SC: New equipment and other improvements

[aflaamM589]

Thanks
Please validate if i have understood it correctly

So that ,ideally, should introduce a new subject
But if new subject is not introduced and if a pronoun is used, instead, and if pronoun matches the subject of the sentence than by default the pronoun stands for the subject

Julian studied hard so that she could get a good grade.
She = Julian


New equipment and other improvements reduced the amount of time"”from eleven hours in 1982 to six in 1988"”needed by workers so that they could produce a ton of steel
they, thus owing to its placement, refers to New equipment and other improvements
and not to workers

and therefore the following meaning

Ron:
that interpretation implies that "new equipment" is capable of formulating a goal, and of taking actions toward that goal

.

In Contrast,
To verb goes back to subject of the previous action
previous action is needed; its subject is workers
Perfect!
Thus, D is in and A is out.

Is my understanding correct?

Thanks
Have a cheerful day

[RonPurewal]

actually, no to all of that.

your question was:

why can't it be taken as,
reducing the time is an action taken toward a goal

you asked that ^^.

the SUBJECT of "reduced the time" is "new equipment and improvements". so, if this action has a "goal", then, that goal is formulated by the subject.
in this sentence, that's nonsense.
this has nothing to do with "so that" -- you don't even have to read that far to reach the nonsense.

__

the only exception to this -- i.e., the only kind of sentence in which a STATED goal/purpose might belong to someone other than the subject -- is "passive" construction (IS/ARE/WAS/WERE ____ED).

e.g.,
Rubber stoppers were installed in the drains to prevent further losses of water.

if the sentence is NOT passive, though -- XXXXX installed rubber stoppers to prevent further losses of water -- then "XXXXX" MUST be whoever has the goal in mind.