The governement predicts that, for counsumers

[deadpig1987hahaha]

And I have one more question...

The government predicts that, for consumers and businesses that make a large number of long-distance calls, the Federal communication's recent telephone rate cuts will greatly reduce costs, though some consumer groups disagree with the government's estimates, suggesting they are too optimistic.

what does the rest part of this sentence mean? (,though some...to optimistic)
I thought "suggesting they are too optimistic" is a adverbial modifier that modifies the verb disagree. and it should mean " some consumers suggest government are too optimistic". But how can "they" refers to the singular "government’?

[jp.jprasanna]

Dear MGMT tutors - Could you pls correct me if Im wrong?

This sentence follow the std construction : Although / though X,Y

What ever in the x slot should be parallel to Y so here X =consumer groups so Y can't be prediction it has to be "government"

Can we not use this to Kill C and D?


Cheers

[RonPurewal]

Dear MGMT tutors - Could you pls correct me if Im wrong?

This sentence follow the std construction : Although / though X,Y

What ever in the x slot should be parallel to Y so here X =consumer groups so Y can't be prediction it has to be "government"

Can we not use this to Kill C and D?


Cheers

no.
in the construction "(al)though x, y", the "x" and the "y" are complete sentences. those needn't be written in a parallel structure.

for instance,
Although there was unusually heavy traffic on the freeway, I still made it to the meeting on time
is perfectly fine.

[shreerajp99]

Hi,
Can you please help me understand why present perfect 'has made' is incorrect in choice E?

Thanks,
Shreeraj

[RonPurewal]

Hi,
Can you please help me understand why present perfect 'has made' is incorrect in choice E?

Thanks,
Shreeraj

it's not; it's actually fine. what made you think it was wrong?

the problem with that choice is that the modifier "for consumers and businesses..." is absolutely nowhere near the thing it's supposed to describe (= "will reduce costs").

[thanghnvn]

And I have one more question...

The government predicts that, for consumers and businesses that make a large number of long-distance calls, the Federal communication's recent telephone rate cuts will greatly reduce costs, though some consumer groups disagree with the government's estimates, suggesting they are too optimistic.

what does the rest part of this sentence mean? (,though some...to optimistic)
I thought "suggesting they are too optimistic" is a adverbial modifier that modifies the verb disagree. and it should mean " some consumers suggest government are too optimistic". But how can "they" refers to the singular "government’?

"they" refers to "estimates"

[jlucero]

And I have one more question...

The government predicts that, for consumers and businesses that make a large number of long-distance calls, the Federal communication's recent telephone rate cuts will greatly reduce costs, though some consumer groups disagree with the government's estimates, suggesting they are too optimistic.

what does the rest part of this sentence mean? (,though some...to optimistic)
I thought "suggesting they are too optimistic" is a adverbial modifier that modifies the verb disagree. and it should mean " some consumers suggest government are too optimistic". But how can "they" refers to the singular "government’?

"they" refers to "estimates"

Correct. Thanks for catching/answering that question.

[mcmebk]

Please don't do this (attach verbal problems as image files). Also, please post some sort of question along with the problem (which answer choices do you see as possible candidates? which have you already eliminated?)

I'll assume that the question is "why A and not E?"

The problem with choice E is in the placement of the modifier ("For consumers and businesses making a large number of..."). Since this comes before the main clause, "the government predicts...", the implication is that the government is making a prediction for the sake of those consumers and businesses: the prediction is "for" them - and may not even mean that their rates will fall!

Choice A, on the other hand, correctly captures the intended meaning of the sentence: The government is making a general prediction (it's not a prediction aimed at anybody in particular), about the rate cuts that will be experienced by certain individuals.

Dear Ron

Between A and B, I eliminated A because you taught us structures like "He made a mistake that indicates that he did't pay enough attention" (Please forgive me not able to make a better example, I know this is not a perfect sentence because the mistake does not indicate, but the whole event indicates,) the repetition of "that" is considered as wordy and is often wrong. I wonder why it is OK in A here.

Thank you and best regards

[jlucero]

Dear Ron

Between A and B, I eliminated A because you taught us structures like "He made a mistake that indicates that he did't pay enough attention" (Please forgive me not able to make a better example, I know this is not a perfect sentence because the mistake does not indicate, but the whole event indicates,) the repetition of "that" is considered as wordy and is often wrong. I wonder why it is OK in A here.

Thank you and best regards

Very different usage in your example and this sentence. That has several different uses and parts of speech. In your example, "that" functions as a modifier. In our sentence here, it's a conjunction, linking two parts of a sentence. Therefore, it's not just nice, it's necessary.

The FCC predicts THAT the cuts will reduce costs.

You need "that" here to connect the first and second clauses.

[mcmebk]

To see that the comma is OK in (A), you might try reading it without the phrase set off by commas:
"The government predicts that the Federal communication's recent telephone rate cuts will greatly reduce costs..."
= X predicts that Y will Z.

You could also read it as if that limiting phrase is parenthetical:
"The government predicts that (for consumers and businesses that make a large number of long-distance calls) the Federal communication's recent telephone rate cuts will greatly reduce costs... "
= X predicts that (just for some people) Y will Z.

The meaning difference boils down to the placement of the "for" phrase. What exactly is FOR the people and companies mentioned? If it is the fact that the rate cuts will reduce their costs, then place the phrase close to that, as in (A). If it is the government, or the government prediction, then place the phrase next to "the government predicts," as in (E).

Hi Emily

It is really difficult to see what an adverb modifier is modifying, in particular if it is placed between two clause.

How do I tell in choice A, the part "for consumers and business XXX", as an adverb modifier, is not modifying the preceding verb "predicts" but the following verb "reduce"?

Thank you for your answers.

[RonPurewal]

It is really difficult to see what an adverb modifier is modifying, in particular if it is placed between two clause.

this kind of decision is sometimes difficult, but not in this instance. here, "that" serves to divide the two ideas from each other. since the modifier comes after "that", it's talking about the stuff that's mentioned later.

here are two simpler examples that should help to clarify the issue.

James predicted, in a blog post, that Martin would write scandalous lies about him.
--> here, "in a blog post" is where james made this prediction.

James predicted that, in a blog post, Martin would write scandalous lies about him.
--> here, "in a blog post" is where (according to the prediction) martin would write the lies.

[RonPurewal]

here's another problem in which the same kind of thing is an issue:

sc-despite-the-growing-number-t6715.html

[mcmebk]

Hi Ron, you are just unbelievable, that you are always able to explain obscure concepts with simple, direct and explicit words.

Hat off to you!

[jlucero]

Glad that you're learning something here.

[billxxyy]

Dear tutors,

I noticed that option E, "for consumers and businesses making a large ...", that's a difference. I don't know whether the present participle has any potential meaning that consumers and businesses make calls now?