求助一道SC~

哎唷不小心

Despite recent increasesin sales and cash flow that have propelled automobile companies' common stocksto new highs, several industry analysts expect automakers, in order to conservecash, to set dividends more conservatively than they were

A.    to set dividends more conservatively than they were

B.    to set dividends more conservatively than they have been

C.    to be more conservative than they have been in setting dividends

D.    that they will be more conservative than they were in setting dividends

E.    that they will be more conservative than they have been to set dividends

这题答案是C，但为什么用they have been 而不用they were表过去？
是因为than后面的仍受expect的影响？就是expect automakers to be more conservative than (expect them) to have been in setting dividens?
请问各路大侠该如何解释的好？

cydsola

是选相对正确的，不是选绝对正确的
several industry analysts expect automakers, in order to conservecash, to set dividends more conservatively than they were      
A和B均不平行，正确是平行结构应当是主语比较 to set dividends more conservatively than they did 或者 they have （此处they 指代的是 automakers)

至于D的话, expect automakers, 插入语，that  这个结构错误了. 应当是expect that automakers, in order to....，

哎唷不小心

cydsola 发表于 2013-11-17 20:58
是选相对正确的，不是选绝对正确的
several industry analysts expect automakers, in order to conserveca ...

嗯，谢谢，所以如果有F选项是to be more conservative than they were in setting dividends是不是就选F呢？