OG 2017 Tough Question

[richachampion]

As criminal activity on the Internet becomes more and more sophisticated, not only are thieves able to divert cash from company bank accounts, they can also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and sell the data to competitors.

A. they can also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and sell
B. they can also pilfer valuable information that includes business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and selling
C. also pilfering valuable information including business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, selling
D. but also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans to sell
E. but also pilfering valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans and selling

[richachampion]

OA: A

First time I have seen in the Official question that the Idiom -

NOT ONLY____ BUT ALSO___ is not working.

[GMATGuruNY]

As criminal activity on the Internet becomes more and more sophisticated, not only are thieves able to divert cash from company bank accounts, they can also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and sell the data to competitors.

A. they can also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and sell
B. they can also pilfer valuable information that includes business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and selling
C. also pilfering valuable information including business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, selling
D. but also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans to sell
E. but also pilfering valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans and selling

not only + VERB + SUBJECT must be followed by a SECOND CLAUSE WITH ITS OWN SUBJECT AND VERB.

C: not only are thieves...also pilfering
D: not only are thieves...but also pilfer
E: not only are thieve...but also pilfering
In these options, the portions in red do not have both a subject and verb and thus do not constitute clauses.
Eliminate C, D and E.

and must serve to connect PARALLEL FORMS.
B: they can also pilfer...and selling
Here, pilfer (verb) and selling (participle) are not parallel forms.
Eliminate B.

The correct answer is A.

OA: not only are thieves able to divert, they can also pilfer
The OA indicates that the following construction is considered correct on the GMAT:
not only + VERB + SUBJECT + COMMA + SUBJECT + also + VERB.
This construction may also include but, as follows:
Not only are thieves able to divert, but they can also pilfer.
As the OA indicates, the usage of but is OPTIONAL in this construction.

[fiza gupta]

Thanks Sir! I got your point

C: not only are thieves...also pilfering
D: not only are thieves...but also pilfer
E: not only are thieve...but also pilfering
In these options, the portions in red do not have both a subject and verb and thus do not constitute clauses.
Eliminate C, D and E.

but in option D: not only are thieves...but also pilfer
isn't the word "pilfer" a verb?
if i google, it says its a verb

[GMATGuruNY]

but in option D: not only are thieves...but also pilfer
isn't the word "pilfer" a verb?
if i google, it says its a verb

In D, not only + VERB + SUBJECT is followed by a verb (pilfer) without a subject.
As noted in my post above, not only + VERB + SUBJECT must be followed by a clause with its own subject and verb.
The subject in the second clause may NOT be omitted.
Since the second clause in D lacks a subject, eliminate D.

[fiza gupta]

In D, not only + VERB + SUBJECT is followed by a verb (pilfer) without a subject.
As noted in my post above, not only + VERB + SUBJECT must be followed by a clause with its own subject and verb.
The subject in the second clause may NOT be omitted.
Since the second clause in D lacks a subject, eliminate D.

Thanku Sir

but :
this is one of the question in OG 2017 in which subject is missing but still the construction is correct
"Whether they will scale back their orders to pre-2003 levels or stop doing business with us altogether depends on whether the changes that their management has proposed will be fully implemented."
why this construction is acceptable without subject?

[DavidG@VeritasPrep]

but :
this is one of the question in OG 2017 in which subject is missing but still the construction is correct
"Whether they will scale back their orders to pre-2003 levels or stop doing business with us altogether depends on whether the changes that their management has proposed will be fully implemented."
why this construction is acceptable without subject?

That example contains two clauses, each containing its own subject.

Whether they will x ... depends on whether the changes will be y

[fiza gupta]

Thanks David Sir!
My doubt is clear now

[DavidG@VeritasPrep]

As criminal activity on the Internet becomes more and more sophisticated, not only are thieves able to divert cash from company bank accounts, they can also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and sell the data to competitors.

A. they can also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and sell
B. they can also pilfer valuable information that includes business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and selling
C. also pilfering valuable information including business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, selling
D. but also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans to sell
E. but also pilfering valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans and selling

You want to be careful about being too rigid with this construction. Here we have an OA that leaves off the "but." And here's a different OA that leaves off the "also,"

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


What's important is to maintain the parallelism. (Not only to x but to y)