Bunuel
While Brussels has smashed all Western European tourism revenue records
this year, they still lag well behind in exports.
A. this year, they still lag well behind in exports
B. in the past year, they still lag well behind in exports
C. in the past year, it lags still well behind in exports
D. this year, they lag still well behind in exports
E. this year, it still lags well behind in exports
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Here’s How to Crack It
Plan A: As you read the sentence for the first time, look to see if there is a pronoun. There is:
they. Let’s make sure the pronoun is used correctly. Who is the
they supposed to refer to?
Brussels. Is
Brussels plural? No, it’s the name of a city.
Now that you’ve spotted the problem, go through the answer choices. Any answer choice with the pronoun
they in it has to be wrong. You can cross off answer choices A, B, and D. You’re down to answer choices C and E. Both of the remaining answer choices solve the original problem. Read them carefully. If you aren’t sure, take a guess. If you said answer choice E, you were right. The adverb
still in answer choice C should go in front of the verb.
Plan B: Now, what if Plan A lets you down, and you don’t spot the error as you read the sentence in the first place? There is always Plan B. Go straight to the answer choices and ask yourself how they are different. Obviously, they differ in several ways—but one huge difference is that some answer choices use the pronoun they, while others use the pronoun it. This is a clue that will remind you to check pronoun reference and number.