Mechmeera wrote:According to some real estate experts, the May increase in new housing starts so that it was the highest in two years suggests that the current high prices for lumber and construction supplies will be maintained in the near term.
What this sentence is discussing is the May increase in housing starts. The May increase in housing starts suggests that the current high prices will be maintained. Housing starts have increased
to the highest level in two years.
A. so that it was the highest in two years
First off, the
it in this version refers to what? The
May increase? By simplifying a little and replacing the pronoun
it with
the increase, we get
the increase so that the increase was the highest in two years. That doesn't make sense.
Also, using
so that does not make sense.
so that is generally used to convey a reason for doing something.
Jim ran so that he would get there on time. This May increase did not happen in order to make something the highest in two years.
B. so that it was the highest two-year pace
This repeats the
so that issue and repeats the
it not having a clear referent issue.
C. to what would be the highest in two years
This starts off better, by using
to, as saying
the May increase to the highest level... makes sense. However, adding
would throws this version off. Looking at the non underlined portion we see that the increase
suggests. So this increase has happened. So the point is not that the level
would be the highest. The increase has happened and the level is in fact the highest.
D. to a two-year high point
I guess maybe this wording skews the meaning somehow, but grammatically and structurally this version seems ok.
E. to the highest level in two years
In this version we get
the May increase in housing starts to the highest level in two years, which version is effective and makes sense.
So the best answer is
E.
