<p>The agency reports that by rigorously enforcing state regulations, industrial pollution has been successfully reduced to acceptable levels.</p>
<p>A) industrial pollution has been successfully reduced to acceptable levels
B) acceptable levels of industrial pollution have been successfully reduced
C) a reduction of industrial pollution to acceptable levels has succeeded
D) they have succeeded to reduce industrial pollution to acceptable levels
E) it has succeeded in reducing industrial pollution to acceptable levels</p>
<p>I couldn't choose between A and E. Aren't they both grammatically correct? The correct answer is E and I don't understand why it is. Can someone help? Thanks :)</p>
<p>All else being equal choose the “active voice” over the “passive voice”. A significant number of writing questions test your ability to recognize the difference between the two voices and to make the proper selection. Also keep this in mind for the essay.</p>
<p>For this question E is therefore the (much) better answer.</p>
<p>See for example: [The</a> Passive Voice](<a href=“http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/passive.htm]The”>http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/passive.htm)</p>
<p>Another indicator: the preface to the second clause is “by rigorously enforcing state regulations.” So, ideally, you’d like to start off the next clause by stating who/what is rigorously enforcing state regulations. In this case, it’s the agency, i.e. “it,” rather than “industrial pollution” that’s enforcing the regulations.</p>
<p>College Board writers are generally sticklers for this sort of thing, while allowing some forms that I don’t like. When you are faced with a “stickler” issue, and a correct alternative is available, generally you’ll do better to respond like a stickler yourself.</p>
<p>They said that</p>
<p>“The agency REPORTS”</p>
<p>not REPORTED.</p>
<p>Reports would mean that the whole sentence would not be in the past tense like A) is. </p>
<p>So E) is the better answer.</p>
<p>Easy. You guys are over-complicating questions like this.</p>
<p>The verbs “has been reduced” and “has succeeded” are both present perfect (one passive, one active). There is not a difference in tenses.</p>
<p>I agree with QuantMech, there isn’t a verb tense disagreement issue in either A or E.</p>
<p>@nothingto</p>
<p>All the answer choices contain some form of verb in the past tense:</p>
<p>A) industrial pollution has been successfully reduced to acceptable levels
B) acceptable levels of industrial pollution have been successfully reduced
C) a reduction of industrial pollution to acceptable levels has succeeded
D) they have succeeded to reduce industrial pollution to acceptable levels
E) it has succeeded in reducing industrial pollution to acceptable levels</p>