rphardu wrote:
In 1997 the frequency of calvings among dairy cows increased across Northern Europe; this increase was more apparent in Norway than in either Sweden or Finland
(A) than in either Sweden or Finland
(B) than either in Sweden or Finland
(C) than those in Sweden or Finland
(D) than among those in either Sweden or Finland
(E) than it was either in Sweden or Finland
Official Solution (Credit: Manhattan Prep)
This sentence makes a comparison between the increase in calving rates in Norway and that in two other countries. Like all other comparisons, this one must use proper parallelism between the concepts being compared.
There is also a second layer of parallelism “nested” within the larger parallel structure: namely, the either … or construction must also be made parallel.
(A) Correct. In the larger-scale comparison, there is proper parallelism between in Norway and in either Sweden or Finland. Also, within the either-or portion, either is followed by Sweden and or by Finland, creating a properly parallel structure.
(B) The either-or construction is not parallel, as either is followed by in Sweden and or by just Finland.
(C) The pronoun those in the second part of the comparison has no antecedent. In fact, there is no plural noun at all in the first part of the comparison (“more apparent in Norway”) to which those could be parallel.
(D) The pronoun those in the second part of the comparison has no antecedent. In fact, there is no plural noun at all in the first part of the comparison (“more apparent in Norway”) to which those could be parallel. Additionally, although the phrase “among dairy cows” is indeed present in the first part of the sentence, that phrase is not included in the comparison, so it can’t be referenced in the second half of the comparison.
(E) The either-or construction is not parallel, as either is followed by in Sweden and or by just Finland.
The correct answer is A.