5. As tis sales of computer products have surpassed those of measuring instruments, the company has become increasingly willing to compete for the mass market sales they would in the past have conceded to rivals.
(A) they would in the past have conceded to rivals
(B) they would have conceded previously to their rivals
(C) that in the past would have been conceded previously to rivals
(D) it previously would have conceded to rivals in the past
(E) it would in the past have conceded to rivals
Agreement + Rhetorical construction
When a number of words intervene between a pronoun and its referent, an error such as the one in this sentence is easy to make. The subject of the main clause is the singular noun company, which must be followed by the singular pronoun it.
A Plural pronoun they does not agree with singular the company
B Plural pronoun they and their does not agree with the company
C Previously repeats the idea of in the past, the passive voice construction is weak an ambiguous
D Use of both previously and in the past is redundant
E Correct. In this concise sentence, the singular pronoun it agrees with the singular referent the company.
The correct answer is E. | 
