Meaning
it should be clear from the sentence that analysts expect automakers to be more conservative.
Only answer choice C does that
a) to set dividends more conservatively thanthey were –Incorrect. They is ambiguous.
b) to set dividends more conservatively thanthey have been -Incorrect. They is ambiguous.
c) to be more conservative than they have been in setting dividends -correct
d)that they will be more conservative than they were in setting dividends -use of that is incorrect
e)
...
it should be clear from the sentence that analysts expect automakers to be more conservative.
Only answer choice C does that
a) to set dividends more conservatively thanthey were –Incorrect. They is ambiguous.
b) to set dividends more conservatively thanthey have been -Incorrect. They is ambiguous.
c) to be more conservative than they have been in setting dividends -correct
d)that they will be more conservative than they were in setting dividends -use of that is incorrect
e)
...






