pradeepkaushal9518 wrote:By pressing a tiny amount of nitrogen between two diamonds to a pressure of 25 milliion pounds per square inch, scientists not only were able to transform the gas into a solid, but they also created a semiconductor similar to silicon

A.
B. not only were able to transform the gas into a solid but also creating
C. were able not only to transform the gas into a solid but to create
D. were able not only to transform the gas into a solid but also creating
E. were able not only to transform the gas into a solid but they were also able to create

plz explian yr answer

IMO A according to me. I find all other answers extremely awkward due to the were able not only[/i]

imo c
a : the parts not only....., but also are not llel . there is no sub after not only
b:not llel the but also part lacks a verb
d:same as B
e: first part is not a clause and second oart is a clause

is the sentence is correct without not only...but also

experts i need light on this

IMO A

All but A have some flaws that can be realized by careful reading.

This is a tricky one.

Not only... but also is the preferable expression, and 99% of the time, looking for this properly formed idiom will help you discern the correct answer choice.

However, in this case, choice C is the only answer choice which displays proper parallelism. Therefore, C is correct despite the fact that it uses the unpreferable "not only... but."

The words that come after "were able" must be parallel. Let's look at the incorrect answer choices:

A: "to transform" and "they... created" are not parallel
B: "to transform" and "creating" are not parallel
D: "to transform" and "creating" are not parallel
E: "to transform" and "they were able to create" are not parallel

Remember that this question is the exception rather than the rule. On almost all GMAT questions, knowing that "not only... but also" is the preferable phrase should be able to help you find the right answer!

thanks josh i will take care in future

josh@knewton wrote:This is a tricky one.

Not only... but also is the preferable expression, and 99% of the time, looking for this properly formed idiom will help you discern the correct answer choice.

However, in this case, choice C is the only answer choice which displays proper parallelism. Therefore, C is correct despite the fact that it uses the unpreferable "not only... but."

The words that come after "were able" must be parallel. Let's look at the incorrect answer choices:

A: "to transform" and "they... created" are not parallel
B: "to transform" and "creating" are not parallel
D: "to transform" and "creating" are not parallel
E: "to transform" and "they were able to create" are not parallel

Remember that this question is the exception rather than the rule. On almost all GMAT questions, knowing that "not only... but also" is the preferable phrase should be able to help you find the right answer!

Thanks Josh!!

Your explanation suggests that parallelism takes preference over standard idiomatic expressions.....the case at hand.
Atleast in some such cases.

But, do you think that GMAT will play this trick as this falls beyond the standard rules of GMAT English.

I found all choices wrong...
i doubt gmat will drop also in the not only but also construction...
wat is d source of the question??

I'm not sure what the source of the question is, but I would be very, very surprised if you saw a question like this (that uses "not only... but" instead of "not only... but also") on the test. Never hurts to be prepared, though, right?

source is gmat prep
here is the confirmation
https://www.beatthegmat.com/idiom-not-on ... t9913.html

this question i have posted as i have choosen wrong option which has not only but also option