[TetsuroN]

JEM or Bobo!!!!! I thought the answer was E, but it is not E! It is B, but why? What is the rule for using gerund form over the infinitive and for the order of "almost" and "by"?

In 1997, despite an economy that marked its sixth full year of uninterrupted expansion with the lowest jobless rate in a quarter century, the number of United State Citizens declaring themselves bankrupt has jumped by almost 20 percent, at 1.34 million.

A. declaring themselves bankrupt has jumped by almost 20 percent, at

B. declaring themselves bankrupt jumped by almost 20 percent, to

C. who declared themselves bankrupt has jumped by almost 20 percent, to

D. who declared themselves bankrupt jumped almost by 20 percent, at

E. to declare themselves bankrupt jumped almost by 20 percent, to


Exasperated!
Tets

[JEM]

Let's take this step-by-step. A and D are out because the number of bankrupt citizens could not jump "at" some number.

Both forms "declaring themselves" and "who declared themselves" are acceptable; there is only a nominal difference with regard to wordiness that goes in favor of the former.

This brings us to choose between the "has jumped" and "jumped". The correct choice is "jumped", i.e. the past tense becase we are pegging a particular event within the larger historical context of the year 1997.

Now, what about E?

This is a borderline case and I'm not sure of the official rule. Bobotalk may have a better answer, but to a native speaker's ear, E just doesn't sound right.

JEM

[grammarian]

well as far as the choice between options B and E goes, the choice E to be correct should read as follows
to HAVE declared theselves bankrupt jumped almost by 20 percent,to
OR
option D was perfectly fine only if the preposition to were used instead of at
but while choosing between the given set of options i think B serves the purpose just fine.