not any [noun] vs no [noun]. How to choose?

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aflaam: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 132; Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 2:52 pm; Thanked: 4 times; Followed by:1 members

not any [noun] vs no [noun]. How to choose?

by aflaam » Sun May 01, 2016 9:39 pm

In 1978 only half the women granted child support by a court received the amount awarded; at least as much as a million and more others had not any support agreements whatsoever.Â
(A) at least as much as a million and more others had not anyÂ
(B) at least as much as more than a million others had noÂ
(C) more than a million others had not anyÂ
(D) more than a million others had noÂ
(E) there was at least a million or more others without anyÂ

How to choose between C and D?
what is the difference between the split here?
thanks

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Sun May 01, 2016 9:39 pm

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ceilidh.erickson: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 2095; Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:22 pm; Thanked: 1443 times; Followed by:247 members

by ceilidh.erickson » Mon May 02, 2016 8:24 am

This appears to be mostly an idiom issue: had no ____ whatsoever is a commonly used expression.

"had not any" may not be technically incorrect (you'll find this usage in 18th century literature), but it's certainly not in common usage today. "Had not any ____ whatsoever" is not idiomatic.

What is the source of this question?

Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education