Sentence Correction

The increase in unemployment rates, coupled with significantly increased retail prices as well as energy costs, are forcing many homeowners to look into alternative sources of fuel in order to save money on winter heating.

A] unemployment rates, coupled with significantly increased retail prices as well as energy costs, are

B] rates of unemployment, coupled with significant increases in retail prices and energy costs, have been

C] unemployment rates, coupled with significant increases in both retail prices and energy costs, is

D] unemployment rates, coupled with significantly increased retail prices as well as energy costs, is

E] rates of unemployment, coupled with significant increases in both retail as well as energy costs, had been

[spoiler]
The OA is C.[/spoiler]

Got the OA as C. But only had doubts on the option D.

According to me the option D is incorrect because it is not parallel as compared to the other part of the sentence.

'The increase in unemployment rates' compared to 'coupled with significantly increased retail prices as well as energy costs' is not parallel as in something is not parallel to increased something.

That is why option C is the correct answer.

Also 'coupled with significantly increased retail prices as well as energy costs' is a modifier and so the question is Can parellelism parameter be applied to compare the subject with its own modifier.

Also please see any other error in option D as compared to the option C.

I found this error and that is why posted this question...

IMO: C

I think your explanation is dead on. It's in the increases in all three areas (rates, prices, and costs) that are "forcing many homeowners..."

The other problem with D is that "significantly increased" only modifies retail prices, not "energy costs," whereas C's construction works:

significant increases in (retail prices AND energy costs)

Bill, I have an objection to C which nobody seems to discuss about.
The part unemployment rates, coupled with significant increases in both retail prices and energy costs, is,
increases in bold should be increase as the subject is plural.(both retail prices and energy costs)
??

I am in a fix here.Please clear it.

Thanks.

The "increases" you've bolded isn't a verb; it's a noun. Since we have an increase in retail prices AND an increase in energy costs, we have to use the plural noun "increases"

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:Since we have an increase in retail prices AND an increase in energy costs, we have to use the plural noun "increases"

Hi Bill, could you advice why "increases" is used in the following sentence:

Rising inventories, if not accompanied by corresponding increases in sales, can lead to production cutbacks that would hamper economic growth.

A, b, E are eliminated because the subject verb agreement. We are down to C and D
Have a hard time to hold on for C because I could not see the parallel construction in "increase" .

iongmat wrote:

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:Since we have an increase in retail prices AND an increase in energy costs, we have to use the plural noun "increases"

Hi Bill, could you advice why "increases" is used in the following sentence:

Rising inventories, if not accompanied by corresponding increases in sales, can lead to production cutbacks that would hamper economic growth.

To agree with the plural "inventories."