Sentence Correction

The auto industry has experienced one of its most significant trends in the last 50 years, which is the migration of motorists from passenger cars to minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickups.

(A) The auto industry has experienced one of its most significant trends in the last 50 years, which is
(B) Of the trends the auto industry experienced in the last 50 years has been one of the most significant
(C) In the last 50 years, one of the most significant trends that the auto industry has been experiencing has been
(D) One of the most significant trends that the auto industry has experienced in the last 50 years is
(E) In the last 50 years, the auto industry experienced one of the most significant trends that it has had, that of

{A} INCORRECT; "which" antecedent issue
{B} INCORRECT; awkward constuct - what has been one of the most?
{C} INCORRECT; tense issue "has been"
{D} CORRECT
{E} INCORRECT; awkward construct "hat it has had, that of"

Is it {D}?

Yes the answer is indeed D..but i am confused "One of the most significant trends" trends should be plural right.
please elaborate.

pritam.ryders wrote:Yes the answer is indeed D..but i am confused "One of the most significant trends" trends should be plural right.
please elaborate.

No, that should be singular only.

pritam.ryders wrote:Yes the answer is indeed D..but i am confused "One of the most significant trends" trends should be plural right.
please elaborate.

One of the most significant trends that the auto industry has experienced in the last 50 years is the migration of motorists from passenger cars to minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickups.

A preposition such as of signals the start of a MODIFIER.
In the sentence above, the portion in red serves to modify the preceding subject one.
If we remove the modifier in red, we get:
ONE IS the migration of motorists from passenger cars to minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickups.
Here, is (singular) agrees with one (singular).

GMATGuruNY wrote:
One of the most significant trends that the auto industry has experienced in the last 50 years is the migration of motorists from passenger cars to minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickups.

A preposition such as of signals the start of a MODIFIER.
In the sentence above, the portion in red serves to modify the preceding subject one.
If we remove the modifier in red, we get:
ONE IS the migration of motorists from passenger cars to minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickups.
Here, is (singular) agrees with one (singular).

Hi Mitch,

Thanks for the great exlanation.

Just a few doubts,

I narrowed down to C and D. But then got confused. Both use 'in the last 50 years',
which is past tense, right? So we would need 'one of the most significant trends has been' rather than
'one of the most singnificant trends is'. Or is D correct as no other trend surpassed this trend- It is
still the most significant trend.

Could you please explain the difference between C and D?

Thanks in advance,
Al

Alchemist14 wrote:Could you please explain the difference between C and D?

C: In the last 50 years, one of the most significant trends that the auto industry has been experiencing
Here, has been experiencing conveys continuous action, while IN the last 50 years does not.
The present perfect progressive -- has been + VERBing -- requires a modifier that suggests continuous action.
Incorrect: John has been dancing IN the last ten minutes.
Correct: John has been dancing FOR the last ten minutes.
Eliminate C.