The economic report released today by Congress and

[ZiYuen]

The economic report released today by Congress and the Federal Reserve was bleaker than expected, which suggests that the nearing recession might be even deeper and more prolonged than even the most pessimistic analysts have predicted.

(A) which suggests that the nearing recession might be even deeper and more prolonged than even the most pessimistic analysts have predicted.
(B) which suggests that the nearing recession might be deeper and more prolonged than that predicted by even the most pessimistic analysts.
(C) suggests that the nearing recession might be even deeper and more prolonged than that predicted by even the most pessimistic analysts.
(D) suggesting that the nearing recession might be deeper and more prolonged than that predicted by even the most pessimistic analysts.
(E) a situation that is even more deep and prolonged than even the most pessimistic analysts have predicted.

Official answer = D
Source = Veritas Prep

Why the second sentence in the answer choice D started with the suggesting (- ing verb past participle)?

[RonPurewal]

that sentence uses "comma _ing" exactly the way it should be used -- specifically,
• it modifies the ACTION that precedes it,
• the agent/subject of that action is the noun most closely associated with, or most directly responsible for, the "__ing".

here's the example i always use:
I dropped the bags onto the floor, scaring the dogs.
—> what scared the dogs?
• my ACTION of dropping the bags did.
• i did NOT scare the dogs DIRECTLY. (if i had done so, there'd be no need for this kind of modifier -- i'd just write a normal subject and verb, "i scared the dogs.") ...but, if you were asked, "who/what [noun] is most responsible for scaring the dogs?", then the answer would be me ("I").

__

this sentence works in exactly the same way.
what "suggested" that the recession might be long and deep?
• most precisely, the fact that the report WAS BLEAKER THAN EXPECTED (the preceding "action") suggested this.
• if you were asked, "who/what [noun] was most responsible for suggesting this?", then the answer would be the report.

[YuG369]

Hello expert RON!
thanks for your explanation!! really helped me understand comma ing!
I would like to know whether "the situation" in option E is used correctly. I think it perfectly modifies the preceding clause, the whole idea, but according to the instructor, it should be modifying the nearest noun.

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

No need to quote the previous message in the thread.

You're right that 'a situation' can modify a clause. For example this sentence is fine: 'Columbus arrived in America in 1492, an event that is celebrated annually.' Here, the event is the preceding clause. However, in answer E above, the 'situation' referred to cannot be the release of the report. How can the release of a report be 'more deep and prolonged'? The situation here is the recession itself.

[SahilS462]

What is the reason for elimination of option (c):
(C) suggests that the nearing recession might be even deeper and more prolonged than that predicted by even the most pessimistic analysts.

what does "suggests" points to in the given sentence.

Appreciate your help.

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

what does "suggests" points to in the given sentence?

That's a good question here. The verb 'suggests' doesn't seem to have a subject, rendering the sentence non-sensical. On one analysis you could say that 'the economic report' is the subject, and that we have a parallel construction '...was..., suggests...' However this is both illogical in terms of meaning (it wasn't the report itself that suggested) and not a correct parallel construction (it has 2 items separated by a comma).