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Farmland Prep #1 GMAT

by fangtray » Sun Apr 08, 2012 3:18 am
Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the US create farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but it also caused erosion and very quickly deforested whole regions.

a. same
b. Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the US create farmland (especially in the Northeast), which gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
c. The systematic clearing of forests in the US, creating farmland (especially in the Northeast) and giving consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
d. THe systematic clearing of forests in the US created farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses an furniture, but it also
e. The systematic clearing of forests in the US not only created farmland (especially in the Northeast), giving consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but it

could an expert help me wiht thi sone? and point out what is correct in the other 4 wrong answer choices?
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by GMATGuruNY » Sun Apr 08, 2012 4:31 am
fangtray wrote:Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the US create farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but it also caused erosion and very quickly deforested whole regions.

a. same
b. Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the US create farmland (especially in the Northeast), which gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
c. The systematic clearing of forests in the US, creating farmland (especially in the Northeast) and giving consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
d. THe systematic clearing of forests in the US created farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses an furniture, but it also
e. The systematic clearing of forests in the US not only created farmland (especially in the Northeast), giving consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but it

could an expert help me wiht thi sone? and point out what is correct in the other 4 wrong answer choices?
In A, gave should be in the same tense as create: Not only DID the clearing CREATE farmland and GIVE consumers relatively inexpensive houses, but it also caused erosion. Eliminate A.

In B, which seems to refer either to farmland or to the Northeast, but neither farmland nor the Northeast gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses. Eliminate B.

In C, the subject (clearing) lacks a verb. The result is a sentence fragment. Eliminate C.

In E, not only gave...but it caused is unidiomatic. The correct idiom is NOT ONLY X BUT ALSO Y. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is D.
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by EducationAisle » Sun Apr 08, 2012 7:38 am
Notice how the not only..but also construction just is not appropriate meaning-wise in A.

While we can say:

He is not only diligent but also intelligent.

But we cannot say:

He is not only diligent but also dumb.

So basically, similar traits need to be emphasized in this idiom usage.

The sentence under consideration depicts some positive effects (create farmlands, inexpensive houses) and some negative effects (erosion and deforestation). These are contradictory effects and hence, the idiom usage is inappropriate.
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by diebeatsthegmat » Sun Apr 08, 2012 8:56 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
fangtray wrote:Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the US create farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but it also caused erosion and very quickly deforested whole regions.

a. same
b. Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the US create farmland (especially in the Northeast), which gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
c. The systematic clearing of forests in the US, creating farmland (especially in the Northeast) and giving consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
d. THe systematic clearing of forests in the US created farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses an furniture, but it also
e. The systematic clearing of forests in the US not only created farmland (especially in the Northeast), giving consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but it

could an expert help me wiht thi sone? and point out what is correct in the other 4 wrong answer choices?
In A, gave should be in the same tense as create: Not only DID the clearing CREATE farmland and GIVE consumers relatively inexpensive houses, but it also caused erosion. Eliminate A.

In B, which seems to refer either to farmland or to the Northeast, but neither farmland nor the Northeast gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses. Eliminate B.

In C, the subject (clearing) lacks a verb. The result is a sentence fragment. Eliminate C.

In E, not only gave...but it caused is unidiomatic. The correct idiom is NOT ONLY X BUT ALSO Y. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is D.
i also think D or E is the answer then i chose E...
i didnt see " notonly but also " in D... and now i still dont understand why its D.
can you please explain again
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by fangtray » Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:02 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
fangtray wrote:Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the US create farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but it also caused erosion and very quickly deforested whole regions.

a. same
b. Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the US create farmland (especially in the Northeast), which gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
c. The systematic clearing of forests in the US, creating farmland (especially in the Northeast) and giving consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
d. THe systematic clearing of forests in the US created farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses an furniture, but it also
e. The systematic clearing of forests in the US not only created farmland (especially in the Northeast), giving consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but it

could an expert help me wiht thi sone? and point out what is correct in the other 4 wrong answer choices?
In A, gave should be in the same tense as create: Not only DID the clearing CREATE farmland and GIVE consumers relatively inexpensive houses, but it also caused erosion. Eliminate A.

