GMAT Prep Question
This topic has expert replies
-
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 46
- Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:24 am
- Location: Notre Dame
- Thanked: 1 times
'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...
I dont know what have I missed. Is there still any other reason that 'E' is wrong...
GMAT/MBA Expert
- Stacey Koprince
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2228
- Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm
- Location: Montreal, Canada
- Thanked: 639 times
- Followed by:694 members
- GMAT Score:780
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!)
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!)
Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
GMAT/MBA Expert
- Stacey Koprince
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2228
- Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm
- Location: Montreal, Canada
- Thanked: 639 times
- Followed by:694 members
- GMAT Score:780
Since I first posted (wow - almost 2 years ago now!), I have seen the test use the "not only X but Y" setup (omitting the "also"), so the GMAT writers apparently think this idiom is an acceptable alternative. As such, I would've been wrong in picking E. Both C and E contain acceptable idioms, but E breaks parallelism and C doesn't... so C wins.
Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
Thanks Stacey,
BTW what "breaks" the parallel structure in "E". Is it the "they were" between the "but also" that creates the false structure?
I guess a corrected version would be: "were not only able to transform the gas into a solid, but also to create . . "??
BTW what "breaks" the parallel structure in "E". Is it the "they were" between the "but also" that creates the false structure?
I guess a corrected version would be: "were not only able to transform the gas into a solid, but also to create . . "??
GMAT/MBA Expert
- Stacey Koprince
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2228
- Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm
- Location: Montreal, Canada
- Thanked: 639 times
- Followed by:694 members
- GMAT Score:780
You've got it!
In a double idiom (not only X but Y), the part before the idiom starts (so before "not only") must apply equally to both X and Y. We've got:
Scientists were not only X (able to...) but Y (they were also...).
Scientists were able to blah blah blah. That's okay.
Scientists were they were also able to. That's not okay.
In a double idiom (not only X but Y), the part before the idiom starts (so before "not only") must apply equally to both X and Y. We've got:
Scientists were not only X (able to...) but Y (they were also...).
Scientists were able to blah blah blah. That's okay.
Scientists were they were also able to. That's not okay.
Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me