BTGmoderatorDC wrote:Media experts have attributed the long lasting intrigue of Marilyn Monroe to everything from having a charismatic beauty, which was always admired, to her association with the rich and powerful families in America.

A) having a charismatic beauty, which was always admired
B) having a charismatic beauty, which has always been admired
C) her charismatic beauty, for which there has always been an admiration
D) her charismatic beauty, which has always been admired
E) having a charismatic beauty, for which there has always been an admired

Hi DC,

This sentence includes a list of attributes. When a sentence includes a list, check whether the list is constructed in parallel.

Proper parallel construction entails that each item in a list should have the same grammatical status.
For example, every item in a list should represent the same part of speech: a list of nouns should not include a verb, and a list of verbs should not include a noun.
In this sentence, the first item listed is the participial phrase "having a charismatic beauty", and the second item listed is the noun phrase "her association with the rich and powerful families in America."

The noun phrase isn't underlined, so it can't be changed, which means that the participial phrase is incorrect.
Eliminate choices A, B, and E.

Choice C and D correct the error in the original sentence by replacing the participial phrase, "having a charismatic beauty", with the noun phrase, "her charismatic beauty".
However, choices C and D have different ways of expressing the idea that her charismatic beauty has always been admired.
While the two expressions mean the same thing, choice D expresses the idea with greater concision.
When two sentences express the same idea, but one expression is more concise than the other, the GMAT considers the more concise sentence correct.

The correct answer is choice D.