The results of the company's cost-cutting measures...

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The results of the company's cost-cutting measures are evident in its profits, which increased five percent during the first three months of this year after it fell over the last two years.

A. which increased five percent during the first three months of this year after it fell
B. which had increased five percent during the first three months of this year after it had fallen
C. which have increased five percent during the first three months of this year after falling
D. with a five percent increase during the first three months of this year after falling
E. with a five percent increase during the first three months of this year after
having fallen

[spoiler]OA: C[/spoiler]

Can someone provide more information on the usage of "falling" in this context? Why use the present progressive tense? Is it a background action, or is it modifying something? I can't seem to wrap my brain around the usage of the tense here.
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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by kvcpk » Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:31 am
Hi,

I am a learner. Not an expert.. I will give my views.. might not be perfect..

"are evident in its profits" indicates that the action is in the present tense. Underlined Statement tries to show an event that occured sometime in the past to the present.

So we need to use the present perfect tense here. Which is fulfilled by "have increased" in C.

I believe in A,B "it" is ambiguous. I am not sure why "falling should be used"

Waiting for some experts to correct me :)

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by uwhusky » Sun Jun 13, 2010 12:11 pm
There is actually already a post with discussions of answers to this question: https://www.beatthegmat.com/company-prof ... 14316.html.

I am re-posting this and hoping to discuss the specific of the tense "falling" being used in this context.

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by this_time_i_will » Sun Jun 13, 2010 6:11 pm
I wanted to talk about it in the underlined portion. Since, its in the non-underlined portion refers to company's, so do you think it in the underlined portion can refer to company. Nevertheless, i understand choice A is wrong.

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by uwhusky » Sun Jun 13, 2010 7:16 pm
which is modifying profits, and the closest noun to it is profits.

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by pnk » Sun Jun 13, 2010 11:14 pm
A, B - out for simple past and past perfect usage + 'it' singular...profits plural
D, E - out for phrase 'with a five....' Seems to modify the previous clause ' the results...are evident'. It does not modify profits
C - POE - correct (which correctly refers to profits)

But I am also confused with the usage of 'falling' in C. Normally 'verb+ing' without comma modify previous noun. Not sure what noun it modify...is it...three months!!!

Need expert help.

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