A new generation of online tools is aiming to create sophisticated shoppers for medical care, but even when people can access new information, it is not always used effectively by them.
(A) it is not always used effectively by them
(B) this is not used effectively always
(C) its use by them is not always effective
(D) their use of this not always being effective
(E) they are not always able to use it effectively
Scroll down for the answer.
Answer: E
Passive Voice, Parallel Structure
Both (A) and (C) can be eliminated because they contain passive constructions that make the sentence unnecessarily awkward and that disrupt the structure of the sentence: the subject of the previous clause is people, and the underlined clause should ideally begin with they (i.e., people) to keep the structure parallel. (B) and (D) can be eliminated because the pronoun this must be followed by a noun – left on its own, this word is ambiguous and virtually always signals an incorrect answer. In addition, the gerund being in (D) also signals an incorrect answer. That leaves (E), which maintains parallel structure and provides a clear, active construction.