In B, which seems to refer either to farmland or to the Northeast, but neither farmland nor the Northeast gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses. Eliminate B.

In C, the subject (clearing) lacks a verb. The result is a sentence fragment. Eliminate C.

In E, not only gave...but it caused is unidiomatic. The correct idiom is NOT ONLY X BUT ALSO Y. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is D.

I chose between D and E when i took the exam, but chose E instead. Is there another problem with E other than it being unidiomatic? I read that since idioms are somewhat ambiguous, we can spot other errors other than the idiom issue
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by GMATGuruNY » Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:36 am
fangtray wrote:
GMATGuruNY wrote:
fangtray wrote:Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the US create farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but it also caused erosion and very quickly deforested whole regions.

a. same
b. Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the US create farmland (especially in the Northeast), which gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
c. The systematic clearing of forests in the US, creating farmland (especially in the Northeast) and giving consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
d. THe systematic clearing of forests in the US created farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses an furniture, but it also
e. The systematic clearing of forests in the US not only created farmland (especially in the Northeast), giving consumers relatively inexpensive houses and furniture, but it

could an expert help me wiht thi sone? and point out what is correct in the other 4 wrong answer choices?
In A, gave should be in the same tense as create: Not only DID the clearing CREATE farmland and GIVE consumers relatively inexpensive houses, but it also caused erosion. Eliminate A.

In B, which seems to refer either to farmland or to the Northeast, but neither farmland nor the Northeast gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses. Eliminate B.

In C, the subject (clearing) lacks a verb. The result is a sentence fragment. Eliminate C.

In E, not only gave...but it caused is unidiomatic. The correct idiom is NOT ONLY X BUT ALSO Y. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is D.

I chose between D and E when i took the exam, but chose E instead. Is there another problem with E other than it being unidiomatic? I read that since idioms are somewhat ambiguous, we can spot other errors other than the idiom issue
COMMA + VERBing is used to express an action that is somehow dependent on the action in the preceding clause.
In E, the action expressed by the present participle (GIVING consumers inexpensive houses) does not depend on the preceding action (the clearing CREATED farmland). Farmland ≠ houses. Since the two actions are distinct, we need the construction offered by the OA: the systemic clearing CREATED farmland and GAVE consumers relatively inexpensive houses.
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by krishna239455 » Fri Apr 27, 2012 7:44 am
Dear Mitch
One doubt:
In option D, "but it also" does not require "not only"?
Is that because "it" separates "but" and "also"
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by sam2304 » Fri Apr 27, 2012 8:46 am
@krishna239455: Buddy, see EducationAisle's explanation above as for why the not only but also idiom usage is inappropriate here.
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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Apr 28, 2012 3:04 am
krishna239455 wrote:Dear Mitch
One doubt:
In option D, "but it also" does not require "not only"?
Is that because "it" separates "but" and "also"
While not only generally should be followed by but also, it is not necessary that but it also (in the OA here) be preceded by not only.

As EducationAisle noted, not only X but also Y is appropriate when X and Y are SIMILAR IN NATURE:
John is not only a GREAT SWIMMER but also a FINE DANCER.

The SC above is expressing a CONTRAST.
Not only X but also Y is not appropriate for this purpose.
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by krishna239455 » Thu May 17, 2012 9:23 pm
In the correct answer it can refer to 'the systematic clearing of forests" and "farmland" both.

this is a clear antecedent problem.

dont you think so?
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by Bill@VeritasPrep » Fri May 18, 2012 6:58 am
krishna239455 wrote:In the correct answer it can refer to 'the systematic clearing of forests" and "farmland" both.

this is a clear antecedent problem.

dont you think so?
"It" plays the role of subject in the second clause, so it refers to the subject ("systematic clearing") of the first clause.
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by GMATGuruNY » Fri May 18, 2012 7:18 am
krishna239455 wrote:Dear Mitch
One doubt:
In option D, "but it also" does not require "not only"?
Is that because "it" separates "but" and "also"
The systematic clearing created farmland and gave consumers inexpensive houses, but it ALSO caused erosion.

The three parallel verbs -- created, gave, caused -- clearly refer to the same subject (the systematic clearing).
Moreover, if it referred to farmland, then there would be no reason to say also, since the farmland does not perform an action in the first clause.
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