University Press

[GmatKiss]

A large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards since 1950 have gone to university-press books.

(B) A large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, university-press books have won 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards since 1950.

(C) Increasingly influential as a large sector of publishing, 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards since 1950 have gone to university-press books.

(D) Since 1950, a large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards have gone to university-press books.

(E) Since 1950, university-press books, a large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, won 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards from then on.

[Gaurav 2013-fall]

(A) A large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards since 1950 have gone to university-press books. (Modifier problem)

(B) A large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, university-press books have won 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards since 1950.

(C) Increasingly influential as a large sector of publishing, 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards since 1950 have gone to university-press books. (Modifier problem)

(D) Since 1950, a large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards have gone to university-press books. (Modifier problem)

(E) Since 1950, university-press books, a large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, won 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards from then on.

[GmatKiss]

A large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards since 1950 have gone to university-press books.

(B) A large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, university-press books have won 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards since 1950.

(C) Increasingly influential as a large sector of publishing, 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards since 1950 have gone to university-press books.

(D) Since 1950, a large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards have gone to university-press books.

(E) Since 1950, university-press books, a large and increasingly influential sector of publishing, won 20 percent of all the National and American Book awards from then on.

[joshmachine]

A - 'A large and increasingly ...' modifies '20 percent' -- out
C - 'Increasingly influential ..' modifies '20 percent' -- out
D - 'A large and increasingly ..' modifies '20 percent' -- out
E - 'Since' & 'then on' redundant -- out

IMO: B

[Bill@VeritasPrep]

"A large and increasingly influential sector of publishing" should modify "university-press books". A and D have it modifying "20 percent...", and C, although rewording it slightly, has it modifying "20 percent..." as well. We're down to B and E at this point.

E uses the simple past "won", which makes it seem like all of the awards were won at a single point in the past. Additionally, the use of "then on" at the end of the sentence is unnecessary because we already know we're talking about the time period "since 1950."

B gets the modifier correct and uses the present perfect "have won" to indicate that the awards have been won at some point before the present.