Sentence Correction

Despite recent increases in sales and cash flow that have propelled automobile companies’ common stocks to new highs, several industry analysts expect automakers, in order to conserve cash, to set dividends more conservatively than they were.

a) to set dividends more conservatively than they were
b) to set dividends more conservatively than they have been
c) to be more conservative than they have been in setting dividends
d) that they will be more conservative than they were in setting dividends
e) that they will be more conservative than they have been to set dividends

Please support your answers with a brief explanation

Choice C

The automakers are expected to be more conservative, and choice C most clearly states that concept.

a) to set dividends more conservatively than they were
"were" is not the correct verb
b) to set dividends more conservatively than they have been
issue with parallelism
c) to be more conservative than they have been in setting dividends
d) that they will be more conservative than they were in setting dividends
verb is incorrect
e) that they will be more conservative than they have been to set dividends
"to set" is incorrectly used. wordy structure

B?

It brings out a comparison with the recent occurances of the event...

IMO C

a& b wrong comparison- set dividends....than they (dividends)....

the setting of dividends is compared and not the dividend themselves.

D&E -use of that is wrong

As per my understanding, “Expect” should be followed by infinitive, so “expect to” is correct. Eliminate D and E. Use of “they” after “dividends” is ambiguous – dividends or automakers. Eliminate A and B. Option C, although it’s lengthy, is grammatically correct.

OA?

What's the OA?