NandishSS wrote:Most of the country's biggest daily newspapers had lower circulation in the six months from October 1995 through March 1996 than a similar period a year earlier.
(A) a similar period
(B) a similar period's
(C) in a similar period
(D) that in a similar period
(E) that of a similar period
[spoiler]OA: C[/spoiler]
The sentence makes a comparison, so look for comparison errors.
As the sentence is originally written,
circulation in the six months is compared to
a similar period.
In other words, newspaper circulation is compared to a period of time, rather than to newspaper circulation during that period of time.
The items compared are not similar enough to sustain a comparison, so eliminate choice A.
Choices B and E introduce modifier errors by ascribing the circulation to
a similar period, rather than to
most of the country's biggest daily newspapers.
Choice B introduces this error by employing an apostrophe, which signifies possession.
Choice E makes this error by introducing the prepositional phrase "of a similar period", in which the preposition "of" signifies belonging.
Choices D and E are less concise because they employ the pronoun "that" to refer to "circulation".
The sentence aims to compare newspaper circulation in one period to newspaper circulation in another, similar period.
Since the sentence cannot be reasonably construed to compare anything else, there's no need to refer to "circulation" twice.
Choice C correctly compares newspaper circulation in the six months from October 1995 to March 1996 to newspaper circulation in a similar period.
Note that the prepositional phrases, "in the six months" and "in a similar period", are constructed in parallel.
When a word or phrase introduces or follows one item in a comparison, it should also introduce or follow the other item in a comparison.
Since the first item in the comparison is followed by the prepositional phrase "in the six months", the second item in the comparison should also be followed by a prepositional phrase that begins with the preposition "in".
The correct answer is choice
C.
