fuel-efficient cars

[jlucero]

Glad it helped.

[tim]

let me make this clear again: there is NO pronoun ambiguity issue with B. it is absolutely clear what the pronoun is referring to, and it is referring to the wrong thing. that's why B is wrong, not because of ambiguity..

[jyothi h]

let me make this clear again: there is NO pronoun ambiguity issue with B. it is absolutely clear what the pronoun is referring to, and it is referring to the wrong thing. that's why B is wrong, not because of ambiguity..

In saw the below statement in the first comment Ron mentions -

"in the problem referenced here, 'they' could technically refer either to the cars or to the manufacturers (even though the latter is totally illogical), rendering that choice incorrect."

But I see what u guys meant . Since the pronoun reference to "manufacturers" doesn't make sense , it is not ambigious .

I guess I glanced over Ron's statement in a rush and took it to mean that he is talking about pronoun being ambiguious.
I got what he meant ! Thanks for the clarification, Tim !

[tim]

glad you took the time to work through an understanding of this!

[ghong14]

if a noun is preceded by adjectives, then any pronoun referring to that noun MUST refer to the complete package of adjectives + noun.
so, in choice (d), "their" must refer to "fuel-efficient small cars"; that doesn't make sense, since fuel-efficient small cars have not been made throughout the entire production history in question.

Why is that their in D can't refer back to Manufacturers?

[RonPurewal]

if a noun is preceded by adjectives, then any pronoun referring to that noun MUST refer to the complete package of adjectives + noun.
so, in choice (d), "their" must refer to "fuel-efficient small cars"; that doesn't make sense, since fuel-efficient small cars have not been made throughout the entire production history in question.

Why is that their in D can't refer back to Manufacturers?

still doesn't make sense; we're talking about the "production history" of the cars, not the manufacturers.

[ghong14]

still doesn't make sense; we're talking about the "production history" of the cars, not the manufacturers.

This must be a meaning issue that I am not picking up because the production history of manufacturers include the different type of cars. The cars don't have a production history. The manufacture does....I think.....

[thanghnvn]

the biggest problem with b is the differenct between "they" and "those"

we use "they" when to talk about the same thing, which appear at the beginning and at the end

the book is good because it is from the good author

there is only one book

The book is good but that on the table is bad

there are 2 books defferent.

in C, "those" is correct because there are 2 kinds of cars.

This is purely grammartical rule. However, this rule is seldom explained in grammar books and this gives us a hard time. But we can learn this rule as a machine does

[tim]

This must be a meaning issue that I am not picking up because the production history of manufacturers include the different type of cars. The cars don't have a production history. The manufacture does....I think.....

There's nothing that prevents the cars from having a production history. You appear to be restricting the meaning too much.

[tim]

the biggest problem with b is the differenct between "they" and "those"

we use "they" when to talk about the same thing, which appear at the beginning and at the end

the book is good because it is from the good author

there is only one book

The book is good but that on the table is bad

there are 2 books defferent.

in C, "those" is correct because there are 2 kinds of cars.

This is purely grammartical rule. However, this rule is seldom explained in grammar books and this gives us a hard time. But we can learn this rule as a machine does

I'm not sure how any of this is relevant. Care to elaborate, perhaps by connecting your examples to what's actually happening in answer choice B?