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Parallelism

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Parallelism

by BTG14 » Sat Feb 02, 2013 3:49 am
Hi All,
While going through MGMAT Verbal material, I found one question:

Question: We were dismayed to learn that our neighbors were untidy, disagreeable, and they were uninterested to make new friends.

Answer: We were dismayed to learn that our neighbors were untidy, disagreeable, and uninterested in making new friends.

My doubt : why can't it be We were dismayed to learn that our neighbors were untidy, disagreeable, and uninterested to make new friends.
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by ceilidh.erickson » Sat Feb 02, 2013 8:04 am
This is actually an idiom issue. The word UNINTERESTED takes the form "uninterested in doing something" rather than "uninterested to do something." Just as with most idioms, there's no particular grammar rule to follow - it's just the form that the word "prefers," and you just have to memorize it.

As far as parallelism, there is no difference. UNTIDY, DISAGREEABLE, and UNINTERESTED are the three parallel adjectives in both cases.
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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