Since 1975 so many people

[eggpain24]

P.S., The last nine times a forum poster has called something "obvious", the poster has been wrong.
Yes, I've been counting.
9 of the last 9.

Don't use words like "obvious". You always lose.

• If you're actually correct, then you gain nothing——and you risk insulting other forum visitors, to whom the thing in question may not be "obvious".

• If you're incorrect, you'll just embarrass yourself.

thanks your tips

I went through the question again and realize the careless mistake I have made!

thanks Ron!

[tim]

Sometimes all it takes is a little extra review. Maybe come back to the question after a day or two and you might catch something you missed earlier.

[momo32]

the pronoun ”it“（ intended to refer to ”population“）

but ”it“can only refer to 75 percent of the population

Not true.

What makes you think this is true (and "obvious")?

Dear Ron,

I also agree "it" is refer to 75 percent of the population, so I eliminate the choice with it.
You mean that it is not refer to 75 percent of the population.
What is wrong?

THX

[Paris,Texas]

the pronoun ”it“（ intended to refer to ”population“）

but ”it“can only refer to 75 percent of the population

Not true.

What makes you think this is true (and "obvious")?

Dear Ron,

I also agree "it" is refer to 75 percent of the population, so I eliminate the choice with it.
You mean that it is not refer to 75 percent of the population.
What is wrong?

THX

Hi Ron，
I have the same confusion. Is it because that '75 percent of' is not the modifier of 'the population'? if it isn't, what's its role in the sentence?

Thanks in advance.

[RonPurewal]

the context:
• mormons once accounted for %75 of the population.
• they now account for %50 of the population.

so, "it" = population.

[AllenY389]

the context:
• mormons once accounted for %75 of the population.
• they now account for %50 of the population.

so, "it" = population.

Hi, Ron,
I'm still confused.

Is it because that in" 75 percent of the population", "75 percent " is a noun and not a modifier attached to the" population", then I can think this phrase as "noun1(75percent )+preposition(of)+noun2(the population)"

"it" can refer to the noun in a preposition phrase if the context is clear.
because "half" exists in the second part, the context is clear. we can refer "it" to the "population"

if some modifiers are attached to the "population" i.e. "75 percent of the population in New York"
"it" must refer to " the population in New York."

Am I right?
Thanks in advances!

[AllenY389]

I'm Paris, Texas. It's werid for me to be deterred from posting, so I changed my account.

[RonPurewal]

the context:
• mormons once accounted for %75 of the population.
• they now account for %50 of the population.

so, "it" = population.

Hi, Ron,
I'm still confused.

Is it because that in" 75 percent of the population", "75 percent " is a noun and not a modifier attached to the" population", then I can think this phrase as "noun1(75percent )+preposition(of)+noun2(the population)"

"it" can refer to the noun in a preposition phrase if the context is clear.
because "half" exists in the second part, the context is clear. we can refer "it" to the "population"

if some modifiers are attached to the "population" i.e. "75 percent of the population in New York"
"it" must refer to " the population in New York."

Am I right?
Thanks in advances!

there's too much stuff happening here.

these are the ideas you need:

• if (i) the noun is there, (ii) the reference is clear in context, and (iii) the pronoun and noun match (singular/plural) ... the pronoun can work.

• the pronoun must refer to the noun as described earlier, including whatever modifiers the noun is carrying (you appear to understand this point already).

that's pretty much it. there's no utility to be gained from thinking specifically about nouns that are ensconced within this-or-that type of modifier.

[RonPurewal]

I'm Paris, Texas. It's werid for me to be deterred from posting, so I changed my account.

i don't understand. what happened?

during busy periods we sometimes limit our responses to forum users who are non-clients (= who have never bought anything from us), so as to ensure that our clients' threads are answered first.
however, i'm not aware of any situation in which the system itself should prevent you from posting.

(also, you probably don't actually mean "deter"; maybe you could say what happened in simpler terms?)