Sentence Correction

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.

A. so that it was the highest in two years
B. so that it was the highest two-year pace
C. to what would be the highest in two years
D. to a two-year high point
E. to the highest level in two years

OA E

OA: E?

What is the source of this question?

A is wrong

the May increase in new housing starts so that it was


here we can't use past tense verb WAS with starts because it has just started.

B is wrong for the same reason.

C looks fine to me except...highest...what is highest?

D to a two-year high point


we need highest and NOT high.


E ) is correct

According to some real estate experts, the May increase in new housing starts to the highest level in two years suggests that the current high prices for lumber and construction supplies will be maintained in the near term.


I ignored the "SO THAT" part but I would like to understand the usage of "so that" in this question.



Hello Mitch, Marty,


Can you please help us in understanding the above.

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.

The OA is not valid.
OA: the May increase...to the highest level in two years.
Here, implication is that there has been MORE THAN ONE increase to the HIGHEST LEVEL IN TWO YEARS -- the JANUARY increase to the highest level in two years, the FEBRUARY increase to the highest level in two years, the MARCH increase to the highest level in two years -- and that the sentence is referring only to the MAY increase to the highest level in two years.
This meaning is nonsensical.
The intended meaning is that there has been only ONE increase to the highest level in two years, as follows:
In May, housing starts increased to the highest level in two years.
Ignore this SC.