In contrast to large companies that operate in well-established markets to maintain profitability, discovering new and untapped markets has enabled small, emerging companies to become profitable and cultivate a loyal customer base.

We're drawing a contrast with large companies, so the subject should be the other half of that comparison.


(A) discovering new and untapped markets has enabled small, emerging companies to become profitable and cultivate
(modifier error; does not complete the contrast)

(B) discovering new and untapped markets has enabled small, emerging companies to become profitable, cultivating
(modifier error; does not complete the contrast)

(C) the discovery of new and untapped markets has enabled small, emerging companies to become profitable, cultivating
(modifier error; does not complete the contrast)

(D) small, emerging companies, by discovering new and untapped markets, have been able to become profitable and cultivate
(correct; completes the contrast)

(E) small, emerging companies, since they have been discovering new and untapped markets, have been able to become profitable and cultivated
(the modifier starting with "since" is awkward and wordy, and the use of past tense "cultivated" does not parallel present tense "become")

OA is D