 

Factories in southern states such as Georgia and Mississippi employed more than 300,000 workers in the late nineteenth century, but these factories 


PLZ explain your answer choices....will post OA in 12hrs

riteshgupta1 · Answer

E it is

A B C have modifier problems.

D is possessive and moreover the subject of the Independent clause need to be factories instead of workers.

FN · Answer

your right but your explanation is way off from the OE....

Folaa3 · Answer

Answer is E because only is grammatically correct. 
B, C and D are wrong because they use the passive voice. 
They in A, B and C donâ€™t have clear referents as â€œtheyâ€

ranga41 · Answer

I will choose E too..The pronoun they is not used confusingly and makes perfect sense..

Darth_McDaddy · Answer

Answer is E.

Here is why.

A) Factories in southern states like Georgia and Mississippi employed more than 300,000 workers in the late nineteenth century, but they 
> Nope. They can refer to factories or workers

B) More than 300,000 workers had been employed by factories in southern states such as Georgia and Mississippi in the late nineteenth century, but they 
> Nope. They can refer to factories or workers

In the late nineteenth century, more than 300,000 workers were employed by factories in southern states such as Georgia and Mississippi, but they 
> Nope. They can refer to factories or workers

More than 300,000 workers had been employed by factories in southern states like Georgia and Mississippi in the late nineteenth century, but these factories 
> Maybe. The word "they" is removed, but the sentence pattern does not match the original sentence. Keep it for now.

Factories in southern states such as Georgia and Mississippi employed more than 300,000 workers in the late nineteenth century, but these factories 
> YES. No ambiguity + retains the original sentence pattern or structure. 

I also agree with Ritesh's explanation. The independent clause should begin with factories.

FN · Answer

OA is E....

but the explanation is different from all of you....


according to OE, E is correct a becasue the subject here is factories, so the second independent clause needs to beging with factories.

D vs E.
In D it reads that factories in states "similar" to Georgia, Missipi etc....have .experienced..xyz...

E states that factories "IN" states "Georgia, Missippi" ...have...xyz....

mandy · Answer

another E 

why 1 the action took place in the past at a specific time and is over 
so the simple past has to be used
 2 Like should not be used in this sentence 
to list the state such as has to be used

riteshgupta1 · Answer

I think you misread what I wrote. There is no trick in this questions,   the subject of IC need to be factories  . If you pick this, rest all choices are wrong...

Factories in southern states like Georgia and Mississippi

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