Sentence Correction

A recent national study of the public schools shows that there are now one microcomputer for every
thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were four years ago.
(A) there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(B) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(C) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many as there were
(D) every thirty-two pupils now have one microcomputer, four times as many than there were
(E) every thirty-two pupils now has one microcomputer, four times as many as

answer is C
(C) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many as there were

If the reference is to one microcomputer how can you use were instead of was technically
there is now one microcomputer --our times as many as there were/WAS

it sounds akward but can anyone explain

Venmic,

There are following issues here: subject-verb agreement, idiom and parallelism.

1) subject-verb agreement
"computer" is a singual noun, so the verb must be also singular.
We should eliminate answer choice A.

2) correct idiom is "as many as"
We should eliminate answer choice B & D.

3) parallelism
(E) "...four times as many as four years ago." is not parallel
We should eliminate answer choice E.

Moreover, "every thirty-two pupils" is incorrect construction.
It would be correct, if it were "every pupil" or "each of thirty-two pupils" + singular verb.

Read "Top 10 Tips for the Sentence Correction Section" by Chris Black
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/09/ ... on-section

Hope it helps!
Best,
Maciek

@venmic....maceik has correctly pointed out solution in the best possible way ..
i second maceik...

"as many as" is the correct idiom so C