Sentence Correction

In 1914 a total of 469,000 cars and trucks were produced in the United States, but in 1929 almost twice the numbers of trucks alone came off the assembly lines.

A. the numbers of trucks alone
B. that number of trucks alone
C. the number of trucks by themselves
D. as many trucks themselves
E. as many trucks by themselves

OA: B

IS the "alone" in A and B means "by itself" here?
can someone explain what's wrong except the OA?

thank u!!!!

amysky_0205 wrote:In 1914 a total of 469,000 cars and trucks were produced in the United States, but in 1929 almost twice the numbers of trucks alone came off the assembly lines.

A. the numbers of trucks alone
>>The numbers of is a wrong idiom. it should be "the number of truck"
B. that number of trucks alone
>>lets take this one later.
C. the number of trucks by themselves
>>same as a. the number of is always singular. Also themselves usage here is weird.
D. as many trucks themselves
>>themselves again
E. as many trucks by themselves
>>themselves, here too

OA: B

IS the "alone" in A and B means "by itself" here?
can someone explain what's wrong except the OA?

thank u!!!!

so by elimination answer should be B. Let me know if my approach is wrong.

amysky_0205 wrote:In 1914 a total of 469,000 cars and trucks were produced in the United States, but in 1929 almost twice the numbers of trucks alone came off the assembly lines.

A. the numbers of trucks alone
B. that number of trucks alone
C. the number of trucks by themselves
D. as many trucks themselves
E. as many trucks by themselves

OA: B

IS the "alone" in A and B means "by itself" here?
can someone explain what's wrong except the OA?

thank u!!!!

The alone in A and B does mean by itself as well but A has a problem in the sense of numbers. Logically, it is twice the number and not the plural numbers.

In B, "that" sensibly refers back to the 469,000 meaning that twice the 469,000 cars/trucks in the past were trucks alone in 1929. B also uses the correct use of singular "number"--> Correct

In D and E, the idiom as many as is violated so I ruled these answers out as well.

In C, the number of trucks is not clear as well as the usage the number themselves sounds awkward so I ruled this answer out as well.


Hope this helps.

why D is wrong? pls explain