Sentence Correction

Please help me understand this.

SOURCE IS MGMAT Test

According to the National Science Foundation, in 2003 there were 198,113 female science and engineering graduate students, almost 42% of the graduate students in those fields, twice as much as 1981.

A) twice as much as 1981
B) twice as many as 1981
C) double the figure for 1981
D) double what it was in 1981
E) a number double that of 1981's


OA is C

I believe the issue with A and B is that there isn't an object after "as many as" and went straight into the adverb of time (1981).

double "the figure" for 1981 satisfy that by inserting the object "the figure", so we know clearly what the comparison is.

A and B are wrong because we are comparing number with year.

E is out because 'that of' and '1981's' are redundant

D is out because 'what it was' does not refer to anything

C is correct here

shikhargmat wrote:Please help me understand this.

SOURCE IS MGMAT Test

According to the National Science Foundation, in 2003 there were 198,113 female science and engineering graduate students, almost 42% of the graduate students in those fields, twice as much as 1981.

A) twice as much as 1981
B) twice as many as 1981
C) double the figure for 1981
D) double what it was in 1981
E) a number double that of 1981's


OA is C