Sentence Correction

Unlike most other mergers in the utility industry, which have been driven by the need to save money and extend companies’ service areas, the merger of the nation’s leading gas and electric company is intended to create a huge marketing network for the utilities in question with states opening their utility markets to competition.

A. and electric company is intended to create a huge marketing network for the utilities in question with states opening
B. and electric companies are intended to create a huge network for marketing the utilities in question as states open
C. and electric companies are intended to create a huge network that will be marketing the utilities in question, with states opening
D. company and electric company are intending to create a huge marketing network for the utilities in question, with states opening
E. company and leading electric company is intended to create a huge network for marketing the utilities in question as states open

OA: E

Why not A?

The word merger usually implies that two things are being merged together. Therefore, the correct usage must be in the form of the merger of X and Y. The sentence is ambiguous in this sense because the nation's leading gas and electric company could be interpreted as one entity.

Also, "with" is wrong because something "is intended" to happen "as" something else happens not "with" something (i.e. I intended for the curtains to go up as the play started, not I intended for the curtains to go up with the play started).

A is incorrect, because it is supposed to have read

and electric companies is intended to create a huge marketing network for the utilities in question with states opening

Also, using "with" is awkward here.

merger--- is singular.

hence -- are is wrong

left with A & E

I actually thought it was A.

But, E...is correct

It boils down to : with states opening vs as states open

> The merger between - leading GAS and Leading electric company.. is intended (planned for the future)...to maket their xxxx... AS states OPEN for comtetition.


> Also... its a merger between ..LEADING GAS company (company called GAS-x) and LEADING ELECTRIC (company called Electric)....


In A..it appears ... merger is between leading (GAS and Electric company).. and some invisible entity...

Thats how i deciphered it.. any other inputs..