Sentence Correction

For the first time in the modern era, non-Hispanic Whites are officially a minority in California, which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters only a decade ago.

b) which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when it was nearly three-quarters.

c) and that amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when they were nearly three-quarters.

d) amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters a decade ago

e) amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from what is was a decade ago by nearly three-quarters



OA D.[/u]

mike22629 wrote:For the first time in the modern era, non-Hispanic Whites are officially a minority in California, which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters only a decade ago.

b) which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when it was nearly three-quarters.

c) and that amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when they were nearly three-quarters.

d) amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters a decade ago

e) amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from what is was a decade ago by nearly three-quarters



OA D.[/u]

A&B eliminate (which without antecedent)
C eliminate (that as relative pronoun should modifie a noun not an entire sentence)
E eliminate awkard

Talking of option E , is it

e) amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from what is was a decade ago by nearly three-quarters

or

e) amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from what it was a decade ago by nearly three-quarters

If 1st then E is easy to eliminate , if 2nd then doesnt "it" make sentence more clearer. ?? "it" points to "population of state" ??

mike22629 wrote:For the first time in the modern era, non-Hispanic Whites are officially a minority in California, which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters only a decade ago.

b) which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when it was nearly three-quarters.

c) and that amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when they were nearly three-quarters.

d) amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters a decade ago

e) amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from what is was a decade ago by nearly three-quarters

OA D.[/u]

This is my approach:

A) read this as : which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state - doest it sounds right -- NO hence eliminated
B) same as A
C) and that amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a decade ago, when they were nearly three-quarters. --- pronoun reference is improper
D) Correct
E) What is was is usually unidiomatic and awkward --as per OG 11 Q4

Hence OA is D