Platypus

[subgeeth]

Despite the fact that it has a duck shaped bill and lays ges,the playtypus is not a bird ; rather the most unique mamal in Australia and Quite possibly the World

A) Bird;rather
B)bird,but rather
c) bird ;rather that of
D)bird;it is that of
E)bird,but that of

[spoiler]
IMO B can any one explain what was wrong with E eventhough I chose B[/spoiler]

[gmat800_]

My answer: E

OA???

[outreach]

we need contrast so we need to use BUT.

If we use semicolon ,we have to make sure that the sentence stands by itself

E is incorrect comparison. Without that presence in the first part of sentence, second that does not compare

Despite the fact that it has a duck shaped bill and lays ges,the playtypus is not a bird ; rather the most unique mamal in Australia and Quite possibly the World

A) Bird;rather
B)bird,but rather
c) bird ;rather that of
D)bird;it is that of
E)bird,but that of

[spoiler]
IMO B can any one explain what was wrong with E eventhough I chose B[/spoiler]

[akahuja143]

After the semicolon, we need a independent clause that of... does not make the second part independent.

Also not....but rather is a idiom

[Fiver]

[spoiler]
IMO B can any one explain what was wrong with E eventhough I chose B[/spoiler]

'that of' in option E is absurd.
'that' in a 'that of' construction usually stands the thing being possessed by another entity.

[akhpad]

The correct Idioms are

Not X, but Y
Not X, but rather Y

Here X is "the playtypus".
Y is "the most unique mamal"

I believe X and Y are parallel.

Why do you need "that of"?

I believe B is correct.