Question

Simplify the underlined part of the given sentence (if necessary):
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

The correct option is E year only if non-OPEC nations, including Norway, Mexico, and Russia, trim output

In option A, the subjunctive phrase 'were to trim' is used and a subjunctive phrase is used only when we are talking about a hypothetical case. However, in the given context there is nothing hypothetical- the sentence is talking about real economic facts. So, option A is incorrect. Option B '...the output...is trimmed' is in passive form and does not fit the context. In option C, '...the output...would be trimmed' is passive subjunctive and again does not fit the context. The use of 'were trimming' in option D is past progressive which denotes an action that was in progress in the past does not fit with the given context. So, option E is the correct answer.