(1) blacksmiths were critical to their communities. (2) they produced metal goods that were essential to life in the colonies. (3) these tradespeople made items needed for farming such as plow blades, axes, and other tools. (4) they also produced goods for homes such as kettles, pots, and pans. (5) usually, each small town had one blacksmith and cities had two or three. (6) colonial blacksmiths worked in shops where they heated and shaped their metal.

bill decided to revise the paragraph by combining sentences 1 and 2 this way:
blacksmiths, who produced metal goods that were essential to life in the colonies, were critical to their communities.

did bill combine the sentences appropriately for this paragraph?

a. yes, because the paragraph needed fewer sentences
b. no, because the new sentence leaves out important information
c. yes, because the revised sentence shows the link between the ideas
d. no, because the paragraph makes more sense with the ideas separated