GMAT Prep Question

Vasudha · Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:36 am Post subject: GMAT Prep Question

Is this some kind of a software error? 'C' clearly violates the idiom "not only...but also"..!!

aks19 · Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 12:27 pm Post subject:

Interesting question.

I think the only problem in E is the extra "coma" which creates sentence fragment.

Vasudha · Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 6:34 pm Post subject:

'E' seems correct in every aspect. It also uses comma and the coordinating conjunction "but" appropriately to avoid a fragment.

I dont know what have I missed. Is there still any other reason that 'E' is wrong...

Stacey Koprince · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 10:33 pm Post subject:

Strange about C. I have seen writers use "not only X but Y" in the real world but it's rare - and I have never seen the test do that.

E technically breaks the idiom too, though. It says

"were not only able to... but they were also able to..."

Correct usage should be "were not only X but also Y"

If I had had to choose on this one, I'd probably have gone with E also. You should email them and ask! (And let us know if they reply!)