Sentence Correction

39. According to scholars, the earliest writing was probably not a direct rendering of speech, but was more likely to begin as a separate and distinct symbolic system of communication, and only later
merged with spoken language.

(A) was more likely to begin as
(B) more than likely began as
(C) more than likely beginning from
(D) it was more than likely begun from
(E) it was more likely that it began



The OA is B.

I completely don't understand this question. If I am correct, then the sentense should be a "NOT X, BUT Y" construction. Then how could choice B be correct? I think it is not parallel: NOT X is not parallel to "BUT more than likely began as Y". How can it be correct??

Experts plz help me~

BTW, sorry for not hiding the correct answer. I just can't edit the text. (When clicking the spoiler botton, i jump to another place). Sorry about that.

not X but Y, X= a direct rendering of speech, it has no verb, but option A has a verb in it, eliminate.
furhter options D and E have clauses so thts a no again.
boils dwn to B and C.
if you see the non underlined portion, merged is in past tense, so makes sense to use began here instead of beginning.began----and----merged.
although C can be omitted as it is without much grammar thought, it sounds awkward, B is much better.

answer B

@rohu

In Op B, Isn't BEGAN is used a verb???? if not can you please specify it is acting as which part of speech???

Also, if its a verb, then as you explained Not X, But Y construction

X----> a direct rendering of speech---->NOUN
Y----> more than likely began-----> i think "more than likely is adverb" and BEGAN---Verb

so isn't we comparing a NOUN to a VERB in case of OP B...please clear???

Ahh. Atul good pont. looked up OG now.
it says probably not X...but more than likely Y is the correct idiom (how many idioms GMAT uses:( )
so it boils down to B and C, frm there OG cites paralleism to choose option B.

now i guess we are missing something here, X and Y should be parallel and began is a verb ofcourse.
a direct rendering of speech -> rendering is a noun and began a verb.
X and Y should be logically and structurally parallelright? we cant ignore tht here.

@rohu

Thats what i thought and so didn't answered the question but was following the explanations...

a direct rendering of speech---> noun--->X
began----> Verb-----> Y

so even if the idiom is not X...but more than likely Y

X and Y are not the same parts of speech...is this an OG question??? if yes please mention the question no..??

its og diagnostic Q 39.

Hi, atulmangal,

This is an OG question, OG12TH diagnostic Q 39, as rohu said.

I have the same confusion with you.

Any expert can help us?

Experts plz help...

rx_11 wrote:Experts plz help...

Hi sorry for replying late, didn't receive email notification...

i checked OG and have the same confusion...

x = noun and y = verb....how they are parallel...some expert help will be helpful

Hi Rohu,

What is this new idiom other thant "Not X but Y" you are mentioning here.. Can you put it in clear words one more time for me..

HSPA wrote:Hi Rohu,

What is this new idiom other thant "Not X but Y" you are mentioning here.. Can you put it in clear words one more time for me..

here you go:
probably not X but more than likely Y,
but i wonder no other book(such as mgmat)mentions this. but anyways OG has it so better put into ur list.
also one more thng here, when more is used in the comparitive form it should be followed by than.

@rx_11,
kindly request you to PM an expert.so tht we can get this cleared up

Thanks copied to my dB.
I have seen Ron mention some where - "learn from a OG question than trying to correct it".. Since it is Ron who wrote it => OG > mgmat

Thanks rohu

rx_11 wrote:39. According to scholars, the earliest writing was probably not a direct rendering of speech, but was more likely to begin as a separate and distinct symbolic system of communication, and only later
merged with spoken language.

(A) was more likely to begin as
(B) more than likely began as
(C) more than likely beginning from
(D) it was more than likely begun from
(E) it was more likely that it began



The OA is B.

I completely don't understand this question. If I am correct, then the sentense should be a "NOT X, BUT Y" construction. Then how could choice B be correct? I think it is not parallel: NOT X is not parallel to "BUT more than likely began as Y". How can it be correct??

Experts plz help me~

BTW, sorry for not hiding the correct answer. I just can't edit the text. (When clicking the spoiler botton, i jump to another place). Sorry about that.

I received a PM asking me to comment.

In A, C and D, the verbs lack parallelism:

A) ...the early writing was probably....but was more than likely to begin...and only later merged. Not parallel.
C) ...the early writing was probably...but more than likely beginning...and only later merged. Not parallel.
D) ...the early writing was probably...but more than likely begun...and only later merged. Not parallel.

Eliminate A, C and D.

In E, was should be in the present tense. The reason is easier to see if we reverse the order: that it began as a separate system is more likely. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is B.

Always note the parts of the sentence that are not underlined. The non-underlined portion typically dictates what is needed in the underlined portion. In the SC above, the underlined verb began has to be parallel with the non-underlined verbs was and merged.

@Mitch,
one small clarification, in option B, not X but Y reads-> X=a direct rendering of speech (no verb here IMO) Y= more than likely began as (began is a verb here?)
are both X and Y parallel here?

Thanks

rohu27 wrote:@Mitch,
one small clarification, in option B, not X but Y reads-> X=a direct rendering of speech (no verb here IMO) Y= more than likely began as (began is a verb here?)
are both X and Y parallel here?

Thanks

You're looking for the wrong things to be parallel. We are not offered the construction not X but Y -- in which X and Y are both nouns -- because the underlined portion must offer a clear contrast with the the non-underlined verb phrase only later merged:

...was probably not...but more than likely began...and only later merged....

In order to say that the writing only later merged, the sentence needs to say that it began as something else. More importantly, the three verbs -- was, began, and merged -- are parallel.