[問題]OG(11th)18

[balaspirit]

12. After gradual declension down to about 39 hours in 1970, the workweek in the United States has steadily increased to the point that the average worker now puts in an estimated 164 extra hours of paid labor a year.

(A) After gradual declension down

(B) Following a gradual declension down

(C) After gradual declining down

(D) After gradually declining

(E) Following gradually declining


答案是:D

問題一:OG裡面提到Replacing declension with decline would be acceptable(到這哩，沒有問題)，but it is preferable to use the participle:declining (這句話，有問題，為什麼OG要這麼寫呢?)

問題二:答案E選項提到Phrase must be introduce by a preposition(after), not a participle(following)-->這句話，看不懂他的意涵是什麼耶??

請問在做這題的時候，要怎麼從答案D跟E做決選呢?

[hughes0305]

Q1: 用分詞來代替主詞+動詞, 比較簡潔吧.
Q2:就是這裡需要用介系詞來引導囉!

簡單來講, after是個中規中矩的使用方法, 沒什麼好挑剔的!
何必選一個少見的following呢?