Sentence Correction

Recently physicians have determined that stomach ulcers are not caused by stress, alcohol, or rich foods, but a bacterium that dwells in the mucous lining of the stomach.


(A) not caused by stress, alcohol, or rich foods, but

(B) not caused by stress, alcohol, or rich foods, but are by

(C) caused not by stress, alcohol, or rich foods, but by

(D) caused not by stress, alcohol, and rich foods, but

(E) caused not by stress, alcohol, and rich foods, but are by


OA C

Source: Official Guiide

In this statement, the author is trying to explain that ulcers are caused not by stress... But by a bacterium

Option A - Incorrect
This option is incorrect because there is no relation between the sentence and what the author wants to say.

Option B - Incorrect
In this sentence, 'not caused by' is not parallel to 'are by'. It doesn't explain what the author wants to say.

Option C - Correct
The sentence is parallel to the given... The use of 'not by' ... 'but by' makes it parallel.

Option D - Incorrect
There's no parallelism between 'by stress' and 'a bacterium'. The first sentence is a prepositional phrase while the second is a noun.

Option E - Incorrect
The sentence is not parallel because 'by stress' is not parallel to 'are by a bacterium' because the first sentence is a prepositional phrase while the second one starts with a verb.