Sentence Correction

It has been estimated that the annual cost to the United States of illiteracy in lost industrial output and tax revenues is at least $20 billion a year.

(A) the annual cost to the United States of illiteracy in lost industrial output and tax revenues is at least $20 billion a year

(B) the annual cost of illiteracy to the United States is at least $20 billion a year because of lost industrial output and tax revenues

(C) illiteracy costs the United States at least $20 billion a year in lost industrial output and tax revenues

(D) $20 billion a year in lost industrial output and tax revenues is the annual cost to the United States of illiteracy

(E) lost industrial output and tax revenues cost the United States at least $20 billion a year because of illiteracy.


I am unable to find any approach to start working on this question.

I see costs in/of/to.

Moreover why C & E are wrong.?

Thanks & Regards,
Vishal Chopra

vishalwin wrote:It has been estimated that the annual cost to the United States of illiteracy in lost industrial output and tax revenues is at least $20 billion a year.

(A) the annual cost to the United States of illiteracy in lost industrial output and tax revenues is at least $20 billion a year

(B) the annual cost of illiteracy to the United States is at least $20 billion a year because of lost industrial output and tax revenues

(C) illiteracy costs the United States at least $20 billion a year in lost industrial output and tax revenues

(D) $20 billion a year in lost industrial output and tax revenues is the annual cost to the United States of illiteracy

(E) lost industrial output and tax revenues cost the United States at least $20 billion a year because of illiteracy.

In A, B and D, annual and a year are redundant.
Eliminate A, B and D.

E: It has been estimated...because of illiteracy.
Here, a reader could construe that illiteracy CAUSES 20 billion a year to be estimated.
Not the intended meaning.
Eliminate E.

The correct answer is C.