The infant mortality rate has decreased steadily over the past decades and is now at a lower rate than ever before.
A. now at a lower rate than
B. now lower than
C. now a lower rate than
D. presently lower than it was
E. presently lower than the rate was
OA:B
You said: VERB TENSE SHIFT,and you also gave us an example. but the explanation says: D. The phrase ever before introduces a continuous expanse of time before the present moment (presently) that should be described with the present perfect tense it has been rather than the simple past tense of it was. Also the word order it was ever is the reverse of the more standard and less awkward it ever was
i am quite confused why here now lower than ever before is right? i think "it has been" must be added after "than" .
Expert explain needed, thanks~