(A) Formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity do not apply to new small businesses in the same way as they do to established big businesses, because they are growing and are seldom in equilibrium.
(B) Because they are growing and are seldom in equilibrium, formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity do not apply to new small businesses in the same way as they do to established big businesses.
(C) Because they are growing and are seldom in equilibrium, new small businesses are not subject to the same applicability of formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity as established big businesses.
(D) Because new small businesses are growing and are seldom in equilibrium, formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity do not apply to them in the same way as to established big businesses.
(E) New small businesses are not subject to the applicability of formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity in the same way as established big businesses, because they are growing and are seldom in equilibrium.
Solution:
Pronouns
OG Solution:
In A, the they after because is ambiguous; it seems illogically to refer to Formulas because they and Formulas are each the grammatical subject of a clause and because the previous they refers to Formulas. In A and B, do not apply to... in the same way as they do to is wordy and awkward. D, the best choice, says more concisely in the same way as to. Also in B, because they refers to formulas, the introductory clause states confusedly that the formulas are growing. In C and E, subject to the [same] applicability of... is wordy, awkward, and imprecise; furthermore, are is preferable either before or after established big businesses to complete the comparison. Finally, the referent of they is not immediately clear in E.
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