Question

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) had long been expected to announce a reduction in output to bolster sagging oil prices, but officials of the organization just recently announced that the group will pare daily production by 1.5 million barrels by the beginning of next year, but only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were to trim output by a total of 500,000 barrels a day.
(A) year, but only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were to trim output

(B) year, but only if the output of non-OPEC nations, which includes Norway, Mexico, and Russia, is trimmed

(C) year only if the output of non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, would be trimmed

(D) year only if non-OPEC nations, which includes Norway, Mexico, and Russia, were trimming output

(E) year only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, trim output

Answer 1

Answer: E -  year only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, trim output

Explanation: From the above question, we are looking for the best constructed sentence among the options given.

Looking through all the options, A and B with the phrase ...'but only if' is wrong.

Options C and D has some grammatical issues at the end of each statement which made them both not correct.

The only option we are left with is the option E which states that 'year only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, trim output' is correct.