Gmat prep: five nation iroquois league

This topic has expert replies
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:49 pm

Gmat prep: five nation iroquois league

by Hano » Tue Dec 04, 2007 7:59 pm
Greatly influenced by the protestant missionary Samuel Kirkland, the Oneida [u]was the only one of the five nation Iroquois league who sided[/u] with the colonist during the American revolution.

A) was the only one of the five nation Iroquois league who sided
B) was alone of the five nation Iroquois league when they sided
C) alone among the five nations of the Iroquois league sided
D) were the only out of the five nations of the Iroquois league in siding
E) only of the five nation Iroquois league had sided

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 214
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:30 am
Thanked: 15 times

by sujaysolanki » Tue Dec 04, 2007 8:58 pm
A is best all others have errors

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 215
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:59 pm
Location: Mississippi
Thanked: 21 times
Followed by:3 members

by Danielle » Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:14 pm
Sujay is right -- A is the correct answer.

B-- 'was alone' is incorrect
C-- 'alone among....nation" is also incorrect
D-- 'in siding' is wrong verb tense, and it's wordy
E-- 'had sided' is the wrong verb tense also
Verbal Tutor

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:49 pm

by Hano » Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:33 pm
That was what I thought as well, but the ans is C.

Any taker for explanation?

Is it because of parallelism, "greatly influenced and ... "sided"??

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 215
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:59 pm
Location: Mississippi
Thanked: 21 times
Followed by:3 members

by Danielle » Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:37 pm
Okay, looking at it again, the problem with A is "who sided". I looked at it as the Oneida, a group of Indians, but it is the Onieda, an Iriquois nation, which means that is should be "that sided" because a nation does not merit "who", but "that".

Also in retrospect, C is not grammatically incorrect. When you trim the "among the five nations of the Iroquois league" then you get "the Oneida alone sided", which is grammatically correct. I got hosed by that prepositional phrase. Whoops!
Verbal Tutor